I was walking through a parking lot this week and an older lady went on a rant and there I was, stuck being her lone audience member. It didn't matter that I didn't engage her in conversation. She was on a roll.
It all began because someone backing out of a parking space didn't see her and I suppose there was a near collision. She then proceeded to tell me that it happens almost every time she is in that parking lot and that nobody looks out of their back windows anymore. That she was going to begin taking down license plates so she could phone them into the police and that if she ever gets hit she is going to sue for a million dollars.
I didn't have the heart to tell her that it might be easier to actually watch out for cars that are backing out of spaces and not walk behind them than it would be to stop to take down the license plate and call the police. In fact I could have pointed out to her that the cars have these convenient reverse lights that let you know if a car is going to back out. I could have also said that I walk through that parking lot all the time and not once have I come close to being hit by a reversing car.
The Missus tried to suggest that perhaps this woman was slow afoot and couldn't get out of the way fast enough. If you were thinking likewise, then let me say for the record, that she had no trouble keeping up with me as she ranted on about these idiot drivers on our way across the parking lot.
Bottom line, as I've said before, is that as a pedestrian you've got to have your eyes open and not expect the cars to be seeing you. So stop annoying me with your rants you oblivious-whining- overtalkative parking lot strollers. You annoy me. Hah!
An unrelated story this week to share with you. Once at my school there was a raffle being held for a big stuffed bear. The students had purchased tickets and could put them in the draw bucket during the week. The bear had been donated by a family to raise money for the school and on the day of the raffle the principal had one of the children from this family do the draw. The kid reaches into the bucket and pulls out a ticket and hands it to the principal. It's a little bit crumpled up (it may have been a lot crumpled up, but I can't quite recall the extent) and it has the kids name on it. He won his own bear! The principal's theory was that the kid had his ticket crumpled up in his hand and when he reached into the bucket he didn't actually take a ticket out, but just handed the principal the one that was already in his hand. Nice.
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Don't leave us hanging: Did the kid get to keep his own bear? I mean, if not, how does the principal prove his theory is correct? If so, how did the rest of the assembly take the news?
ReplyDeleteAs for cars and pedestrians, I'm with you even though I don't get behind the wheel myself. That said, aren't a lot of drivers distracted by iPods, iPhones and text messages and at least partially to blame for this sorta thing?
Of course, pedestrians are equally distracted by same, and are getting clobbered regularly in car accidents. Darwinism in action. If only the rest of us weren't stuck paying the medical bills...
That just makes me sad. Sad for her stupidity, sad for her greed (does she spend her days loitering around parking lots, hoping to get hit so she can "sue for a million dollars"?), and sad for her quickness to blame everyone else except herself. Harsh, perhaps, but anyone who engages in this sort of ridiculous behaviour (taking license plates down and calling the police--boy, I bet they love getting "urgent" calls like that!) deserves to be ridiculed.
ReplyDeleteThe kid kept the bear because the principal had no solid evidence. The draw was not held publicly. It was only in the office with a couple of witnesses, so there was no booing.
ReplyDeleteAs for drivers being distracted, that may be true, but then all the more reason to keep your eyes open when you're a pedestrian in a parking lot full of heavy cars. I mean, it's not like you can't walk down the middle of the car aisle, so you're not only noticeable to the reversing cars, but there is more time to get out of their way.
As I said, Darwin in action. It's natural selection's way of weeding out the oblivious.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately this person was well past her childbearing years, so there will be no Darwin effect.
ReplyDeleteThat's a shame
ReplyDeleteHmm, if not nature, what about nurture? Perhaps if there is an "unfortunate accident", she won't be around to pass along these nuggets of wisdom to her grandchildren?
ReplyDeleteOkay, maybe too far.