Monday's almost over... Monday's almost over... Monday's almost over...
I've recently had some out-of-the-ordinary encounters with strangers lately, and it's made me think a little bit about "common sense." Really, more like it being uncommon, because I really don't understand why people behave the way they do 30% of the time.
The easy way to go would be to cite rampant tailgating. Last night I was driving back from Brian's (Jersey) to DC, and I spent most of the three-hour trip in the left lane, puttering along at 75 in a 65. I am not one of those people who will just hunker down, put myself on cruise and ignore people behind me who obviously want to go faster; I move over whenever I can. THAT SAID, at least three different drivers felt the need to ride my back bumper, to the point where I couldn't even see their headlights anymore, in a situation where (a. the next lane over was full -and- (b. there was someone directly in front of me.
What the hell good does it do someone to drive like that? It makes me nervous, and makes them more likely to cause an accident. When I get rich/marry an electrician, I'm going to have a red neon sign installed in my rear window that I can turn on and off at will. It will say "GET OFF MY ASS." I will relish using it as much as I relish using "I Park Like an Idiot" stickers.
Anyway, back to the aforementioned encounters.
#1:
I was at my very first Nats game (we won!) and it was time to go home. Naturally, everyone bum rushes the Navy Yard metro. So we have hundreds of people trying to file through about five turnstiles. I got separated from my group, so I was especially anxious to get through to catch up, when the girl in front of me stops dead in her tracks. She keeps repeating the same motion over and over; she's trying to scan her driver's license as if it's a SmarTrip card. Honest mistake? I guess, even though I could tell it was a license from six feet away. She finally figures it out and I back up a little, fully expecting her to get out of the way so those of us with functioning methods of fare can make our way to the trains. Nope. She starts rooting through her purse!
I am normally very reserved when it comes to stranger interactions, but I had had enough of this, so I kind of sidled my way around her. I'm mid-(correct) card swipe when, "WHAT! That is SO rude. You need to WAIT YOUR TURN." This woman is holding up hundreds of people, and she's telling me I'm rude.
#2:
I'm playing team trivia in the basement of a synagogue, and we break after round 1 to go upstairs and watch a pickle-eating contest. Since we were drinking and having dinner downstairs, a security guard is on-hand to make sure no one is bringing beers or food (kind of hilarious considering we are there to watch people scarf pickles, but whatevs) into the sanctuary. So this girl in front of me marches right past the guard, and he calls after her. "Miss?" "Miss?" "Miss!" She finally turns, a medium-sized piece of garlic bread clutched in one hand. "Miss, you can't eat that in here." I'm past the guard at this point.
Garlic Bread Girl: "Oh, I'm not going to eat it."
Me: (out of sheer curiosity) "Then why did you bring it with you?"
GBG shoots me a look of PURE EVIL. It's like stink eye mixed with daggers mixed with dirty diapers. It's a look that says, "Why the fuck wouldn't I bring it with me?" I swear to god that's what that look said. I actually took a physical step back, the look was so concentrated.
So I leave it to you guys, because it's a 2birds1blog-esque Am I Crazy, Or Are You? kind of thing... am I nuts to expect normal behavior from the general populace? Do you have any similar stories? Anyone out there know how to make/wire a neon GET OFF MY ASS sign for my car?
The easy way to go would be to cite rampant tailgating. Last night I was driving back from Brian's (Jersey) to DC, and I spent most of the three-hour trip in the left lane, puttering along at 75 in a 65. I am not one of those people who will just hunker down, put myself on cruise and ignore people behind me who obviously want to go faster; I move over whenever I can. THAT SAID, at least three different drivers felt the need to ride my back bumper, to the point where I couldn't even see their headlights anymore, in a situation where (a. the next lane over was full -and- (b. there was someone directly in front of me.
What the hell good does it do someone to drive like that? It makes me nervous, and makes them more likely to cause an accident. When I get rich/marry an electrician, I'm going to have a red neon sign installed in my rear window that I can turn on and off at will. It will say "GET OFF MY ASS." I will relish using it as much as I relish using "I Park Like an Idiot" stickers.
Anyway, back to the aforementioned encounters.
#1:
I was at my very first Nats game (we won!) and it was time to go home. Naturally, everyone bum rushes the Navy Yard metro. So we have hundreds of people trying to file through about five turnstiles. I got separated from my group, so I was especially anxious to get through to catch up, when the girl in front of me stops dead in her tracks. She keeps repeating the same motion over and over; she's trying to scan her driver's license as if it's a SmarTrip card. Honest mistake? I guess, even though I could tell it was a license from six feet away. She finally figures it out and I back up a little, fully expecting her to get out of the way so those of us with functioning methods of fare can make our way to the trains. Nope. She starts rooting through her purse!
I am normally very reserved when it comes to stranger interactions, but I had had enough of this, so I kind of sidled my way around her. I'm mid-(correct) card swipe when, "WHAT! That is SO rude. You need to WAIT YOUR TURN." This woman is holding up hundreds of people, and she's telling me I'm rude.
#2:
I'm playing team trivia in the basement of a synagogue, and we break after round 1 to go upstairs and watch a pickle-eating contest. Since we were drinking and having dinner downstairs, a security guard is on-hand to make sure no one is bringing beers or food (kind of hilarious considering we are there to watch people scarf pickles, but whatevs) into the sanctuary. So this girl in front of me marches right past the guard, and he calls after her. "Miss?" "Miss?" "Miss!" She finally turns, a medium-sized piece of garlic bread clutched in one hand. "Miss, you can't eat that in here." I'm past the guard at this point.
Garlic Bread Girl: "Oh, I'm not going to eat it."
Me: (out of sheer curiosity) "Then why did you bring it with you?"
GBG shoots me a look of PURE EVIL. It's like stink eye mixed with daggers mixed with dirty diapers. It's a look that says, "Why the fuck wouldn't I bring it with me?" I swear to god that's what that look said. I actually took a physical step back, the look was so concentrated.
So I leave it to you guys, because it's a 2birds1blog-esque Am I Crazy, Or Are You? kind of thing... am I nuts to expect normal behavior from the general populace? Do you have any similar stories? Anyone out there know how to make/wire a neon GET OFF MY ASS sign for my car?