A Three-Fer Day

When I see stupidity, I start composing in my head so I can spew it all out of my system when I get home, but I usually calm down by that time (long commutes are good for something!). Alas, today was not one of those days, as all three of these 'incidents' occurred within a few miles of home.

So today I bring you a three-fer, wherein I'll spew three different rants at you. Come on in - the water's fine!

Rant #1: I was at the grocery store this evening to pick up a prescription, and as I waited in line, I noticed a sign on the counter that asked people to please end their phone conversations before they approached the counter. Basically, hang up the dang phone once it's your turn! I congratulated the Pharmacist about the sign, but he said they've actually had to take it down in the past because people complained about it.

Huh? People complained that they could not be rude and talk on the phone while someone was trying to help them with life-saving medication? What's wrong with this picture?!?!

Rant #2: I was stopped at a light and I heard a really, really, really loud radio. So loud my car was vibrating! I turned to see who was driving the car next to me (as I closed my window to drown out even a little of the brain-jarring noise), and to my surprise it was a guy on a motorcycle! I kid you not!

Okay, I drive a Miata. A Miata has a rag-top, meaning there is zero insulation between me and the great outdoors. This also means road noise is ever-present. I have a radio. I keep the radio volume so I can hear it with the windows closed, which is pretty dang low. I'll turn it up to hear the traffic report, but then I'll turn it down again...I just want something in the background.

If I open the windows, though, all bets are off. I'd have to crank that thing up to crazy-loud to hear it over the noise of open windows. I generally just listen to the wind when I drive, and I catch the news or traffic when I stop at a light (or on the "expressway"). And if the top is down, I forget about the radio all together...it would blow out normal speakers to be that loud, and anyway, part of the joy of having a rag-top is being open to the sun and breeze and enjoying nature. At least that's what *I* think, for what it's worth.

So imagine this: a motorcycle, and not a small one, with the associated engine roar; a helmeted driver; and a radio loud enough to be heard over the engine noise and through the helmet. Now imagine the volume of the same radio while stopped at a light. Yeah, it was LOUD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rant #3: There is one family in my neighborhood of condos/townhouses that feels it is their God-given right to stop their car in the middle of the street and just leave it there. I cannot figure out why, either. It's been there in the past, with all the doors open, and they've been out walking around. It's not as if there's no place to park - they just choose not to.

But tonight they appeared to be actually waiting for someone to come out. They sat there. They honked. They continued to sit there. They honked again.

Now we'll take a little trip in the way-back machine to when I was in High School. Dating Rule Number 1 in our house was this: If he does not respect you enough to come to the door to get you, then you are not going out with him. Simple. Straight to the point. And never, in all my years, did anyone I dated ever honk for me to come out. Never. I dated good guys. ;-)

Back to the present. What kind of message are these people sending to their kids that it is okay to sit in the parking lot and honk to pick up someone. Sometimes there are kids in the car, and sometimes they are picking up kids, but either way, where is the respect for anyone? I think this is just one part of what *I* think is wrong with some people today - they cannot be bothered, so it has become acceptable, and I think that is so sad.

Hey - thanks for reading this far! See, they were tiny little rants, and I am done! Typing all this out can be very cathartic. ;-)