Monday, June 26, 2006
What does this say about us as human beings?
I'm super busy finishing up my stint on Villains, but I wanted to talk about this for a second. There are two places in society nowadays where people feel that they are "safe" enough and can't be harmed enough to where they feel that common courtesy and civility don't apply.
One is the anonymity of the internet, the other? Behind the wheel of their car. Every single day I'm amazed at how people have a complete and utter lack of common courtesy to their fellow man while on the road.
Nowhere else can you repeatedly piss someone off, get joy out of it, and feel completely within your right to put other people's lives in jeopardy. I completely understand where Road Rage came from. Its maddening to be driving and keeping a safe distance between the car in front of you only to have that space taken up by some asshat who doesn't signal and then slams on their brakes as they get in front of you because, gee, there REALLY wasn't THAT much room there after all.
Did I mention that you're also going downhill at about 70 miles per hour when said asshat slams on the brakes?!
What does this say about us as a society that this is acceptable behavior? I think it says that while I think most people are good, there is that small percentage that will do something that is ethically and dangerously wrong as long as they feel that they can get away with it. The scary thing is that these people aren't criminals in the sense that they aren't rapists, thieves, child molesters... These people have the potential to become murderers though. Drunk driving, talking on their FREAKING cell phones or dialing them while going in excess of 70 miles per hour while weaving all over the road. All of these things have the potential for disaster.
I guess having my cop dad and my trauma ward mother helped me realize moreso than others that cars are a privilege and they are also killing machines. I've seen all of the red asphalt movies, even before I was shown them in driver's ed in high school. I've seen coroner photos of what happens when you act stupid while driving. I've been told horror stories of how naked I'll be when I enter the trauma center and what happens when I get there.
I just don't understand why people feel they can get away with half the crap they pull on the road when if they did that to you in, say, the grocery store, you'd call them out on it and they'd be ashamed of themselves. But with the anonymity of traffic and everyone having their own destinations, we usually just curse a little, and then "forgive" their transgressions.
I'm not of the opinion that Road Rage is acceptable or that we should take up vigilantism against these offenders, but I think that we should all take a step back and look at ourselves and how we treat others on the road the next time we're in the car. Would you slam the door in a little old lady's face at the store and then flip her off? Probably not, but I've seen that happen on the road many times.
Ben and I have decided that instead of getting mad and honking and flipping people off, we just give them a big shit eating grin and then either a wave or a big thumbs up when they're looking at us in their rearview mirror. This technique actually seems to get the jackhole even MORE pissed off at us than if we just did what normal people do. Its very funny and I think everyone should adopt this technique.
This may be the pot calling the kettle black here if you've ever been in the car with me... but its just something that's been on my mind lately.
One is the anonymity of the internet, the other? Behind the wheel of their car. Every single day I'm amazed at how people have a complete and utter lack of common courtesy to their fellow man while on the road.
Nowhere else can you repeatedly piss someone off, get joy out of it, and feel completely within your right to put other people's lives in jeopardy. I completely understand where Road Rage came from. Its maddening to be driving and keeping a safe distance between the car in front of you only to have that space taken up by some asshat who doesn't signal and then slams on their brakes as they get in front of you because, gee, there REALLY wasn't THAT much room there after all.
Did I mention that you're also going downhill at about 70 miles per hour when said asshat slams on the brakes?!
What does this say about us as a society that this is acceptable behavior? I think it says that while I think most people are good, there is that small percentage that will do something that is ethically and dangerously wrong as long as they feel that they can get away with it. The scary thing is that these people aren't criminals in the sense that they aren't rapists, thieves, child molesters... These people have the potential to become murderers though. Drunk driving, talking on their FREAKING cell phones or dialing them while going in excess of 70 miles per hour while weaving all over the road. All of these things have the potential for disaster.
I guess having my cop dad and my trauma ward mother helped me realize moreso than others that cars are a privilege and they are also killing machines. I've seen all of the red asphalt movies, even before I was shown them in driver's ed in high school. I've seen coroner photos of what happens when you act stupid while driving. I've been told horror stories of how naked I'll be when I enter the trauma center and what happens when I get there.
I just don't understand why people feel they can get away with half the crap they pull on the road when if they did that to you in, say, the grocery store, you'd call them out on it and they'd be ashamed of themselves. But with the anonymity of traffic and everyone having their own destinations, we usually just curse a little, and then "forgive" their transgressions.
I'm not of the opinion that Road Rage is acceptable or that we should take up vigilantism against these offenders, but I think that we should all take a step back and look at ourselves and how we treat others on the road the next time we're in the car. Would you slam the door in a little old lady's face at the store and then flip her off? Probably not, but I've seen that happen on the road many times.
Ben and I have decided that instead of getting mad and honking and flipping people off, we just give them a big shit eating grin and then either a wave or a big thumbs up when they're looking at us in their rearview mirror. This technique actually seems to get the jackhole even MORE pissed off at us than if we just did what normal people do. Its very funny and I think everyone should adopt this technique.
This may be the pot calling the kettle black here if you've ever been in the car with me... but its just something that's been on my mind lately.
Comments:
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"Alicia!! HONK AT THAT ASSHOLE!!!"
*Alicia leans out the window and screams, "HONKHONKHONK!!" because the mustang has no horn*
Good times.
*Alicia leans out the window and screams, "HONKHONKHONK!!" because the mustang has no horn*
Good times.
Very Funny Alicia...
Oh Marlsy,
Welcome to my world... I wish I could go a day without interactin' with the aforementioned "AssHats and JackHoles"... Alas, it seems impossible to avoid these Dregs for just one day... It floors me when the Elderly or Pregnant Women can't get a seat on the bus... Especially when it's young guys, or some DipShit that won't move their bag... When anyone opens a door quickly then runs through it without lookin' back to see if anyone might need some assistance... Or that group of TweenieBoppers that feel like everyone within' a 6 Block Radius wants to hear their shit... UGH!!! I could go on for hours about this, but I won't... Mainly cuz' I will bottle up that anger and Demolish the next JackHole that decides to be an AssHat...
PEACE!!!
Tony
Oh Marlsy,
Welcome to my world... I wish I could go a day without interactin' with the aforementioned "AssHats and JackHoles"... Alas, it seems impossible to avoid these Dregs for just one day... It floors me when the Elderly or Pregnant Women can't get a seat on the bus... Especially when it's young guys, or some DipShit that won't move their bag... When anyone opens a door quickly then runs through it without lookin' back to see if anyone might need some assistance... Or that group of TweenieBoppers that feel like everyone within' a 6 Block Radius wants to hear their shit... UGH!!! I could go on for hours about this, but I won't... Mainly cuz' I will bottle up that anger and Demolish the next JackHole that decides to be an AssHat...
PEACE!!!
Tony
I think there needs to be stricters laws on who can drive. Just because you physically CAN drive a car, doesn't mean you have the mental capacity for it.
And yeah... my old mustang blew BIG goats...
Remember "Hey Batgrrl! Where's the Joker!??!?! HAR HAR HAR!!!"
Those WERE the days.
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And yeah... my old mustang blew BIG goats...
Remember "Hey Batgrrl! Where's the Joker!??!?! HAR HAR HAR!!!"
Those WERE the days.
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