Thursday, March 23, 2006

What is WRONG with people????

I know a lot of people out there are going to relate to this. Am I the only person in the world who follows the rules when driving?
***Edited to add: My sister just posted about that HERE, so read her take, too!***

Honestly! I stop at stop signs. I look both ways, then look once more (AFN brainwashing commercials - watch for motorcycles!). I signal for turns. I follow the speed limit (particularly on post...if I am going over 18 mph/30 kph I WILL get stopped!). Why, oh why, then, does everyone else seem oblivious???

Simple trip to bring Hannah to school today. As I am leaving the housing area, someone is turning into it...IN MY LANE. Yeah...and continues to drive STRAIGHT at me. When he realizes he's about to hit me, he swerves, then gives ME a dirty look. Oh, excuse me, let me just drive on the LAWN so you can have the entire road to yourself, dirtbag!.

Proceed. Out of the housing area, down toward the gate, signal to turn left. This is a tricky turn, because traffic is coming onto post here, and because they put this monstrosity of a "tent" canopy up, visibility is difficult. Still, I prefer to go this way (less cobblestone to rattle my van to pieces). I look, look, look...carefully start to turn left. Meanwhile, another idiot is behind me, honking that I'm blocking his way. Well, if I had given in to his honking, my poor little Hannah would have been mashed, since there was a car coming onto post that I had not seen.

Finally make my left turn, continuing down the road. Someone just stops dead in the road. No signal, no nothing...to TALK to a soldier walking on the street - the OTHER side of the street. Mind you, there are cars coming up behind me who have no idea that this guy has stopped. Lay on the horn. Accident averted. Continue down to the CDC where preschool is. The parking spots are very narrow here in Germany...designed for small cars, not minivans and SUV's like Expeditions, etc. Yet it never fails that someone tries to cram their big car between mine and the idiot who parked over the line. There's not enough room for a motorcycle, let alone a Denali, but they STILL cram themselves in there forcing me to load from REAR of the van because I can't get either door open. I can't even get between the cars. Oh, look...a nice new scratch and dent...oh, gee, thanks SO much.

I make it home relatively safely, without too many mutterings under my breath. As I pull in, I see the playground. It's a nice little place to play...but I don't take the kids there often. Why? Because the neighborhood's overrun with bully boys who trash everything in sight. Two days ago, I saw a cute red wagon (like little tykes) sitting by the dumpsters. I thought maybe someone had moved and just left it (hey, it happens a lot here)...or that a kid was playing and forgot it there. Yesterday afternoon, I saw it in the park. On top of the hill. Okay...no kids around. If it's left there, I'll pull it, call DPW and ask them to take care of it. Today, the wagon is there...the wheels are smashed to bits (they were the hard plastic wheels), the handle's been ripped off...the entire hill is littered with pieces of black plastic. DPW won't come out to clean it...they came the day before. These rotten kids are forever destroying things and trashing the park.

What is wrong with parents that can't keep track of their kids? I see kids out there beating on each other, throwing stuff (parts of the park equipment, mind you) and yet, when I have been there and told them to knock it off (in order to protect MY children, of course!), they look at me and tell me to screw off (not so nicely, either). "you're not my mom, you can't tell me what to do." Guess what, little man...I CAN, and I WILL, when you are endangering my children by throwing sand around my 2 year old. When you are about to hurt my 5 year old by using a 2 x 4 (where did they even GET THAT?) as a cantilever and trying to launch small boulders in the air...(imagine, watching in slow motion as the kid sets it up, jumps on one end...the boulder flies into the air and almost knocks HIM unconcious...it WAS hilarious, until he set it up next to Hannah...then I stopped him!)

Okay - enough ranting and raving for now. Today is gorgeous, albeit a bit cold, but signs of spring are sure to follow!

18 comments:

Sue said...

Darn girl, you took my subject for tomorrow LOL -- I was gonna do a poll on stupid drivers LOL -- might still do it and link it to yours :) Love you BTW

Walking Barefoot said...

Oh no, stupid drivers seems to have become a world wide epidemic. Time to switch to mass transit I think.

Here from Michelle's to say hello.

Jolie said...

Hi, I just wanted to tell you thanks for visiting my site! Thanks for the kind words.

Boy can I relate to the stupid drivers since I have a one hour commute each way I deal with them on a daily basis.

Paste said...

Nice post, agree 100%. It all boils down to stupidity and a lack of consideration for others. I'm
here from Michele's by the way.

ƒåυνέ said...

Oh yes. I can totally agree on all counts! People just don't know how to act appropriately anymore.


Here via Michelle's

Anonymous said...

Ok crazy out control kids at parks totally bug me! When we were kids we had a lot more respect for adults. Geez!!
Michelle Says Hi!

jlybn123 said...

Hi there, Michele sent me!

Anonymous said...

Oh boy...where to start! The driving thing I can relate to. I can't stand when someone parks close to me. I've started to park farther away at certain places just so I don't have issue's with parking.

The kids at the park, funny you talked about this. We have a pretty high teeter totter at our park, and the other day a little girl was WALKING on it. Jacob turns to me and says "Mom! Can I do that?" Of course not! I go to the little girl, who's little brother is now attempting to kill himself or at least break something, but copying his sister and I tell them not to be walking on it. Remind them (ok it's BRAND SPANKING NEW TO THEM) that they are examples to the younger kids and that what she's doing is 1. dangerous for her and 2. bad example for all the kids who are younger than her who see her walking on it and might try it as well. She argued with me that she didn't fall so she wasn't hurt (@@) and I told her "I know you're a smart girl, who can make the right decision, if I catch you walking on it again I'm walking you home and we'll have a talk with your parents". Not 2 minutes later she, her twin sister, and her little brother leaves. 5 minutes later, they come back with their mom who they told that I was being mean to her and called her STUPID! The mom was great and the girl and her brother got busted for lying :X and made to apologize to me, then she thanked me.

It honestly drives me insane to see some of these kids who have no respect for the playground equipment, have no respect that there are smaller children there, etc. I don't mind being thought of as "mean" if it's going to keep my boys safe and hopefully those kids safe too. Thankfully none of the kids have done what you described those kids doing. (I laughed when you said he almost killed himself too! LOL )
What I was shocked about yesterday, my neighbor's 5 yr old out at the park ALONE. Not even his older brother was there with him, he was at the park a good 2 hrs with us! I don't know if she can see the park from her living room, but even if she can...if something happened to him, she couldn't be there immediately. It just doesn't make sense to me.

carmilevy said...

The kids who destroy things are the same ones who grow up to drive like bullies. Once a bully, always a bully.

Glad you made it home safely. I'm sorry that the epidemic of rudeness seems to know no geographic bounds.

barbie2be said...

common courtesy is just gone these days... drives me crazy.

over from michele's tonight.

jac said...

omg you've just taken many words right outta my mouth! wonderful post! made me smile when i thought i couldn't!
i'm here from michele's

The Gnat's Trumpet said...

This stuff drives me crazy as well. It seems that common consideration for others is extinct and this applies to courtesy on the road as well as keeping little monsters under control. Those drivers and parents seems to be oblivious to everyone other than themselves and their precious infallible little ones. Michele sent me this time.

Viamarie said...

These kids learned everything from their parents that is why it is very important that we become role models.

Am here via Michele's.

ribbiticus said...

i agree. new drivers nowadays seem to have just learned to drive by watching nascar & indy 500. common courtesy and respect for traffic rules have gone out the window for some. :(

here via michele...

srp said...

Drivers - the cell phones are dangerous. Some people have trouble walking and chewing gum at the same time. NO ONE can drive correctly and safely and talk on the cell phone with one hand.

Kids - Who are these brats? Do they live in the housing area? Surely there must be something to do about them. It's a shame that good kids can't play safely near their own home and in a public park no less.

Rant all you want. :)
Here from Michele.

Jean-Luc Picard said...

Once let loose on the road, people can be crazy.

Michele sent me this way.

Anonymous said...

Linda, Although the subject at hand is not funny at all, you sure made me grin at the way you described it all. I understand your irritation with 'other' drivers as I see much of the same right here in tiny little Presque Isle.

Hugs from home,
Kathy Young

David Edward said...

im glad you have a place to vent! psst, Jade only has One eye and it is staring at me!!! she never blinks either. hmmmm