yeah.
goes back to the question "Why are people so angry?"
but, why not just ask "Why am I so angry?"
They talk about Anger Management. I don't know that people need to manage their anger so much as to just realize there's nothing, in general, to be angry about.
Mame wrote:This isn't really a parking issue so I hope you don't mind if I veer slightly off topic, but it's about cars being stopped.
What I find annoying is when you pull up to a gas station and there's a car ahead of you but not so far ahead that you can reach the gas nozzle to your car, so you have to wait until they move. No problem, except that when their tank is filled, they leave their car where it is, even though they've seen you try to get some gas, and they go into the store and spend 20 minutes buying **** and talking, and you're outside waiting the whole time.
Now THAT is rude. I usually go in and ask them to come out and move their car so I can fill up.
I always make a point of moving my car up in situations like that. Thing is, one time the guy came running out of the booth because he thought I was gassing up and then taking off without paying. Try to be a nice guy and they think you are a thief. hmppfff
Chai - that story is great! Some people are such idiots. Reminds me of a story I have when I used to take public transportation. I used to take the train to work. This particular train was normally professionals going out to the suburbs so pretty boring. One rainy evening right after work I was as usual late for my train so I was running and just made it on the train. It was crowded so I proceeded walking from one car to the next trying to find an empty seat. I spy one way down to the end where the seats actually face one another - ah there are two empty seats - one empty seat is occupied by a bag and the one is not so I sit in the one without the bag.
A minute or less another lucky commuter just makes the train - she sees the one seat that is only occupied by a bag. She politely asks the woman sitting next to the bag if she would please remove the bag. All huffy and moaning an groaning as if it is a huge hassle she removes her bag and slams it on the ground. Everyone is staring not saying a word at this display. Me being a smarta$$ as usual (and also trying to make this poor woman that simply wanted to sit for the ride feel better), I open my trap. I say, "I guess it is important for her bag to be comfortable."
With that the woman makes another big show, grabbing her stuff and moaning and groaning and being all huffy gets up and angrily leaves. We all start laughing and the woman thanks me and says I thought perhaps I didn't ask nicely. I said no you were perfectly polite. Then to cap it off - the moron left her umbrella behind so she had to come back and make a big show moaning and stuff to get it.
Chai wrote: It's a funny thing, when one works on themselves, the people around you all seem to get their **** together too.
I would not consider this to be a universal truth, unfortunately.
That reminds me of a story...
I was waiting for the bus one day and was at the stop with a woman about 50 and a very elderly woman who was unsteady on her pins and blind to boot (she had a white cane). When the bus came, the 50 yr old pushed past us and up into the bus, grabbing the last seat at the front which bore a sign: "These seats are for the elderly and handicapped". So I follow the blind lady up and see there's no seat for her so I said to the 50 yr old, "You're in her seat". She refused to get up. The bus started moving and this old lady was really off-balance, so with a bite in my tone, I repeated myself. She still refused to get up. Then an old man started to rise to offer his seat, but I said, "No, SHE'S going to get up!" and I glared at her and said "Get UP!". I guess that intimidated her because with bad grace she did get up and she pushed the old lady into the seat.
It's disheartening to see such discourtesy and disrespect among my age group. What happened to cause this, anyway?
Mame wrote:That reminds me of a story...
I was waiting for the bus one day and was at the stop with a woman about 50 and a very elderly woman who was unsteady on her pins and blind to boot (she had a white cane). When the bus came, the 50 yr old pushed past us and up into the bus, grabbing the last seat at the front which bore a sign: "These seats are for the elderly and handicapped". So I follow the blind lady up and see there's no seat for her so I said to the 50 yr old, "You're in her seat". She refused to get up. The bus started moving and this old lady was really off-balance, so with a bite in my tone, I repeated myself. She still refused to get up. Then an old man started to rise to offer his seat, but I said, "No, SHE'S going to get up!" and I glared at her and said "Get UP!". I guess that intimidated her because with bad grace she did get up and she pushed the old lady into the seat.
It's disheartening to see such discourtesy and disrespect among my age group. What happened to cause this, anyway?
I applaud you Mame! You certainly have spunk!
And Mame - your's reminds me of a couple of incidents with me when I was preggers.
When I was pregnant, I was pushed down the stairs by a young man rushing to get off the train - guess when you are pregnant and being careful not to fall you are not quick enough for some.
Another time when I was pregnant, taking the crowded subway with a toddler, a nice man did offer me his seat. Unfortunately another man took the offered seat. We sort of gave each other this look while everyone else hid behind their papers pretending not to notice that an obviously pregnant woman with a young child was being jousled around on the unsteady subway. I say loudly to the man who first offerred the seat to me: "I guess being pregnant and having a toddler with you does warrant anyone to offer you a seat." More to embarass the guy that took the offerred seat. But of course all of a sudden people noticed me - like they couldn't see me before.
And in the opposite way an overly helpful person (was it you Mame?) - I walk down to the platform at the subway during an extremely hot and humid day, when I am ready to pop...this woman comes rushing up to me exclaiming you must sit down and leads me to a bench. When the subway pulls in - she rushes on pretty much pushing others out of her way and holds a seat for me, making a big fuss to make sure I am comfortably sitting. Although she did act a bit extreme over it all, it is certainly refreshing to see others care about those that may need a little more attention.
That was very sweet of her, Linkat.
When I was pregnant I took the bus all the time and everybody offered me a seat, often more than one person. Of course, that was back in the day (30 yrs ago) when manners seemed to be everywhere.
I think in the case I referred to with the elderly lady it might have been a cultural thing. When I was in that rude person's country, everybody seemed to push and shove to get on the bus and underground trains, some elbowing you right out of the line.
