Study Break
I feel that it's important to note (or at least, it's an enjoyable distraction to note) that people apparently have very strong feelings about crosswalks. Having grown up in a community where pedestrians were so rare that I didn't even know you could push the button to make the thingy change, then having moved to Ann Arbor, where there were so many pedestrians that cars affirmatively thanked you for letting them go at a green light, I didn't really see what the big deal was.
But, lately, it's become quite clear to me that this is very important to many people. Recently, I have had the divergent experiences of being:
(1) screamed at for stepping off the curb before the light turned green when there were no opposing cars in sight (by another pedestrian going the same direction, might I add!),
(2) warned not to wait for the (same) light while walking through my own neighborhood by a guy I'd never seen before, who shouldn't have been talking to me anyway because headphones are the universal sign for "leave me alone unless it's an emergency," right? and
(3) thanked for waiting at a crosswalk because "no one does that anymore" and "it's important to set a good example for others." (What am I, twelve, that I need that commentary?)
This is all very random, and I was thinking, "what's with all these people?" But then I remembered that I myself have often theorized that whether or not people waited at crosswalks and under what circumstances was indicative of one's view of rules in general. Most people follow the crosswalk signal in busy traffic, because it's a good idea for their own safety. But what about when it's not necessary? When there are no cars? You're not going to get a ticket unless some cop is having a REALLY bad day, and it's not particularly relevant to your safety. So it seems to me that whether or not you wait under those circumstances indicates the strength (or lack thereof) of your feelings on the benefit of rules for rules' sake. This is also a good test, I believe, because there's nothing personal or moral associated with it, unlike marijuana or underage drinking, which reasonable people disagree about on the moral front; although I know some people (Cath!) who believe jaywalking involves moral turpitude, that view is rare. So it comes down to a simple judgment of whether or not you think it's good to follow a rule, even when its intended purpose doesn't really apply, because rules are good to follow.
So, maybe it's weird that people feel the need to comment on my crosswalk behavior, but maybe I myself am guilty of being overly concerned with it as well, and I should stop mocking them in my head.
Of course, that doesn't mean they should be jerks, or overly patronizing about it.
Anyway, that said - what do I do at crosswalks? Well, it depends on what kind of mood I'm in that day. And whether I'm in a hurry.
*shrug*
Back to commercial paper now.
But, lately, it's become quite clear to me that this is very important to many people. Recently, I have had the divergent experiences of being:
(1) screamed at for stepping off the curb before the light turned green when there were no opposing cars in sight (by another pedestrian going the same direction, might I add!),
(2) warned not to wait for the (same) light while walking through my own neighborhood by a guy I'd never seen before, who shouldn't have been talking to me anyway because headphones are the universal sign for "leave me alone unless it's an emergency," right? and
(3) thanked for waiting at a crosswalk because "no one does that anymore" and "it's important to set a good example for others." (What am I, twelve, that I need that commentary?)
This is all very random, and I was thinking, "what's with all these people?" But then I remembered that I myself have often theorized that whether or not people waited at crosswalks and under what circumstances was indicative of one's view of rules in general. Most people follow the crosswalk signal in busy traffic, because it's a good idea for their own safety. But what about when it's not necessary? When there are no cars? You're not going to get a ticket unless some cop is having a REALLY bad day, and it's not particularly relevant to your safety. So it seems to me that whether or not you wait under those circumstances indicates the strength (or lack thereof) of your feelings on the benefit of rules for rules' sake. This is also a good test, I believe, because there's nothing personal or moral associated with it, unlike marijuana or underage drinking, which reasonable people disagree about on the moral front; although I know some people (Cath!) who believe jaywalking involves moral turpitude, that view is rare. So it comes down to a simple judgment of whether or not you think it's good to follow a rule, even when its intended purpose doesn't really apply, because rules are good to follow.
So, maybe it's weird that people feel the need to comment on my crosswalk behavior, but maybe I myself am guilty of being overly concerned with it as well, and I should stop mocking them in my head.
Of course, that doesn't mean they should be jerks, or overly patronizing about it.
Anyway, that said - what do I do at crosswalks? Well, it depends on what kind of mood I'm in that day. And whether I'm in a hurry.
*shrug*
Back to commercial paper now.