Glad to hear it. I like you, I would hate to see you end up another statistic. I saw one idiot who was tailgating a truck on the NJ Turnpike, end up under the trailer when the truck had to stop for a sudden NJ Turnpike slowdown. It was pretty horrifying to see and I doubt the driver survived. I very much hope there were no passengers. I can think of few things dumber than tailgating a truck.
Jim
It isn’t? 
Oops. :eek:
Thinking about it here, they aren’t actually that tall. Maybe about 6 feet, so I hit my head too. The problem is that if you aren’t standing directly next to one, you have to really reach. Especially if there are seats under it, or if conditions are really crowded. I’ve seen some shorter people just give up and rely on balance and human cushions.
You’re right, of course.
Except, if you’re multiple cars back from the slow-poke, you may not even get through the current light. This is especially true for left turns. The slow-poke dawdles and delays himself 10 seconds, preventing the last few cars from getting through the light. Delaying them a whole another cycle, usually a minute or longer. Now add that up over a whole commute…
I don’t except other drivers to gun it from one light to the next, but please, if there’s traffic clustering up behind you, you are the problem.
Oh, and while I’m thinking about: when you get off an escalator, move out of the way. don’t stand there and gawk trying to figure out which way you want to go. Because, you know, people are being mechanically conveyed to the spot you’re occupying. It’s not like they can stop coming.
Twice, I’ve seen near misses of multi-person pile ups. An old, slow woman who should’ve used the used the elevator. And a gaggle of teens trying to make a group decision of where to go.
Um. This is exactly what I mean about the misuse of ‘rights’. It’s ludicrous to go on about this as a matter of ‘rights’. Ever think that these horrible wastes of air might have pain in legs or back? Might have heart trouble and have to walk slowly? Might be exhausted? Suffering from some disease? Preoccupied?
No. First assumption is to decide that these ‘offenders’ are malicously intending to cause harm. :rolleyes: This is not specifically directed to you, AH, but this goes for everyone who gets their panties in a twist over this.
Exactly! No wonder there’s so much high blood pressure and heart disease! How insane is it to lose your cool because you can’t direct the rest of the world to behave exactly as you’d have them behave? You won’t change the world; you’ll just blow out your own BP numbers. Ridiculous, that.
I don’t think people in the US understand how aggressive their words and actions are. The macho, testosterone, in-your-face attitude is almost palpable some places - and that goes for females as well as males. And of course this doesn’t mean everyone so don’t be an idiot and rant about that. It does, however, mean that the social culture is definitely different and much has to do with people being, IMHO, oversensitive to their ‘rights’ and anyone who might come within a mile of ‘violating’ them.
You’re quite right. Most of the stuff people here rave about falls squarely into the category of ‘small stuff’ that it’s much better for one to not sweat.
It’s not so much about getting people to behave the way I want them to behave…it’s being able to behave the way I want to behave. I couldn’t care less if people want to or have to go at a turtle’s pace…I just think that if everyone (fast movers and slow movers) would be a little considerate of each other, then NO ONE would have to blow out their BP numbers.
As one of the “macho, testosterone, in-your-face attitude” types, I see you’ve completely missed the point. I have no problem with one’s pace as a pedestrian until they become so oblivious to the problems one might be causing. And I don’t recall anyone attributing malicious intent - unless you consider lack of consideration of others malicious. Given your piss-poor reading comprehension, I suggest you take those rolleyes and place them where they can give you a colonoscopy.
The all-too-common occurrences of someone blocking the end of an escalator, or a revolving door, or a subway/bus door preventing entry and egress, are not small things. They are hazards, and the cluelessness involved can get people hurt.
So Quiddity Glomfuster, what you’re saying is that people block the way because the have heart disease, causing the blood pressure of others to go up, which will cause them heart disease, making them block the ways of others, causing their blood pressure to go up, which will cause…
Seriously, I don’t think the testosterone and blood pressure are nearly as bad as you describe. I get a little annoyed when someone blocks my way, but I don’t let it ruin my day. If someone engages in dumbassery, I just give an annoyed sigh, which is involuntary.
Here’s a good one from yesterday. There’s a glass door next to a cafeteria. When the door is open, you can look through it and through a window to see into the caf. Why anyone would do this is beyond me, but stay with me here. So anyway, I was coming in, and saw that someone was coming out. As usual, I pulled the door open and held it open, so the other person could walk out. I then planned on walking in and letting the door shut behind me. But no, this guy didn’t walk out. He stepped out onto the landing, turned left, and enjoyed the unspectacular view described above. Right in front of me, while I was still holding the door open for him. I suppose I could have gone around him and let the door go to close on his face. Instead, I sood there in stunned silence while I tried to puzzle over his bizarre action. After a few seconds, he realized that he was being a putz, and apologized and moved on. I’m still puzzled, though.
I ranted about this from the other perspective. You want to stroll along and enjoy the scenery or talk on your cell phone, then be considerate and move to the right. Don’t dawdle in the middle of the flow of pedestrians. Don’t stop to have a conversation with your friends. Don’t pause in the middle of the sidewalk to gawk at the store windows.
Same for when you are driving. If you are going the speed limit or less, then move to the right lane. If you are trying to qualify for the pole position, go to the left lanes.
There’s an old joke: What do you call a driver doing the speed limit in the left lane?
A hood ornament. If I’m maintaining a speed to keep up with the flow of traffic and then have to slam on my brakes or swerve to avoid Grandma Moses doing 15 under the limit in the left lane, then she is the hazard, not me.
Consideration is a two way street. I don’t speed in the right lane, I don’t run on the right. If someone says, “Excuse me,” I step aside and I always say it to the roadblocks in front of me. If you don’t want me to walk up your back, then move aside so the rest of humanity can pass you by. Slow and steady might win the race, but it’s going to piss off a lot of people along the way.
Quiddity Glomfuster
Improving the BBQ Pit since 2006
(It’s taking longer than she thought)
You’ve missed the point. Actually you made the point for us but you have it reversed.
The slow people and the lane hoggers are causing the rest of the world to behave as they are - by not allowing someone else to overtake them. All we’re asking for is for the slower people on this planet and for the clueless to open your eyes and be alert for others who may not have as much dick-around time as yourself.
:dubious: Really, Quiddity, I would think you were almost spoiling for a fight, considering how far you missed the point by. There’s a word for that, you know.
Thanks. 
When I wrote that I was thinking back to the escalator thread from awhile back.
Sorry to hear about your bad small-town experiences. I’ve always lived in small towns and don’t know anything else (I’m also as white as it gets). I think as far as small towns go, mine is probably more ethnically diverse than some. We have a large population of Hmong immigrants and a significant number of Hispanic people who live here. The regional hub just 20 miles from me has a large Somali population. So, we’re not all white, Norwegian Lutherans. Yah, sure, you betcha.
This is what I was trying to say, but you said it better. If you are impeding someone else’s progress, you are the one forcing behavior on others. By going fast, I can’t stop you from going slow, but from going slow, you sure can stop me from going fast.
I’ll bet that even the Hmong bring tuna noodle casserole to the potluck. 
It’s hot dish, Frank. Get it straight. 
But that’s not whatt I want.
I want ethnically diverse. Which means - not two or three small diverse areas, but for everyone in the area to be open-minded and used to hitting an Indian restaurant, or going to the Chinese New Year parade, and not thinking about it twice.
Sorry, I’m in a rush, but I meant to add more. Perhaps later!
I love it when you’re right! Then I can pass you on the left.
New bumper sticker time.
Come to Queens, the most ethnically diverse county in the US and perhaps the World. Nearly every block is a mini-UN.