People, huh?

    Watch out, I'm highly caffeinated, and somewhat annoyed.

    Sorry for the lag; life's been going at a rate I wasn't expecting; plus, a LOT has been going on in the world, as you might know. Indictments, lawsuits in the news, deaths (some more 'enjoyable' than others), and just plain old tomfoolery. So, what (you might ask) is "annoying you" today?
    People in general, really.
   This was going to be focused on one thing or other, but with too much between posts, it's a little hard to keep up. So, people it is!

   Ever since things opened up since the pandemic, people went from "ME! ME! MEEEE!!!" from before, to "Oh no! We need to help each other!!" during, to " We need to work together to get things back on track!" and ended up right back at "ME! ME! MEEEE!!" Seeing it first hand is a lot different than hearing about it. We've had people drive like no one else is on the roads (not a good thing , what with all of the construction going on around here); passing on the wrong side, cutting people off, turning without any signal at the literal last minute - you know, morons. It also includes people who back out of parking spaces without looking behind them, or hovering to take a spot, without leaving enough space for the person to get out of it. You can't park, if I can't leave. You know, morons.

   But the ones who bother me more than most, are the non-handicapped people abusing handicapped spots. You've seen them; they pull into them and "run in for just a minute!" Meanwhile, someone who *needs* it, has to wait or find another spot. Sometimes they end up getting ticketed, which is funny if they see the police writing it up, because they try to explain as to why they're justified in breaking the law "for just a minute!"
   When I worked at a local mall in retail years ago, I saw retribution in action. A person who needed the spot was heading for one, and some girl sped up the aisle the wrong way, just to snag it. No permit, no tag. She didn't need the spot, she just wanted it. He stopped by her, and seemed to be telling her to move her car, while she just walked off "for just a minute". When she was inside, he got out, took his key, and wrote something on her driver's side door. He saw me, told me I didn't see anything (which I nodded at), and drove off. I didn't go to see what he wrote, because I didn't want to be accused of doing it. Now, I don't condone vandalism as a means of replying to stupidity, but in this case, I'll allow it.

    This is shorter than I originally wanted it to be, because there's a LOT about this subject that gets me going. So, I'll spare you. For now.

    Until we meet again, just remember, be nice to each other. We're all we got.
   

   

Power out equals stupid people

    Recently, we've had a power outage. For a little over 50 hours - a quarter to six in the afternoon on Monday, August 29, until a little over eight in the evening on Wednesday, August 31 - we, along with over 500,000 people, lost power due to a wicked storm that blew through. Heavy rain and high winds doesn't play well with trees; they sometimes fall against power lines and people are in the dark. Luckily, we had some of our camping gear, so we had lights. Plus our stove is gas, so that helped. 

     What didn't, though, was our food. Eventually, we had to throw out everything we had: eggs, cheese, meat (our chest freezer was PACKED with stuff!)...you name it, it was tossed. :) So, of course, we went shopping. The only cold things we bought, we cooked the same day. Just like in Medieval times! :D

       After the power came back, we went shopping for more cold stuff to restock. But, before it came back, the traffic lights were out, so they were treated as four-way stops, complete with signs in place to help out the drivers. Except they didn't. 

      This is where the stupid comes in. If you think people are dangerous on the roads during normal times, they are worse when they are forced to be courteous. "Stop? Me? Nonsense!" Then they just zip right through, with no thoughts or concerns for the safety of the other drivers. Didn't see any accidents, but seen some close calls. I can honestly say, that if I had a junker car, there *may* have been a fender-bender or two happen. Allegedly.....

       I swear, whenever someone brings up the idea of the world being in an apocalypse, and they think that THEY will somehow survive and be in charge, I compare them to those drivers and think, "No you won't. You'll be among the first to be wiped out because you have absolutely no sense of self-preservation. You take too many risks to last more than a day."  And I just smile quietly to myself and take a mental inventory of their stuff, just in case I'll need something when it happens. 

      Because, hey, you never know......

Cycling and the Stupid

   Near where we live, there were old, disused railroad tracks. Trains used to run on them, but a few years ago, they stopped. Eventually, the tracks were pulled up, and the spaces where they ran were converted to hiking and biking trails. You and walk for several miles on them; a very nice use for them for the health conscious. To make sure of the safety of the people using them, warning signs were placed where they crossed over roads. The cyclist or hiker would come up to the road, press a button, and a warning light would flash, letting traffic know that someone was on the trail, and wanted to cross. Simple, and logical. Not that hard to do, right?

  Well, it seems that, for some, it is. More often than not, a lot of cyclists - not hikers - seem to be unable to grasp the simple concept of button-pressing. They either just stop, and wait for traffic to clear (or the cars to stop on their own), or they just throw caution (and common sense) to the wind, and cross regardless....taking their lives (and the lives of the drivers) into their own hands. 

  I dislike these people with a passion. I really do. 

  Look, not everyone is going to stop for anyone crossing a road in front of them. Some, I think, actively WANT people to do that, so that they can 'teach them a lesson'. Not me. My goal on the road is to get from Point A to Point B with the least amount of hassle and trouble. When some clown wearing a helmet on a flimsy two-wheeler jumps in front of you, it's hard to keep control and stop quick. Plus, they give you a look that says, "Screw you! Share the road!!"
  No. I won't. I'll 'share the road' when YOU learn to obey the Rules of Said Road, Skippy. That means, you stop properly, signal when you're turning, and giving Right-Of-Way to others. If you want to be treated equally, act equally. 

  And remember, not every car driver, is a safe driver. 

  And, PUSH THE DAMN BUTTON!