Call me a crank, but I’m middle aged and that means just about everything pisses me off. But what I’ve got in my craw today has been simmering for a long time. It is the rank stupidity and downright dangerous behavior of pedestrians at or in crosswalks. Crosswalks painted on the pavement are a good idea. They provide a clearly marked zone for drivers and pedestrians to allow pedestrians to cross streets at the appropriate times when those streets are either free of traffic, or when traffic in both directions has come to a stop. But the painted stripes on the asphalt do not provide a protective force field. Just because you step out into a crosswalk, that does not mean you do not have to be alert to the danger of unaware or impatient drivers. Of course the driver is to blame when a pedestrian is injured inside a crosswalk. But time after time after time, I watch pedestrians step into a crosswalk and become intentionally oblivious to the traffic conditions around them. It is smug, dangerous behavior. What really drives me up the wall is when a parent pushing a stroller behaves this way. When my girls were stroller bound, my head was on a swivel walking down the driveway and I was in full threat detection mode when it came to the public roads. I see too many people just displaying this “my safety is protected by these painted stripes so it’s up to you Mr. Driver not to hurt me” attitude. Years ago there were many ‘Drive Defensively” ad campaigns to get drivers to try and recognize potential dangerous situations on the road and drive in such a way as to avoid putting oneself in such a position. We need a “Walk Defensively” campaign for these idiots who abandon their safety to painted lines and the awareness of others.
Cousin to these pedestrian morons are the drivers who have the right of way approaching a crosswalk and come to an abrupt halt when they see a pedestrian step off the curb. These people put everyone in danger. They risk being rear ended by a driver behind them who sees a green light at the approaching intersection and is not expecting the car in front of him to stop short. When the pedestrian now begins walking (actually j-walking) the first vehicle in the oncoming lane is forced to do a similar short stop putting drivers behind him on the spot. A bad situation all around. Courtesy is fine, and it’s nice to see it on the road. But giving up the right-of-way at the wrong time is stupid and dangerous.
A friend of mine, call him Jack, is going through a painful divorce. Painful because he knows he’s going to be mostly taken out of his children’s lives. His STBX, Jill we will call her, is a real piece of work. I met her in better times and couldn’t believe that a person could reach forty years old, yet have the maturity of an adolescent. And I’m over-estimating here. Anyway Jack and Jill, as part of the process had to meet with a judge to work out a plan for sharing the parenting of their children. Wait'll you read this, this is a good one.
Jack told me recently, “When we got to the discussion of the Christmas holiday, I explained to the judge that ever since Jill and I were dating, we agreed to alternate where we’d spend Christmas. One year with her family here in Ohio, and the next with my family back east.” “I told the judge that since this upcoming Christmas was my year there wasn’t any good reason for me not to be able to spend Christmas week with the kids, back east with my family.” “Then Jill blurts out, “And of course I’m not invited.” completely offended at this snub.”
Do you believe that one? Can a person be so dim as to not recognize why someone wouldn’t invite her to a family holiday celebration when she is divorcing a member of said family? How can a person be so convinced of her own wonderfulness? Stupefying how people can go through life thinking so much of themselves. Whatever do these people see when they look in a mirror? Or do they even bother to look?
UPDATE:
People who insist on getting their coffee just exactly perfect make me want to strangle them at the counter. I just came back from Dunkin' Donuts where I watched a picayune prig of a woman make the server re-pour her iced coffee THREE TIMES because each time this witch said it was "too light." And when the server finally got this self-important crone's order right, the crone said, "Just so you know, when you add cream you need to use less than when you use milk." What a snotty bitch. It's a $2.00 cup of coffee for crying out loud, not a $50.00 steak. I'm an Oscar Madison, and the Felix Unger's of the world really make me crazy. If I had been the server this woman would've wound up wearing her iced coffee. Grow up America. If a cup of coffee with a bit too much cream causes you a crisis, then what is wrong with you is no small thing.
Monday, June 1, 2009
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4 comments:
What about those too stupid to operate a turn signal? Jill sounds like a beeeatch.
Went grocery shopping the other day. Had to pick up a few staples. Got in a line where a lady was just finishing her checkout. Her cart had no less than 10 environmentally sound canvas shopping bags. She was gonna need a tow truck to pull it to the parking lot. She was wearing a sort of "hemp dashiki" Total eco-crone. Paid by check. And gave me a very dirty look as I stood behind her with my neck craned looking at the sign that said "10 Items or Less - CASH ONLY." As if I was the ignorant rude one. Whoever taught these people about manners?
Parents are to blame. Manners, morals, virtue, all start with parental examples. How is a child expected to have those qualities if he/she doesn't see them practiced in the home? Got a rude child? Daughter sleeps with married men? Your son's a thief? Well Mom & Dad as Shakespeare said, "the fault lies not in our stars, but in ourselves."
I would also add Bicyclists to the immature and stupid crowd. It is so nice as a motorist to be caught in a 6+ car caravan stuck behind 2 moronic bike riders that have a chip on their shoulder. All of these "green riders" refuse to simply shift right in a single file to let the cars pass. Like pedestrians, it seems like they forget they can be in the "right" and be "dead right".
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