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Re: Whiners
In article <3vr9i9$3go@news-e1a.megaweb.com> kennystar@megaweb.com (KENNY MORSE) writes:
>I appreciate your post, but you will have to keep the chronology of
>posts a little better. I was NOT responding to your post, was I?
>Your posts came AFTER I posted "WHINERS", therefore, your
>unbrage was not appropriate.
Hi Kenny,
One of the things about Usenet newsgroups that can be confusing for all of us
is that posts may appear in different order at different sites. Here at my
site, your "Whiners" message did appear some time after mine, and so I assumed
it was partly in response to my message--it did refer to some of the words I'd
used. I didn't recall seeing other messages that used the word "elite" in the
same context I had, so it looked like you were referring to my message (among
others).
So my apologies for assuming you were referring to me.
>As for your regard for "Elite" though, YOUR definiton does NOT
>cover the usage as posted. You describe it as a "minority"....
>The government that has decided to set laws (speed limits for example)
>to protect me from others is no minority....next to the population maybe,
>but IN CONTEXT, the MAJORITY of State governments have
>set these laws. It is not small elite. But, since I agree that the speed
>limits SHOULD be raised, and your "elite" should still be there to enforce
>them....THERE is the discussion.
I would still consider the state governments to be an elite. In setting speed
limits, they have generally not responded to the clear wishes of the majority
of the population. Instead, they have responded to small lobbying groups,
primarily the insurance industry and the various police agencies. These
groups have a vested interest in maintaining speed limits below what people
are willing to obey, because they make money from these speed limits.
>>Regarding my statement about the highway laws making people crazy, I
>>explained that further in my other message.
>My students and people I talk to on the air are HARDLY crazy. They are
>rational people who make an informed decision to break the law. I am,
>and I do when I go my 62mph and break CVC 22349, so as not to be a hazard
>on the freeway.
I'm speaking in relative terms. Naturally, I don't think most drivers are
"crazy"--but I do think people get crazier behind the wheel than they are in
other situations.
>>Surely, as Mr. Traffic, you are aware of the personality changes people go
>>through when they get behind the wheel. People who may be perfectly friendly
>>in person may become the rudest drivers.
>>This is no accident. Our highway laws insult people. When you insult people
>>continually, day after day, you do them psychological damage.
>Mike....this is true EXCEPT that the main reasons people turn into rude people
>behind the wheel (which is a subject I talk about in EVERY class I have taught for
>the past 8 years....I ask them..."Why do YOU think people drive the way they drive?")
>has LITTLE to do with drivers feeling insulted by laws....and more to do with
>human values like Control....frustration with congestion....poor time management....
>making $$$ pressures....and way too many to name. Insult by unfairly set
>speed limit is WAY low on the list. This is the canard that advocates for
>our roads to be Autobahns fly, and it doesn't.
I agree with you about those factors. I am still convinced that highway laws
are a significant factor as well.
Here is yet another factor to ponder. Suppose you are walking down the
sidewalk and you accidentally bump into somebody. What happens? You say
"excuse me", or "oops, I'm sorry" and you both go on your way. A simple
apology does a world of good.
Now suppose you bumped into somebody and your means of communication were more
limited. The only response you have available is to make a loud, annoying
noise and flash a bright red light at the other person. No apology allowed.
I strongly suspect there would be fistfights breaking out all over the place.
On the highway, it's very easy to inadvertantly do something that irritates
someone else. However, there is no communication device built into cars that
says "I'm sorry--I didn't mean to cut you off (or whatever)." All we have is
that loud noise and red light. There is no universally accepted way to
communicate an apology.
I think the apology is one of the cornerstones of a civilized society. It
helps us tolerate each others' failings. Our cars provide us ways to
communicate negative messages, but they do not provide any way to say "I'm
sorry" or "thank you".
This may sound silly at first, but after giving it much thought, I'm convinced
that this failing in automotive communication is one of the things that makes
driving more dangerous than it could be. It certainly makes driving less
pleasant than it could be.
-Mike
References:
- Whiners
- From: kennystar@megaweb.com (KENNY MORSE)
- Re: Whiners
- From: Mike@Geary.com (Michael Geary)
- Re: Whiners
- From: kennystar@megaweb.com (KENNY MORSE)