Kind of related to this… I was out on a run this spring and I was approaching an intersection that I didn’t have to stop at and the road to my left had a stop sign. I saw a car approaching the stop sign, and there weren’t any obstructions so I was clearly visible in my bright green shorts. I’m always watching because people suck and I’m glad I was, because I ended up parkouring this dude’s hood when he finally stopped 10’ past the stop sign. I was the Heisman trophy for a moment. I turned around and gave him the “what the fuck” hands and gestured at the stop sign, and this mother fucker looked at me like I fucked up. Fortunately I didn’t get taken out at the knees and I just kept going . I still think I should have busted his side mirror off and put a fist sized dent in his hood. I’d love to watch him try and explain that to a cop.
I turned around and gave him the “what the fuck” hands and gestured at the stop sign, and this mother fucker looked at me like I fucked up.
Not long ago, I was going through an intersection on a green… from one bike lane, continuing into the other on the other side of the intersection.
While I had a green, a driver making a left nearly ran into me, honked and did the same “what the fuck are you doing” to me.
It’s pretty amazing that we don’t hear of crashes every minute of the day, because some people quite literally have no idea what the hell they are doing.
I’ve been road biking a lot more frequently training for a triathlon. You gotta keep you head on a swivel because too many people don’t understand right of way. I have a few roundabouts near me, and when I get to one, it’s a coin flip as to if the other drivers no how they work. They aren’t new. I had to lay on the horn the other day when someone stopped in the roundabout to let a car in. It was warm and windows were down so they definitely heard me yell, “don’t stop in the fucking roundabout, dumbass”. I haven’t called someone a dumbass in a while. I’ve grown harsher in my insults, and bringing out a classic like that felt good.
… someone stopped in the roundabout to let a car in.
I wish more people realized how dangerous some nice acts can be.
I’ve been in plenty of situations where someone might wave me on in situations where it really isn’t appropriate or safe, so I have to basically yell at them to continue.
The last thing I want is for a driver with good intentions to be rear ended, and me getting hit. Three people’s day would be ruined, at the very least.
When I’m driving, if there is a path crossing that has a light, and if there is someone sitting there waiting that hasn’t pushed the button, I’m not stopping. It’s not to be a dick, it’s for safety reasons.
A few years ago, there was a fairly high profile local situation where someone hit and killed someone in a cross walk. What happened is it was a 4 lane in town road and someone was waiting to cross. Car A stops and waves then through, car B in the other lane drives through unaware there was someone crossing in front of the car that stopped in the middle of the road. Predictable transportation is safe transportation. Whether you’re walking, biking, driving, or whatever, be predictable and consistent with the rules.
A friend and I were talking about what’s wrong with the world, and one of the things we discussed was there aren’t any consequences for minor infractions. We’re all too polite. Someone does something shitty, like this person in their car, or someone taking up 4 seats on the bus, or throwing their trash on the street, and no one does anything. No one wants to start a fight or make a scene.
Many people operate at a very basic level of moral reasoning: avoid punishment. Some people, some of the time, achieve higher levels of reasoning like “I should follow the rules” or even “I should do what’s good for society.” But many people chill out at the toddler level of “I don’t want to be punished.” So it follows that when these oversized toddlers never get punished, they think they’re doing just fine.
But concurrently, the institution we have to enforce laws and norms, the police, sucks dog shit. Racist, corrupt, no accountability, and lazy. If I see a guy littering, I’m not going to call the cops. They wouldn’t even come, for one thing, but I also don’t want to bring a bunch of armed assholes into the scene.
I don’t know what the best way forward is. My friend suggested local “guardian angel” volunteers that patrol and “Deal with” people who are shitty, but that feels like it could just turn into the police-but-worse. But I really want people who shit up the world to stop, and it feels like they don’t have enough empathy to understand anything more complex than “you took up four seats on the bus and were blasting youtube out of your phone, so we threw you out. Enjoy walking home, asshole.”
I think you’re almost at the right idea but you’re stuck on the conditioning that it takes some daddy authority figure to be the one enforcing behavior. That’s for babies. Adults should enforce good behavior in other adults. If you see an asshole taking up 4 seats it is your responsibility to tell them to act right. I used to be scared of doing it but the older I get and the more free of authoritarian conditioning I become the easier it is to call out bullshit. Just the other day some asshole in a Ferrari parked so close behind my busted up prius that I wasn’t going to be able to get out. He was still getting out of his car and I was able to say, “If you don’t move your car I’m just gonna hit it so I have enough space to get out.” Bro looked quite scared and I think it’s because of the complete lack of fucks I had left to give that day. Point being, just open your mouth and advocate for justice. Don’t pass that responsibility off to someone else because they don’t exist. If someone needs to get bounced and you don’t have the physique or training for it that’s a great time to ask for help from passersby. You aren’t alone in being pissed off at assholes acting entitled, plenty of people will help you if you get the ball rolling.
I’ve also cared less about calling people out as I’ve gotten older, but it takes one unhinged douche to pull a knife or a gun and end it. I’ve come very close to getting into a physical altercation a couple of times for calling people out. One being someone that ran me into a curb when they went from in to out on a double left. We had a shouting match through our windows, he threatened me, cut me off and brake checked me, then said let’s go fight. I was going into work, and he didn’t follow me. I hate people so much.
Kind of related to this… I was out on a run this spring and I was approaching an intersection that I didn’t have to stop at and the road to my left had a stop sign. I saw a car approaching the stop sign, and there weren’t any obstructions so I was clearly visible in my bright green shorts. I’m always watching because people suck and I’m glad I was, because I ended up parkouring this dude’s hood when he finally stopped 10’ past the stop sign. I was the Heisman trophy for a moment. I turned around and gave him the “what the fuck” hands and gestured at the stop sign, and this mother fucker looked at me like I fucked up. Fortunately I didn’t get taken out at the knees and I just kept going . I still think I should have busted his side mirror off and put a fist sized dent in his hood. I’d love to watch him try and explain that to a cop.
Not long ago, I was going through an intersection on a green… from one bike lane, continuing into the other on the other side of the intersection.
While I had a green, a driver making a left nearly ran into me, honked and did the same “what the fuck are you doing” to me.
It’s pretty amazing that we don’t hear of crashes every minute of the day, because some people quite literally have no idea what the hell they are doing.
I’ve been road biking a lot more frequently training for a triathlon. You gotta keep you head on a swivel because too many people don’t understand right of way. I have a few roundabouts near me, and when I get to one, it’s a coin flip as to if the other drivers no how they work. They aren’t new. I had to lay on the horn the other day when someone stopped in the roundabout to let a car in. It was warm and windows were down so they definitely heard me yell, “don’t stop in the fucking roundabout, dumbass”. I haven’t called someone a dumbass in a while. I’ve grown harsher in my insults, and bringing out a classic like that felt good.
I wish more people realized how dangerous some nice acts can be.
I’ve been in plenty of situations where someone might wave me on in situations where it really isn’t appropriate or safe, so I have to basically yell at them to continue.
The last thing I want is for a driver with good intentions to be rear ended, and me getting hit. Three people’s day would be ruined, at the very least.
When I’m driving, if there is a path crossing that has a light, and if there is someone sitting there waiting that hasn’t pushed the button, I’m not stopping. It’s not to be a dick, it’s for safety reasons.
A few years ago, there was a fairly high profile local situation where someone hit and killed someone in a cross walk. What happened is it was a 4 lane in town road and someone was waiting to cross. Car A stops and waves then through, car B in the other lane drives through unaware there was someone crossing in front of the car that stopped in the middle of the road. Predictable transportation is safe transportation. Whether you’re walking, biking, driving, or whatever, be predictable and consistent with the rules.
A friend and I were talking about what’s wrong with the world, and one of the things we discussed was there aren’t any consequences for minor infractions. We’re all too polite. Someone does something shitty, like this person in their car, or someone taking up 4 seats on the bus, or throwing their trash on the street, and no one does anything. No one wants to start a fight or make a scene.
Many people operate at a very basic level of moral reasoning: avoid punishment. Some people, some of the time, achieve higher levels of reasoning like “I should follow the rules” or even “I should do what’s good for society.” But many people chill out at the toddler level of “I don’t want to be punished.” So it follows that when these oversized toddlers never get punished, they think they’re doing just fine.
But concurrently, the institution we have to enforce laws and norms, the police, sucks dog shit. Racist, corrupt, no accountability, and lazy. If I see a guy littering, I’m not going to call the cops. They wouldn’t even come, for one thing, but I also don’t want to bring a bunch of armed assholes into the scene.
I don’t know what the best way forward is. My friend suggested local “guardian angel” volunteers that patrol and “Deal with” people who are shitty, but that feels like it could just turn into the police-but-worse. But I really want people who shit up the world to stop, and it feels like they don’t have enough empathy to understand anything more complex than “you took up four seats on the bus and were blasting youtube out of your phone, so we threw you out. Enjoy walking home, asshole.”
Im not suggest it as a solution but have you seen god bless america?
I think you’re almost at the right idea but you’re stuck on the conditioning that it takes some daddy authority figure to be the one enforcing behavior. That’s for babies. Adults should enforce good behavior in other adults. If you see an asshole taking up 4 seats it is your responsibility to tell them to act right. I used to be scared of doing it but the older I get and the more free of authoritarian conditioning I become the easier it is to call out bullshit. Just the other day some asshole in a Ferrari parked so close behind my busted up prius that I wasn’t going to be able to get out. He was still getting out of his car and I was able to say, “If you don’t move your car I’m just gonna hit it so I have enough space to get out.” Bro looked quite scared and I think it’s because of the complete lack of fucks I had left to give that day. Point being, just open your mouth and advocate for justice. Don’t pass that responsibility off to someone else because they don’t exist. If someone needs to get bounced and you don’t have the physique or training for it that’s a great time to ask for help from passersby. You aren’t alone in being pissed off at assholes acting entitled, plenty of people will help you if you get the ball rolling.
I’ve also cared less about calling people out as I’ve gotten older, but it takes one unhinged douche to pull a knife or a gun and end it. I’ve come very close to getting into a physical altercation a couple of times for calling people out. One being someone that ran me into a curb when they went from in to out on a double left. We had a shouting match through our windows, he threatened me, cut me off and brake checked me, then said let’s go fight. I was going into work, and he didn’t follow me. I hate people so much.