Dealing with idiots * Trip Report (stories/pet peeves, etc.)

[UATrewqaz]

So I have the day off for President's Day and decide to swing by the mall, in a normal ok mood.

So as I'm driving there on a major highway a lady in the far right lane (it's like an 8 lane highway, 4 on both sides) decides she needs to take a left immediately and the fact she's 3 lanes in the wrong place doesn't phase her at all and she proceeds to cut across every single lane at 60 mph. Luckily there was no accident but the sheer idiocy of this caught my attention.

So I get to the mall parking lot and it's pretty crowded, which is fine, and when I get to the lane of parking spots I want to go to there is a car sitting there running.... just sitting there, not moving, not waiting on a spot, I eventually have it clear so I whirl around them and it's some moron lady on her cell phone apparently obilivious to the rest of the world.

So I start going down the lane of parking spots and some trailor park trash looking lady is walking in the middle of the road. I mean the DEAD middle to, so I can't even get around her. I'm a polite sort of guy so I don't start honking, I just nudge up close to her going slow hoping she'll get the idea "Oh I'm in the road, perhaps cars behind me need to use it" but she doesn't.

So after about 5-6 cars worth of traveling like this I let out a very gentle and quick toot on my horn, she then proceeds to turn around and looks at me like I'M crazy and slowly walks over to the side, lookign at me like I've HORRIBLY insulted her.

So I finally find someone pulling out of a spot and wait to take it. They proceed to back up 6 inches and stop, back up 6 more, stop, back up half way out and stop.... remaining stopped.... I notice then that the lady was fiddling around in the other seat with something.

At this point I'm on non-poker related tilt and just fuming. I keep my cool waiting for this idiot to pull out of the spot and take it.

So i walk to the entrace and there are these 2 doors that swing outward. A guy on his cell phone is standing directly in front of them and not moving at all, even though it's pretty darn clear I wanna use the door. So I kinda just stand there waiting and eventually am like "excuse me" and once again this guy looks at me like I've horribly insulted him and I'm just completely insane for wanting to use the door.

I'm hungry so right away I go to the food court and get my little Chinese mall food lunch, and this food court has communal stations where you get your straws/napkins/etc.

So I go over to one of the stations and these two old cow ladys have decided this is the perfect place for a conversation. Once again I do the whole politely waiting thing, followed by "excuse me" nudging closer and they proceed to move all of 6 inches, forcing me to repeat myself and they generally look offended that I dare disrupt their conversation.

So finally the point, what has happend to common courtesy in this world? I understand ultimately everyone is selfish but we all gotta live on the planet together. I'm by no means perfect but my parents have taught me just basic consideration for others.

Anyone have any thoughts or input on this? Is this the parents fault? The media/society? How do you deal with these people? Any stories?

[BWebb]

[ QUOTE ]
President's Day

[/ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ]
swing by the mall

[/ QUOTE ]

This is where you [censored] up. My experience is that most people are not this way, but the ones that are will be the type to go to the mall on President's Day. Just stay away and save the headache.

[vexvelour]

Whenever I experience people with this level of ignorance/idiocy/social grace, I usually turn on bitch mode and just get very curt with them. I am unafraid to open my big mouth and be sarcastic, because they obviously have no idea what is going on and I could give a crap less about them.

I'm young and rude and I don't give a crap who I offend though. I just figure I'm saying what everyone is thinking anyway.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

When I run for President in 2016 (the first year I'm eligible), I plan to incorporate the Citizen's Suckerpunch Program into my platform. Under this program, intelligent, level-headed citizens such as myself will be able to apply for the Citizen's Suckerpunch License (CSL). Anyone holding this license will have the right, nay, the responsibility to enforce the common laws of decency via a punch to the face of the offending person(s). That's it. You see an offense, you walk up to the person, punch him/her in the face, and be on with the rest of your day. That's it. No paperwork, no talking, no bitching, no fines/fees/other penalties. Just a crisp jack to the face and move on. I recommend you apply for your CSL as soon as the program is implemented.

[daryn]

wow, can i cast my vote now?

[Dominic]

I say, "excuse me" once. Loud enough for the other person or persons to hear me.

If they choose to ignore me, I say, louder, "That means move your ass."

[sushijerk]

What do you expect? You went to the mall, which is pretty much the official breeding ground of American idiots. This is like walking into a casino and going "wow there sure are a lot of gamblers here".

[Brain]

[ QUOTE ]
wow, can i cast my vote now?

[/ QUOTE ]

PdPG for Prez!

Can you tell us any other planks or who your running mate might be?

[RunDownHouse]

[ QUOTE ]
When I run for President in 2016 (the first year I'm eligible), I plan to incorporate the Citizen's Suckerpunch Program into my platform.

[/ QUOTE ]
Have you already started a pilot program using Tony Paladino?

[ScottieK]

Welcome to modern America, where the majority believes that "if they don't see you, you don't see them" - like that creature out of Hitchhiker's Guide. I think that a lot of people nowadays would much rather avoid all contact with strangers than be polite. That anyone not expressly invited into their little bubble of security is trespassing. That showing consideration is too stressful and shouldn't be attempted.

Why? Maybe these people got tired of caring about common courtesy and respect. Maybe someone didn't show them any, and they decided not caring was much easier than caring. As stated on here about margaritas (but definitely applies to many situations) - it's a sad day when doing something crappy becomes the norm, and doing something exceptionally well becomes the anomaly.

This phenomenon is my brother's #1 peeve of all time. He's ex-Army and a big perfectionist. He lives in an area with a homeowner's association. Since he's conscientious of his neighbors, he doesn't violate the covenants in the homeowner rules. Things like keeping your property maintained, not having trailers and boats in the yard, stuff like that. Too bad that nobody else in the association likes to live by the rules or even pay dues, really. When he tries to enforce some of these rules, everyone else tries to make excuses for the violator instead of trying to enforce the rules. Ass backward. He eventually got so worked up about it that he just quit.

A lot of people are just so switched off that it seems like they don't pay attention to anything or anyone around them. Like you, I'm not perfect either. But it burns me up to no end when people aren't polite or conscientious. Major peeves include being interrupted, cut off, and general rude behavior.

I strongly suggest being polite once, maybe twice. If whoever is still being a [censored], then don't just take it or wait around. The last thing these people want is someone to engage them and call them out on their behavior. Definitely use the words "you are being rude." Of course, those fat cows will tell their friends "we were just chatting when some a-hole barged inbetween us and grabbed for the napkins. I never!"

I definitely dug Tony Paladino's trip report about the girl with the cell phone. Unfortunately, the realist in me thinks the ones who fight back like this are in the fading minority. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

ScottieK