The Populace Really Can't be this Stupid

[Lion]

Yep, people are that stupid. I used to work in a TMobile call center. I lost track of the number of times I had to explain to people that, yes, your phone has to be turned on to make and/or recieve calls. Then there was the MRI technician (she was the one who actualy operated the MRI machine) who called up complaining about her phone not geting a signal at work. In the room WITH the MRI machine. Probably standing under the big honking sign telling her she was NOT allowed to use a phone in there (she said she thought the sign was just for patients). I could go on, but thinking too much about my time there gives me a migrane. So how about college? I had a an English prof, ENGLISH, who thought that SCUBA diving was going fishing for a fish called a scuba. Oh yea, at a diferent job, one of the team leads sent an email containing a particuarly vile anti-Mexican joke to her entire team. A team that included two people of Mexican decent. Then a week later, sent another.

Never be suprised by human stupidity.

Leo

 

[up196]

During Mardi Gras season, the parish only allows parking on one side of the residential streets surrounding the parade routes. Often, people will start to park on the prohibited side and I guess they don't realize that all the other hundreds of cars didn't park on the other side of the street by coincidence. Anyway, a polite wave and a gesture toward one of the "No Parking - Parade Route" signs usually sends them on their way.

One year, I was working the route in uniform when a gentleman started to park illegally on a side street within a block of the route. I waved and pointed to the sign. He got out and asked me if he could park there, and I told him no, it was a no parking area due to the parade and I pointed out the sign again. He said that he and his family were only going to stay for part of the parade, so would it be OK. I told him no and I explained to him that the reasons for the parking restrictions were to prevent congestion and allow passage of Fire and EMS vehicles through the area if necessary. He pointed to the crowd of hundreds and said he would be right there and I could come get him to move his car if necessary. This back and forth banter went on for several minutes, but he just could not accept the fact that a uniformed Deputy Sheriff would not allow him to park in a no parking zone.

I finally told him that if he insisted on parking there, it was his decision. So he parked, and he unloaded the wife, and the kids, and the ice chest in a wagon, and the ladders for the kids to stand on to catch throws and the chairs for the grown-ups to sit in and watch and started for the parade route. As he passed me, I nodded and asked him if he knew how to get to the auto impound lot from where we were. He said he did, and I said "That's good, because that's where your car is going to be. Be sure to have $200.00 in cash when you go to get it."

Then he understood !

 

[John in Covina]

Parade Parking; there are a lot of people who simply believe they are special, so special that ordinary rules don't apply to them, another way to say it is they have high self esteem. They fake a full stop at stop signs, they run red lights, especially as the person at the end of a line of left turn arrow red light runners. They park in Fire lines and in front of hydrants. They do all of this because of their importance (self importance) because they are above it all and look down upon the rest of us with great distain. They cut in line, they drink the last of the milk and put the empty carton back in the refrigerator. They "share" or take without asking. They are 100% sure that they are the center of the universe. When someone is wrapped up in themselves it tends to be a pretty small package.

 

[jamespowers]

I suppose all those warning labels just managed to keep the stupid alive and plaguing us with even more stupid labels, laws and encouraging nannies to try to tell us what to do more often? What happened before all of those labels and people "worrying" about other people's safety? I deduce we won't know because the stupid died young and they aren't around to say---I guess?
I suppose it is like cigarette warning labels. Like we have not known they were bad for us since their inception. duh! I guess Linc is right about consumer product safety lawyers contributing to this though. Greed in law and government tends to answer many questions.
I am sure this is not uniquely American either. Check out products in Europe and see if they do not have warning labels---they do. It is just "people" in general I was referring to; stupidity has no national boundry.

Regards to all,

J

 

[DanielJones]

You know it's bad when you see the waring label on a serpentine belt for your engine that states, "Make sure the engine is off before installing." Makes you wonder how many stupid people it took before the automotive parts company had to put this warning on the packaging.
What it boils down to is a global lack of common sence. There are folks that have PhD's and still do stupid stuff. They may be book smart or have a high IQ but they lack any common sence. These are the folks that don't believe the waiter/waitress when they are told the plate is hot and then wonder why they got burned.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Twitch]

"make sure engine if off before installing" I can imagine how this one came about. A mechanic walks to the back of the shop all disheveled and bloody to tell his co-workers, " Lemme give ya a little tip about these fan belts....."

 

[DanielJones]

Sounds about right Twitch.

Cheers!

Dan