I have lived in America since I was 11. I still have difficulty with jaywalking and will wait there at an intersection in the dark, with no traffic coming, because that’s what we’ve agreed upon as a society.
It does make me frustrated, seeing people merge into and out of locked lanes, fail to use blinkers, steal someone else’s possessions, cut in lines, play audio without headphones in public transit, walk line abreast and block whole hallways and sidewalks, and endless other individualist, exceptionalist actions.
But that is how America is. And people wouldn’t know from looking at me that I grew up in rural Japan and that I’m silently seething at these sorts of things. I grit my teeth and I don’t admonish people for this nonsense because I’m a defenseless disabled queer woman, but I’m thinking it so hard that I hope they get bloody noses.
victimless offenses, i totally get, like jay walking when there are no cars, popping under rope barriers at the airport when nobody is in line, disobeying traffic signs when you know it’s safe, but i just cannot fathom being so myopic and self absorbed that you would think it’s ok to blast whatever noise you happen to think is cool at the time for everyone within earshot to hear. same with loud exhaust, especially when installed on purpose because engine go brrrrr. it’s loud stupid bullshit for loud stupid people, and everyone who can hear it thinks this too. how can anyone interact with the world this way and not be completely mortified?
Victimless offenses hold because we’ve decided upon order as a society, and we rigidly hold to the order so that society doesn’t fray. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard “the downfall of society begins with the individual,” “the unique fork is useless,” “the nail that sticks out must be hammered down.”
We do this to ourselves in the hope that these litmus tests for maintaining basic societal decency hold fast. We do it cause the law is the law, and the social contract comes first.
Also every last single person’s music taste is cringe-worthy when emanating from a bluetooth or cell phone speaker on public transit. Even blaring Dolly Parton is a bad look.
edit: and use your damn blinkers. You bought them. Use them.
I have lived in America since I was 11. I still have difficulty with jaywalking and will wait there at an intersection in the dark, with no traffic coming, because that’s what we’ve agreed upon as a society.
It does make me frustrated, seeing people merge into and out of locked lanes, fail to use blinkers, steal someone else’s possessions, cut in lines, play audio without headphones in public transit, walk line abreast and block whole hallways and sidewalks, and endless other individualist, exceptionalist actions.
But that is how America is. And people wouldn’t know from looking at me that I grew up in rural Japan and that I’m silently seething at these sorts of things. I grit my teeth and I don’t admonish people for this nonsense because I’m a defenseless disabled queer woman, but I’m thinking it so hard that I hope they get bloody noses.
I grew up in the US exclusively and I seethe when I see those things, too.
I’ll be thinking of this comment before I consider playing loud music in public.
victimless offenses, i totally get, like jay walking when there are no cars, popping under rope barriers at the airport when nobody is in line, disobeying traffic signs when you know it’s safe, but i just cannot fathom being so myopic and self absorbed that you would think it’s ok to blast whatever noise you happen to think is cool at the time for everyone within earshot to hear. same with loud exhaust, especially when installed on purpose because engine go brrrrr. it’s loud stupid bullshit for loud stupid people, and everyone who can hear it thinks this too. how can anyone interact with the world this way and not be completely mortified?
Victimless offenses hold because we’ve decided upon order as a society, and we rigidly hold to the order so that society doesn’t fray. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard “the downfall of society begins with the individual,” “the unique fork is useless,” “the nail that sticks out must be hammered down.”
We do this to ourselves in the hope that these litmus tests for maintaining basic societal decency hold fast. We do it cause the law is the law, and the social contract comes first.
Also every last single person’s music taste is cringe-worthy when emanating from a bluetooth or cell phone speaker on public transit. Even blaring Dolly Parton is a bad look.
edit: and use your damn blinkers. You bought them. Use them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUXow3d3-b0
Whistle go woooo!