I will never, ever ever understand what is wrong with people today. With social media, and technology being what it is I supposed we have more exposure to the goings on in our immediate surroundings, as well as in the world. It seems as though lately I feel bombarded with stories about the complete lack of respect, and common sense that seem to govern life driving on the roads in Calgary. Now I have said it before and I will say it again – the one constant and consistent thing about Calgary is that life will get worse long before it gets better. This city just seems to attract greedy, ignorant, rude, and downright evil people who take and take and take and give nothing back. I talk to my coworkers in the office and just keep hearing these awful stories. Go to grab a coffee and the news flashes up on the screen in the lobby…car accidents kill 8, man stabbed, pedestrian assaults driver, new homes broken into, woman beaten, animals tortured and killed. I read a story about a young couple struggling to make ends meet – both students, working and the girl also looking after her little niece to earn extra money. Her boyfriend’s truck was stolen, totaled and two weeks later her car with $600 worth of textbooks and the car seat she needs for her niece was stolen from the exact same spot. Unreal. I wonder what are we heading towards? As humans, and as a civilization? What can we possibly ever hope to achieve without respect and without basic decency. I already know that what happens here doesn’t even come close to what happens on the world stage, and in other countries. But what is around you has the most impact. I have come to realize how little I give a crap about the Olympics aside from the hockey. No disrespect to the athletes, but it just bores me to tears. Not my thing, with the above noted exception for hockey. Lots of news around security concerns, suicide bombers, and the threat of terrorism. I cannot even imagine the impact that an incident will have on those involved, and on myself when I feel like I am nearly at my breaking point from all the things I am hearing and seeing. For years when I was a kid we always heard our parents talk about “the only news you hear these days is bad news.” So we just turned off the TV and that was it. Tuned it out. Not sure what is better? Tuning in on the bus, the coffee shop, at work, before bed, in our nightmares, and then again when waking in the morning. How do we tune out now? The issue of lack of respect and common sense (and trust me I am not claiming to be a pillar of virtue, but I am trying) hit close to home for me last night and this morning. Making my way through heavy traffic (the norm for Calgary) on 16th Avenue last night, and driving ever defensively as I always do I was shocked when a car came racing up a sidestreet, barely slowed down for the stop sign and pulled right out in front of me. The driver didn’t even look. I slammed my breaks on, and started sliding out of control a bit. Fortunately because of the traffic I was not moving very fast, and was able to avoid hitting him, and he stopped partially blocking the lane. I calmly went around him and drove on. Then I noticed everyone in my lane was slowing down and trying to get out of the lane. I thought “now what?” and the only thing I could think of was a stalled vehicle. Nope. Two homeless fellows – one walking on the side of the road and the other one? Pushing a shopping cart right up the middle of the lane. And laughing about it. He knew exactly what he was doing and did not care. Now I try not to judge homeless people because I do not know there story and who knows? I may be one myself one day. But I was still a little shocked at the stupidity of it. So again I calmly put on my signal and went around them, but the fellow behind me was not so kind, laying on his horn and nearly hitting the guy with the cart. His prerogative – I don’t care. This morning I found out that a co worker and friend had a terrible thing happen to her last night. While driving in a lane minding her own business a very nice fellow next to her decided that he wanted to get in that lane, regardless of whether or not there was a car there, so he hit her car and bounced back into his lane. She was shocked and after regaining control of her car kept driving. Now so determined was this idiot to get in that lane, that he did it again! So he hits her car again and now she almost gets pushed into the oncoming traffic. So she stops…he stops. He get out of his car and calls her a f@cking b@tch and says “women should not be allowed to drive.” He was an East Indian fellow about 30 years old she figured, and driving an older vehicle. He then goes to get back in his car and she says “wait a minute…you have to give me your information…you hit my car!” What does he do? He takes a swing at her! Attempts to punch her! She backs up, falls and injures her hip and wrist, and he jumps in his car and leaves. She doesn’t get his license plate and what is really sad? There were LOTS of cars stopped, slowing down, exiting a gas station, and NO ONE helped her. Just drove around her. She calls the police and waits two hours for them to arrive. The police told her they needed to find him because it was assault. But of course they can’t and likely never will. What a disgusting human being. I certainly hope the Karma Police pay him a visit very soon. I was telling my ex the story and she said “can you imagine if that was me?” No I can’t I replied. Then I thought…what if it was me? What if? Well despite the above dissertation on respect, I can honestly say that if someone like that hit my car TWICE, then took a swing at me, he would be leaving on a stretcher and I would be leaving in the back of a police car. If I was an onlooker watching this douchebag take a swing at a woman? Same result. Sorry – but that is just the way it is. Life in the pressure cooker and life in a f@cked up world.
Posted on: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 04:32:39 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015