Are people getting stupider?

[john]

                                                        " expect everyone I come across on the road to do something utterly stupid "                 

[donaldcc]

Commas ARE important.
I,E, "Lets eat grandma".
That's not my favorite though.

I.E. "Let's eat grandma".

periods and apostrophes are nice also.  

[musclehead]

what are you an english teacher?     

  no, but if I were this group would be my remedial class. 

we'd just treat you like a substitute  

[Willow]

what are you an english teacher?    

 no, but if I were this group would be my remedial class.  

No, but if I were, this group would be my remedial class.  

There... fixed the punctuation for you Donald...  

Thanks, MacDragon.  My finger missed that comma.  Always hate to see a sentence drag on without those little commas to give my mind a short rest while reading.  

Truthfully in that particular position the comma is purely optional.  There are places it is not but that's not one of them.  

The sentence itself could use some work.  Perhaps a modifier, some, should have been included.  

[fudgie]

Sometimes on the Valk I park in the yellow lined area at a store, but no HC.

Now I have parked in a HC in the ambulance before. And I was on a run so I really didnt care where I parked.

[Momz]

Willow needs to be the boards "grammar check".

He's that good!

[old2soon]

Don't know how I forgot about this, but Willow's reply to George reminded me...

I was on the way home from one of the original InZanes (in Ohio), and had just crossed from IL to WI.  Dealing with the IL toll roads is enough to make anyone gurmpy, and I sure was.  I was still about an hour or so from home, nursing a pair of expanding kidneys, and ready for a pee stop.

I pulled in to a McDonalds, lit a smoke, and was peeling outta my gear (parked out in the main lot).  A large, fancy BMW auto, with two pretty boys in suits, pulled in after me, and promptly parked in the HC spot, right by the front door.  I was close enough to them to say 'that's a HC spot yer parked in' (they had no tags/plate that would allow them to park there).  The driver looks at me, then at his car, and the continued in to the McD's...  I walked in, did my business in the mens room, and came out to order.

The two pretty boys were sitting at a table, chatting it up, laughing, and tossing a glance my way once in a while...  I ordered my coffee, and a CHEESEBURGER 

I walked outside, had a few sips of my coffee, pulled out the burger, and proceeded to schmooy that sucker all over the windshield of that purdy BMW...  Right in front of the two suits sitting on the other side of the window.

I walked back to the bike, got geared up, finished my coffee, and when I walked to the trash can to toss my cup (and the burger wrapper), I gave the two asshats a wink...

Cup of coffee - $1.00, Cheeseburger - $1.49, the look on their faces - priceless 

Note to Willow: No BMW's were damaged during this encounter 

Black Dog

NOT that i'd know anything bout this BUT the next time-save some of the schmooy fer the door handles also.  Make their life sorta interesting and worth livin doncha know.    RIDE SAFE.

[marshal 13]

Ok I got one for you. Why does a drive up ATM machine have brail on it. 

[donaldcc]

what are you an english teacher?    

 no, but if I were this group would be my remedial class.  

No, but if I were, this group would be my remedial class.  

There... fixed the punctuation for you Donald...  

Thanks, MacDragon.  My finger missed that comma.  Always hate to see a sentence drag on without those little commas to give my mind a short rest while reading.  

Truthfully in that particular position the comma is purely optional.  There are places it is not but that's not one of them.   

The sentence itself could use some work.  Perhaps a modifier, some, should have been included.  

  Ahhh.  Thanks Willow.  It seemed right when I typed it and almost put the comma in, but it seemed to be OK without.  I feel vindicated. 

[north-aurora]

short answer: no, not really. People have always been stupid and continue to be stupid. 

[Jess from VA]

I am a third year law student and work in a DA's office as an intern prosecutor.  People say and do the dumbest things imaginable.  The people who walk amongst us are down right scary.  The violent people aren't nearly as scary as the stupid people.  

Got my JD in '79.  Have a bundle of stories.

One of my favorites was the guy paying his fine after a poor attempt at representing himself with the judge.  He was angry about the fine and extra court costs (from pleading not guilty, demanding a trial, then ably assisting the judge in proving his own guilt... by speaking.

As he is backing thru a door back into Judge X's courtroom (thinking he is departing the courthouse), he yells.... I hope you choke on my money, and Judge X can suck my talleywacker (not the actual word used).

The full courtroom laughed aloud, but the judge was not amused.... and Mr Dimbulb got a free weekend at county expense.  

Or the woman who when asked by the judge why she wanted a divorce replied........... well, I shot dat somnabich six times and he didn't die, so I guess I need a divorce.  

[Willow]

Willow needs to be the boards "grammar check".

He's that good!

Actually, both my grammars are dead.  

The right answer has finally arrived from north-aurora.  

[Moonshot_1]

Ok I got one for you. Why does a drive up ATM machine have brail on it. 

I don't know about anywhere else, but in Iowa, the ATM's have braille on them so our blind drivers can withdraw their cash to pay for their concealed weapon permit.

[art]

 The seven words my counselor suggested to me to live by
 
 In his ( there , her  ) mind he does no wrong.

 The scarrier thing is the youth of today are the doctors of tomorrow.
A MC leo was stopped by a car in a HC spot and I stopped to thank him for ticketing the car as no HC tag. The woman came out of the store and said , Yes officer I am guilty and got in her car. LEO wrote the ticket and handed it to her. She screamed " I said I was guilty and you still gave me a ticket you a""hole. No mam , he replied, You just made it easier as I have a witness.

                          da prez

The beatniks and the hippies  of the 50s and 60s are now running the country. No wonder its all screwed up

[vranasaurus]

I am a third year law student and work in a DA's office as an intern prosecutor.  People say and do the dumbest things imaginable.  The people who walk amongst us are down right scary.  The violent people aren't nearly as scary as the stupid people.  

Got my JD in '79.  Have a bundle of stories.

One of my favorites was the guy paying his fine after a poor attempt at representing himself with the judge.  He was angry about the fine and extra court costs (from pleading not guilty, demanding a trial, then ably assisting the judge in proving his own guilt... by speaking.

As he is backing thru a door back into Judge X's courtroom courtroom (thinking he is departing the courthouse), he yells.... I hope you choke on my money, and Judge X can suck my talleywacker (not the actual word used).

The full courtroom laughed aloud, but the judge was not amused.... and Mr Dimbulb got a free weekend at county expense.  

Or the woman who when asked by the judge why she wanted a divorce replied........... well, I shot dat somnabich six times and he didn't die, so I guess I need a divorce.  

In a domestic battery trial the defendant was on the stand and when asked why she maced her boyfriend she replied:

"He was trippin', so I maced him"

When asked what she meant by "trippin'" she replied:

"I don't know the dictionary word."

Just today the judge asked a guy, out on bond, if he would be positive for drugs he said:

"I'll be a little positive."

I once heard a guy say:

"Judge, I occasionally snort cocaine."

A judge ordered a guy to take a UA and the guy told the judge:

"Judge, I can't pee cause I got this condition with my.... uh..... my......uh ..... nutsack"


These are just a few examples of why you'll often here defense attorneys tell their clients "I don't want you talking anymore."

[Jess from VA]

Having been a defense attorney, private and JAG, it was my experience that by the time I was appointed, they had already done enough talking to make the prosecution a cakewalk.  

Did they read you your rights?  Yes.  Before asking questions?  Yes.  And you understood them?  Yes.  So you thought admitting your guilt was in your best interests.  I guess I didn't think, they were being real nice to me.... so anyway, can you get me off?   I'm pretty good, but I'm not Houdini, I can probably can get you a deal.  Do you have a jacket and tie?  Aw man, do I have to dress up?   Not really, just wear your swim trunks.  

Criminal justice people, whether police, prosecution, defense, judges, or turnkeys do not get exposed to the brighter side of life.  Always expect the worst, it minimizes your disappointment.  For a year, I carried a .45auto with no permit (none could be had), to protect me from (some of) my clients. Carried a Colt Det Spl my entire freshman year of law school (Detroit), after a law prof was murdered in the parking garage (we all used) for his empty briefcase the first day of school. 

[Black Pearl's Captain]

I walked away and when I got to the door I grabbed a shopping cart a aimed it at the MB, then gave it a quick shove.

So I must ask, are people getting stupider?

Answered your own question didn't you?

[The Anvil]

First let me say that I would never park in a handicap spot, hardly even when I did have the hanger.  I really don't always even choose a close spot.  I need the exercise.

That said, there is a lot of abuse of the entitlement even by people who marginally can qualify for it.  There are in my town an inordinate number of handicap spots set aside in front of businesses which do very little business with wheelchair bound people or people with a problem with walking.

I've found it interesting that some businesses have handicapped parking when clearly their customers can not be handicapped.  Or so it would appear.  Like a gym, or a free-climbing wall, or an indoor free-fall (vertical wind tunnel) business.  But that's probably a misconception on my part.  Who says the handicapped shouldn't be able to do therapy at a gym?  Not me.  It may be the spots are just mandated by local ordinance regardless of their customer demographics.  Or they just want to make a statement.  Or have their ambulatory customers get a bit of exercise.  Whatever.  It's still a restricted spot and shouldn't be abused.

Having said that -


It would be a shame if one of these found it's way behind each of the errant driver's tires.



http://www.defensedevices.com/tire-spikes.html

There's a guy at my gym with no legs who uses the free climbing wall. He's about 60 and he can go all the way up. He makes me ashamed to be me.

And though he would qualify for a handicapped pass he doesn't have one. And yet, my mother with her working legs, does have one.

[The emperor has no clothes]

First let me say that I would never park in a handicap spot, hardly even when I did have the hanger.  I really don't always even choose a close spot.  I need the exercise.

That said, there is a lot of abuse of the entitlement even by people who marginally can qualify for it.  There are in my town an inordinate number of handicap spots set aside in front of businesses which do very little business with wheelchair bound people or people with a problem with walking.

All that aside, from both ends it is an issue fueled by attitudes of entitlement.   

As to the original post, George, don't you realize that intentionally rolling a cart toward someone else's property is just as illegal (and unethical) as is parking in a handicap spot without the proper plate?  How do you justify that someone else's disregard for the law and proper behavior is somehow unacceptable while yours is okay?

I'm troubled by seeing people disregard what was obviously set aside for someone else but apparently not so much as some of us are.   

No doubt about it, there is a lot of abuse of the handicap parking. Working in a grocery store I see it daily if not hourly. Probably most of the abuse is from people that are just overweight.

[musclehead]

First let me say that I would never park in a handicap spot, hardly even when I did have the hanger.  I really don't always even choose a close spot.  I need the exercise.

That said, there is a lot of abuse of the entitlement even by people who marginally can qualify for it.  There are in my town an inordinate number of handicap spots set aside in front of businesses which do very little business with wheelchair bound people or people with a problem with walking.

All that aside, from both ends it is an issue fueled by attitudes of entitlement.   

As to the original post, George, don't you realize that intentionally rolling a cart toward someone else's property is just as illegal (and unethical) as is parking in a handicap spot without the proper plate?  How do you justify that someone else's disregard for the law and proper behavior is somehow unacceptable while yours is okay?

I'm troubled by seeing people disregard what was obviously set aside for someone else but apparently not so much as some of us are.   

No doubt about it, there is a lot of abuse of the handicap parking. Working in a grocery store I see it daily if not hourly. Probably most of the abuse is from people that are just overweight.

that's what I saw a lot at truck stops!  the heavier they were the closer they had to park to the door I always parked in the back, I KNOW I needed the exercise

[R J]

Ok I got one for you. Why does a drive up ATM machine have brail on it. 

Because some organization pushed it through the hoops & loops to get it passed by Congress.

That is also why some unneeded HC spots are where they are.

Poly ticks.    That should answer your question better than I can.

[R J]

Before I needed or got my placard, I always parked in the back.    Reason, I was very proud of my BLACK (58 Chevy Impala hard top w/ a 409 Tri-Power in it, yes I installed that engine) and I didn't want any door chips in it.   It was washed every 3rd day and polished (detailed) every 3 weeks.    I did not use a power buffer, didn't want to accidently burn the paint, it was all by hand.

Several years later, the car did not have a treasure meaning to me, it was just something to get me from point A to point B.   Also, I saved a lot of money by buying used instead of brand new every 3rd year.     Now I run em out to around 95K and trade em off.

[Patrick]

Before I needed or got my placard, I always parked in the back.    Reason, I was very proud of my BLACK (58 Chevy Impala hard top w/ a 409 Tri-Power in it, yes I installed that engine) and I didn't want any door chips in it.   It was washed every 3rd day and polished (detailed) every 3 weeks.    I did not use a power buffer, didn't want to accidently burn the paint, it was all by hand.

Several years later, the car did not have a treasure meaning to me, it was just something to get me from point A to point B.   Also, I saved a lot of money by buying used instead of brand new every 3rd year.     Now I run em out to around 95K and trade em off.

A '58 like that becoming plain ole every day transportation ! Ouch ! Betcha wish you still had it.