i spend a good majority of my day behind the wheel, driving around this great metropolitan sprawl known as Chicagoland. i'm not a driver (delivery or other) but i do spend more time behind the wheel sometimes than i do at any of the various appointments i have during the day.
.
now patience is not one of my strong points; at my wedding Eli gave an amazing speech and outed me as an "angry driver". i will say that in the last 15+ years or so of being a licensed vehicle operator i have mellowed out.... a small bit. as every driver believes, i think i am a great driver and follow the rules of the road as established by the Secretary of State of Illinois. so great in fact that i will educate those who are not in the know or may need a refresher. here are a few examples.
1. Car manufacturers put turn signals right next to the steering wheel for a reason. when you want to make a left or a right turn, flip the switch down to indicate to other drivers on the road you will be making a left, and flip it up to indicate a right.
a) By not indicating you are going to make a turn, you are likely to spark the ire of all the drivers behind you, if not get rear ended.
b) using a turn signal is not an option- not using one is a ticketable offence. so please use them!
2. the posted maximum speed limit is usually posted every 3-5 miles on any given road. if you live in Chicago and are driving on any of the expressways, the speed limit is merely a suggestion and should really be looked at as a posted minimum speed limit. honestly i don't care if you speed or not, but at least do the speed limit, and if you are going to follow the speed limit as a maximum guideline- STAY OUT OF THE LEFT LANE - again, doing the speed limit or less in the left lane will only stoke the ire of everyone behind you, but may also cause an accident. also, if you are trying to not look suspicious, doing 5-10 MPH less than the speed limit is only going to make you look more suspicious.
3. if the rain is a fallin', your headlights should be on- this is just makes sense. it will just be easier to see you as you are making an illegal left hand turn into my lane.
these are just a few of the things that drive me nuts on the road. but why?
yes, laws are put in place, and there is always common courtesy to your fellow drivers; but there's no reason why we should go insane with anger and spittle soaked windshields after a slew of profanities has been spewed because we are inconvenienced by someone who decides they have the right of way.
why is it we believe we are god(s) when we get behind the wheel? why is there such an sense of arrogance and entitlement?
how many lives have been lost or people have been injured because someone made a bad decision on the road and had the wrong person react to it?
it believe there's a lot to be said about the human condition the moment we turn the key. we are a spoiled, and self centered lot. myself included, i'm not immune to the "why are you making my life suck" attitude when driving. thank God for grace!
Monday, October 22, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Why Be Rude- What's It Get 'Cha
i just made a visit to a comic shop in the area, one that i really don't care for- but works if all i want to do is browse and kill time.
the reason i really have a distaste for this shop is the dude who runs the spot is not the nicest guy in the world. think Comic Shop Guy from the Simpsons, minus the goatee, ponytail and about 250 pounds. i will refer to him as CSG for the remainder of this post.
today, as i'm browsing around, a lady walks in talking on her phone. she's not shopping, just getting out of the elements as she was waiting for a bus. from what i gathered: she was upset about some aspect of healthcare and flu shots. saying at one point that they should shove something "up their ass". at this point CSG asks her "can i help you find anything" and she says "no, i'm just waiting for the bus" to which he responded "well, i don't need you coming into my store swearing- i need you to leave". the lady apologized 3 times to which is retort was "leave my store". no compassion, no understanding. it wasn't raining out, but it was kinda windy and just not so warm to be standing around for a bus at an un-sheltered bus stop. CSG's reaction was a little over the top, she apologized. she APOLOGIZED. there was no grace in this man. if there were children in the store, i could somewhat understand- but there wasn't. if she was reciting one of George Carlin or Richard Pryor's more colorful bits. i could understand- but she wasn't! i just don't understand why he felt he had to throw his weight around like that.....
i've tried to have several conversations with CSG about books and trades that i've been reading (because that's what employees of these shops should be doing: engaging their customers;) but not CSG, he's usually generally annoyed you are there. doesn't engage in any conversation, and when he does he tells you that he doesn't like what you are reading or the author or the artist or the label , but doesn't really give any indication as to what he reads nor does he suggest anything that he finds interesting that you should be reading either. CSG isn't helpful, very opinionated and often rude. i don't really understand how his shop can stay in business, other than it is a pretty successful local chain. i've been to other branches of the store and the folks are usually very pleasant and helpful, but not at CSG's shop....
you know, the more i think about it, the more i realize his behavior isn't much far removed from how i behaved at Kiss the Sky when i worked there. i was opinionated loud rude and judgmental. much like Jack Black's portrayal of Barry in High Fidelity. much like CSG. i was really a dick. dang.
RTH
the reason i really have a distaste for this shop is the dude who runs the spot is not the nicest guy in the world. think Comic Shop Guy from the Simpsons, minus the goatee, ponytail and about 250 pounds. i will refer to him as CSG for the remainder of this post.
today, as i'm browsing around, a lady walks in talking on her phone. she's not shopping, just getting out of the elements as she was waiting for a bus. from what i gathered: she was upset about some aspect of healthcare and flu shots. saying at one point that they should shove something "up their ass". at this point CSG asks her "can i help you find anything" and she says "no, i'm just waiting for the bus" to which he responded "well, i don't need you coming into my store swearing- i need you to leave". the lady apologized 3 times to which is retort was "leave my store". no compassion, no understanding. it wasn't raining out, but it was kinda windy and just not so warm to be standing around for a bus at an un-sheltered bus stop. CSG's reaction was a little over the top, she apologized. she APOLOGIZED. there was no grace in this man. if there were children in the store, i could somewhat understand- but there wasn't. if she was reciting one of George Carlin or Richard Pryor's more colorful bits. i could understand- but she wasn't! i just don't understand why he felt he had to throw his weight around like that.....
i've tried to have several conversations with CSG about books and trades that i've been reading (because that's what employees of these shops should be doing: engaging their customers;) but not CSG, he's usually generally annoyed you are there. doesn't engage in any conversation, and when he does he tells you that he doesn't like what you are reading or the author or the artist or the label , but doesn't really give any indication as to what he reads nor does he suggest anything that he finds interesting that you should be reading either. CSG isn't helpful, very opinionated and often rude. i don't really understand how his shop can stay in business, other than it is a pretty successful local chain. i've been to other branches of the store and the folks are usually very pleasant and helpful, but not at CSG's shop....
you know, the more i think about it, the more i realize his behavior isn't much far removed from how i behaved at Kiss the Sky when i worked there. i was opinionated loud rude and judgmental. much like Jack Black's portrayal of Barry in High Fidelity. much like CSG. i was really a dick. dang.
RTH
Monday, October 15, 2012
It's a New Day
so my friend Eli has inspired me to start a running blog.
now i don't have any of life's answers. although i do have a ton of questions. i enjoy my life.
i'm a Christian, a Husband, a Musician, a Geek.
i get pissed off sometimes. i am an elastic firecracker.
i find that i am at my best when i am doing things for other people.
i'm not the greatest musician, but i enjoy playing.
i love comic books, Batman in particular.
i enjoy a good podcast every now and again.
i guess i'm just trying to set the tone for what i hope will be an ongoing blog about my life and what i'm up to, observations, rants, reviews on culture.
i'm opinionated without merit, and antipolitical without education.
i've been prone to conspiracy theory, and don't trust much of the information that is out there.
i'm left of center but right of it too.
i'm a paradox.
i am
reuben hood
now i don't have any of life's answers. although i do have a ton of questions. i enjoy my life.
i'm a Christian, a Husband, a Musician, a Geek.
i get pissed off sometimes. i am an elastic firecracker.
i find that i am at my best when i am doing things for other people.
i'm not the greatest musician, but i enjoy playing.
i love comic books, Batman in particular.
i enjoy a good podcast every now and again.
i guess i'm just trying to set the tone for what i hope will be an ongoing blog about my life and what i'm up to, observations, rants, reviews on culture.
i'm opinionated without merit, and antipolitical without education.
i've been prone to conspiracy theory, and don't trust much of the information that is out there.
i'm left of center but right of it too.
i'm a paradox.
i am
reuben hood
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