What in the world is the matter with people these days?!?

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Had to run to town today to do laundry, so loaded my tubs in the car and headed for town. We live near, but off the beaten path of, a large lake that has a lot of tourist traffic. So I wan't surprised when I got to the first turn toward town to see a van parked with some folks reading a map. Upon seeing my car, the van took off, fishtailed around the corner and headed down the road. I was thinking "Uh-oh, hope he slows down before he hits that gravel..." in time to see that, no - he didn't. He managed to pull out of the slide, went through the S curves right in the middle, nearly forcing a truck and trailor in the ditch and then darn near hit old Annie - Kelly's dog, who was limping across the road.

They stopped at the next crossroad and pulled over to look at their map. I stopped and walked up to the car and said "Hey! Sure looks like you folks could use some help findin' where you're trying to go - can I help ya?" There was a man, woman and two little kids in the van. The man turned and looked at me and said in a real snotty voice "Well, what makes you think we need your help?" I kept my cool and said "Well, sir - you don't have local plates and you don't know the roads; you weren't aware of the gravel, you darn near ran a truck off the road and you almost hit old Annie. So I reckon maybe you could use some help to point you in the right direction." He started to puff up and I just looked at him and said "Folks, I've got a teen-ager that drives on these roads, I know every kid and every dog that lives near here. Now, you look like you're on vacation and that ought to be a fun time, not a time for being p-o'd; so if you'll just tell me where you're headed, I'd be more than happy to help you get there." The woman leaned across and told me where they were going and it was on my way so I led them there; and when we stopped he did sort of apologise.

I headed on into town and got my laundry started and went over and got myself some lunch at the Chinese buffet (I say that so you'll know that I wasn't hungry and cranky). Went back over to the laundrymat and this woman had finished her laundry and was going around to all the front loading machines and looking inside them for missed clothes - and left every darn door hanging wide open. I waited a couple of minutes and then went along and closed them all. She started mouthing off about it and I told her "Ma'am, there are little kids running around in here that could get hurt pretty bad running into one of those; and if you don't mind, I'd rather not deal with blood on my day off." I turned around to watch her leave and she took off like a bat out of hell.

Now, my question - was I rude? Is it not acceptable to point out stupid and dangerous behavior? Are people so dang dumb that they don't realize that what they are doing IS stupid and dangerous? Or do they just not care? What would you all have done in these circumstances?

I'm heading for the garden to pull some weeds (KILL! KILL! KILL! - work out those frustrations!)- then goin' in to work to cover a few hours for someone who's sick (yeah, I know; on my vacation, yet!). See you all this evening!

-- Anonymous, June 08, 2001

Answers

Polly,honey,you got balls.That is a compliment.I definitely have to meet you someday.You probably didn't mean to but this had me bustin' a gut.

I end up being miss nice too often in public,so don't even bother asking me. Wait,I'll call in the expert on handling jacka**es. Nick,where are you?

Well,he's off somewhere again. Anyhoo,the world is full of stupid, narcistic people.Some days you have the patience to request nicely that they refrain from being so stupid in your presence, and somedays not. Either way, sounds good to me.

And thanks for the chuckle.

-- Anonymous, June 08, 2001


Polly,

I can't believe the restraint you showed. I stopped by a car that was on the side of the road once before car phones were in existance and offered help. The man looked at me, a mere young girl and sneared "what could you do" and turned his back. I drove off with a working CB radio. Too bad on him.

I think I'm unfortunately turning my son into a synic with my reactions to people nowadays.

-- Anonymous, June 08, 2001


Hi Dee, nice to see you here!

Polly, you're a much nicer and calmer person than I. The guy sounds like a rude jerk, but the woman in the laundry sounds kinda nutty!

-- Anonymous, June 09, 2001


I was in to our local farm stand today looking for some kale starts (they had 'em -- whoo hoo!!) and talking to one of the people that I know there and she was telling me how they had almost been killed the night before by a tourist trying to read a road map and drive 60 in a 45 mph zone. They ended up in the ditch, but alive, as the guy continued to zoom off, flipping them the finger as he did so.

Why IS it called Tourist Season if you can't shoot them???

-- Anonymous, June 09, 2001


julie, LOL....I like that idea!!! You folks don't know what TOURIST SEASON is, come to Michigan. Where we are the population quadruples from memorial day to labor day as we have so many lakes and people flock here to their "summer homes". I am trying to look at them as possible "customers" for my produce etc. but I think I would rather just have my serenity. Because we have a large Amish population in my neighborhood, people drive really slowly by and stare....seems we are a sight-seeing attraction. I have finally moved my garden to a more private area where I can not be seen from the road.

-- Anonymous, June 09, 2001


Our tourists are here year round. Some of them probably live here! Be grateful that you only get them in the summertime. Don't ever try to drive around here if there's even a quarter inch of snow on the ground. Between the gridlock and the fact that nobody (including me) knows how to drive on snow or ice, it's just insanity.

Polly, you always sound so thoughtful and even with folks. Guess you have the right profession!

-- Anonymous, June 09, 2001


Ya know Polly... I have found that being up front with folks is better for my mental health than shutting up and going on, which I have done for most of my life... otherwise I later concern myself with the fact that I should have done something about it.. what ever "it" is...or I should have spoken up to prevent a conflict...

you helped alot folks... one for getting the van on the correct path... and two... saving a mother the frustration of calming her little one, if they would have hit those opened doors... and we all know how close of attentions little pay when running...

Julie... I don't even go into Point during the summer unless my nerves are steeled... the people do drive crazy... if any of you read Reader's Digest regularly.. this month they talk about how good drivers get killed... by doing the correct thing... it is the other "crazies" on the roads that get... and they cited (through insurance reports) that the most deadly accidents happen on clear, good road days... not when the weather is bad and they are more on their toes...

Diane...maybe you could dress amish and have no problem selling your produce... a good friend of mine... he makes his family dress close enough to the amish way... head covering, plain clothing to sell their organic produce at farmer's markets... and they sell it.. just because folks don't know a true amish...

I drove as the amish driver here for over 8 years... and folks consider me an amish... tho they are no longer here..

course, if they only knew tee hee tee hee

-- Anonymous, June 09, 2001


Polly, it's not you. We have a little poster in our ER, Bruce Willis and the little kid in "The Sixth Sense" w/ the dialog kinda from the movie. "I see Dumb people. They're everywhere. They're walking around like regular people. They don't even know their dumb..." You get the idea. They really are everywhere. Yep, remove all the warning signs and stickers, along w/ all the traffic signs and signals for about a month and let natural selection sort it out.

-- Anonymous, June 09, 2001

Polly, the way your post started I thought you were going to end up telling us the Lord is comin' real soon, so be ready! LOL! Wrong forum! Seriously, though, we get the other kind of tourists who come to enjoy the spectacular scenery. We have to drive about 15 miles to town on curvy mountain road, double yellow lines ALL the way. The local custom is to pull over and let someone pass if they need to. The tourists will drive at 25 mph the whole way, slowing down for the more spectacular overlooks, not even noticing you're behind them.

-- Anonymous, June 09, 2001

Oh, oh, and don't get me started on all those people on cell phones while they are driving!!!

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2001


Hey Polly, the stories I could tell you. Tourist season here in Maine is well under way and I'm thinking of starting a petition allowing Maine residents to mount heavy weapons on their cars. (Not original with me BTW -- a friend mentioned the idea last year.) Anyway don't take the lost tourist attitude personally; they all get that way when they're lost and the kids are hungry and the spouse is saying "I TOLD you to stop and ask directions." And if they're from the city, they think that any stranger who approaches them wants a handout or is on some kind of scam. As for the woman in the laudromat, people just aren't used to be told they're out of line these days. Maybe we're just too darn nice.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2001

Dang. Hubby vetoed the "Tourist Season" bumper sticker. He has always wanted a machine gun turret on the vehicles, however - so maybe there is hope!!

You know, if we did open up a tourist season, it'd probably be a bust. The feds would get involved and tell you when you could hunt and where; and you couldn't use your favorite weapon...then, they'd probably make you buy a tourist stamp for each particular breed - let's see....."The beer-bellied bass fisherman" "The fake fingernailed henna rinsed suburbanite" Any others?!

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2001


My personal favourite is "Jet-Ski Fool". I guess all those years of skeet shooting my dad did had an influencing effect, a nice, fast- flying target, y'know. Jet skis are one of my especial peeves now and our state is talking about severe restrictions on them, and while some people howl about their 'rights' to get out and roar over loons, swamp canoists, terrorize swimmers, and erode shorelines, I find that I really don't care much.

I have been listening to the reading of "Diary of a Fresh Air Fiend" on WPR nights, and was particularly struck by the chapter dealing with the abuses of the non-testosterone/gasoline-fuelled people by those who are. Joggers who are spit upon, have bottles thrown at them, cursed (!?!) by motorists, as well as bicyclists, hikers, horseback riders (I can't tell you how many times people have tried to spook a horse when I have been riding alongside a road. I don't do it as a rule,but on occasion you have to come near one, and then motorists will try anything they can think of to spook your horse and have you thrown. I guess they are hoping to maim or kill you.), canoists, etc. America is, by and large, a land of vicious people. Some calculatingly so, some casually and stupidly so.

Tourists never cease to amaze me.

They want to 'get away from it all', but they check into a luxury hotel with cable Tv, modems, and an indoor water park with heated pools so they don't have to go outside where there are bugs , or swim in a lake.

They love how 'rustic' it is, but they get severely kinked that there isn't an all-night gas station open in case they want to cruise around the back roads at night, complaining that there isn't an all- night grocery store open. And that the grocery doesn't carry their favourite brand of imported bottled water and the brand of pretzels and ice cream that they buy at home.

They come up to the Northwoods where the air is "So fresh and clean!" and everything is "So tranquil!" -- with their gasoline spewing snowmobiles, jet-skis, and Harleys with no mufflers. Oh yeah, smoking their cigarettes the whole while, and chucking the butts on the ground.

They also think that because it is so rural, they can let Fido run loose...defecating and urinating in your yard ("No, I don't carry along a pooper-scooper..."), harassing or killing your animals, and occasionally, getting creamed as it runs into the road where some fool thinks that they get points for picking off pets.

I apolgize to the male members of this board for the comment about testosterone earlier, but the ones I see are predominantly male. I am not making a generalization about the male population, just the segment of the male population guilty of this behavior.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2001


Julie when I read the first line,I knew that it had to be your writing.That was hilarious. And accurate!

How about stop and pick vegetables in someone's field bc it is,after all, the country,and it's all free,right?

We have deer hunters that bring dogs like german shepards up with them,to chase deer( no not legal,but who's watching) then leave them here to go feral. Unbelievable. Pitiful.That really burns my butt.

Come roaring up onto your private property in them right pretty 4wheelers,past the first gate with narry a pause, and go to cut thru your fence, bc 'someone' locked the second gate. 'Course Nick with a pistol strapped on pretty well got respect reordered that event.

Now you just haven't had real tourists till you've experienced redneck tourists. Us hillbillies get mighty tard of 'em.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2001


I apolgize to the male members of this board for the comment about testosterone earlier, but the ones I see are predominantly male. I am not making a generalization about the male population, just the segment of the male population guilty of this behavior.

Julie: You don't have to apologize to me - I've noticed the same thing as you, in one form or another. We men can be *major* pains in the ass, unfortunately.

Sharon: My biggest gripe is with snowmobilers. I have to put up fence every Fall to keep them from using my small trees as an obstacle course during the winter-time. I think they (snowmobiles, jet-skis and ATV's) are an abomination. One thing I fantasize about is that higher gas prices will help curb the use of these damn things. At least one can hope... (grumble)

Hey, aren't ya glad I'm back? You get to listen to me gripe again. ;- )

-- Anonymous, June 11, 2001



The man in the car was having ego problems (you know, that never-ask-directions thing), feeling stupid in front of his kids and wife (who knows he's stupid sometimes, as are we all), and the kids may have been fighting...everybody hot, tired & cranky and feeling out of control, which is a big thing for some people. His rudeness was just the letting off his own personal swamp gas that had nothing to do with you, so just let such incidents roll off your back -- don't let it color your day. Perhaps you just intersected with some Twilight Zone episode: just think, those folks might be in that scene forever...well, you can hope! Were you rude? No, I don't think so -- intention is everything.

-- Anonymous, June 11, 2001

I am sort of with you, Jim, on hating the snowmobiles, ATV's, and Jet- Skis, but I really think I hate the WAY they're used. After all, they can be really useful tools to accomplish a lot of work. It's that the really moronic are attracted to them so much. Plus a number of rather normally sensible people lose that sense when they get on them!

My little hometown has a snowmobile club, that we all joined when I was a teenager, but most of my family lost interest in a hurry. We'd go for trail rides and no one wanted to enjoy the scenery -- just blast along as fast as possible, then want to leave as soon as the slower people got there. And the destination was always a bar! Bunches of people are killed up north every year, mixing snowmobiles and alcohol. Of course, it's illegal to operate under the influence, but there aren't enough patrols. And I'm sure they avoid waiting at the obvious places -- the bars. You should see all the sno-mo's lined up outside.

Then there's the dumbkopf behavior of going out on the lakes when the ice is unsafe. Some sink every year.

-- Anonymous, June 11, 2001


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