"Temporary" Venting Thread V

[Gwaimir Windgem]

At this point, it's . . . like . . . three experiences you could have done without.

You seem to function as a magnet for bad drivers. Remind me to never ride with you.

[Rían]

OTOH, I wonder if all these accidents are helping your singing? You seem to have made a lot of breakthroughs lately ...

[katya]

Yeah seriously, bad driver magnet.

When I was leaving the grocery store today, I saw what looked like a semi that tried to turn right out of the left turn exit of the parking lot. Unfortunately, there was a little car waiting to turn right out of the right turn part. The semi of course isn't that great at turning, and smashed the little car up. The left side of it was kind of snuggled up to the side of the semi, windshield all shattered. Great job, semi driver man!

[Tessar]

Originally Posted by RÃ*an

OTOH, I wonder if all these accidents are helping your singing? You seem to have made a lot of breakthroughs lately ...

So in order to become a truly great singer you're saying that I need to go get myself in a massive, massive car accident? I'm all over that plan. BRB, YOU GUYS!!!!!!

The only break down is that when the guy totaled my car a few years back, it didn't help my voice at all. But it's actually not a bad theory, Rian.

[BeardofPants]

Hypothesis!

[Tessar]

Law...?

[Mari]

You just have the worst luck. Just like Sane always gets in freak accidents, your rear attracts cars.
Good thing you're okay.

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Tessar

Someone rear-ended me!!!!!!!!!!!!!! >.< AAAAAAARGH!!!!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?!!?

You know, I'd start checking the end of the car, clearly someone is putting stickers with 'hit me' on every car you drive. Still, glad it wasn't serious.

Originally Posted by Tessar

Theory.

Originally Posted by BeardofPants

Hypothesis!

Originally Posted by Tessar

Law...?

LOL, I just had this discussion with a friend yesterday. Except for the law-bit.

[GrayMouser]

Typhoon hits Taiwan...heavy winds and driving rain all day, but nowhere near as bad as last year... signs, trees blown down.

TV just announced tomorrow (Monday) is day off- nothing worse than a typhoon that hits on Sunday and is gone by Monday.

[BeardofPants]

Yeah, we just weathered (hah) a storm the size of Australia. Apparently there were tornados. O_o

[GrayMouser]

Yeah, first earthquakes, now the storm- I thought NZ was supposed to one of those placs like Canada where nothing happens?

Or maybe it is time to start brushing up on those Mayan hieroglyphs.

[BeardofPants]

LOL. It's the worst of both worlds, we're in the south pacific (so cyclones yay), and on the edge of the ring of fire (volcanos & earthquakes ftw).

[Rían]

AAAAAAAaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so frustrated!!!! Most of you guys know that my middle son is handicapped - his legs never developed right and they're really small, and he has bad scoliosis. He uses an electric scooter to get around, and we have a handicap placard so we can use the handicap parking spaces - they give us room to use our lift and to drive the scooter to the side of the car so I don't have to lift my 100+ pound son from the side of the car to the back, and it lets him not have to go behind the parked cars where it's dangerous because he's low and they can't see him well.

SO - last year, we always got this one handicapped parking space that was right up front. This year, there are some more people with handicaps, so we usually don't get that one, but we get one a few rows down.

That is, if there are no able-bodied people taking them... *fume*

The absolute WORST offender is this lady in an expensive green Jaguar (this is not a usual car - it's by far the most expensive car in the lot). Pretty much every day she takes a handicapped spot and does NOT have a handicap placard (unless she keeps it in the glove box and never shows it ) So today, we're a little later than usual - still on time, but a little later than usual - there is only ONE handicap spot left - I have my placard hanging from my rear-view mirror and I'm coming towards the one spot from one side, then I see her coming from the other side - and she zips into the handicapped spot!!!!

There are now NO handicapped spots left. At this point, I pull up past her and put it in park and start unloading in the parking aisle, hoping that maybe she'll finally realize, when she sees me use the lift and drive the scooter to the side of the car, that YES, THERE IS A REASON FOR HANDICAPPED PARKING SPACES FOR HANDICAPPED PEOPLE! I get the kids safely off and decide this is it - I'm going to politely ask her to PLEASE not take the handicapped spaces when she's not handicapped. I step towards her car and wait for her to back out, where she'll have to go right by me and I can flag her down - and she snivels out the front! (squeezing by the concrete parking block thing).

I don't like those militant handicap activists that will shut down a mom-and-pop restaurant if they can't afford to put in a ramp, but this is different - a completely able-bodied adult who continually takes advantage of all the other able-bodied people at school by doing something illegal, and continually takes advantage of all the handicapped people who live day in and day out with pain, difficulties, and danger, and to whom that handicapped parking spot is a real help in a hard life.

What should I do? My husband thinks I should write a letter and politely give it to her, starting with something like "Please stop and consider what you are teaching your kids when you continually break the law and take advantage of handicapped people by parking illegally in the handicapped spots". I think that's a good idea, because I really don't want to turn her off from handicapped people.

Or maybe I should just slash her tires?

Anyway, I needed to vent.

[Tessar]

You need to alert the police, and let them deal with her. If she's doing it every day, it shouldn't be hard to catch her. You don't need to worry about "turning her off" to handicapped people, because someone that selfish is unlikely to care.

It's like a friend of mine who found out that a mutual acquaintance of ours is cheating on her Italian quizzes. She wasn't sure what to do, but I told her to inform the teacher and let the girl handle the consequences.

I have zero sympathy for cheaters and people who intentionally break laws for selfish, lazy reasons... they know the risks, and if they're willing to take the chance they deserve to get their *** beaten down.

[Rían]

The parking lot of a private school is probably a low priority for the police (and given Murphy's law, the day they come will be the day she's sick and the kids go with someone else that doesn't park in handicapped spots!), but I might give them a call and see what they say ... maybe they have some tips, or if I give a photo they'll write the ticket.

My main two goals are 1) to get her to stop so actual handicapped people can use the spot, -and- 2) TRY to get her to realize what she's doing and what she's teaching her kids (although you're probably right that it's like trying to talk to a wall when someone's that selfish) because if she DOES change, maybe she'll help others to change. A ticket from the police would accomplish goal #1, but prob. not goal #2.

Maybe asking the principal to step in, along with the letter?

[Tessar]

I would seriously advise avoiding becoming "personally" involved by giving her a letter or letting her know that you are the one responsible. I often find that when someone is doing something bad, and they find out who "turned them in," it becomes a story of how the other person is picking on them for X reason and they do not consider that maybe they actually deserved what happened to them as a consequence of their own actions.

By all means try to inform the principal, the police... really anyone in authority who you can.


If you're worried about teaching the kids something, how about this: If you break the law like mommy, eventually you'll get caught and punished because..... despite what mommy tells you.... having money does not put you above the law. Sometimes seeing the consequences of an action speaks louder than any lecture your parents could give you, especially if you've seen your parents doing the exact opposite of that lecture.

[Rían]

Yeah, you have a good point about her turning against me, the wronged party, just because of who she is. And then she'll whine to her kids, and then they might give my son a hard time, when he already has enough to deal with

[Tessar]

It is quite possible to abuse any system of power, but laws were made for situations like this... so that when someone is doing something illegal, we don't have to turn to vigilante justice (such as slashing her tires). Take full advantage of your rights.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

I'm really sorry to hear that, Ri; it's terrible the way people can make themselves difficult.
Thinking of Matthew's principles for resolution of a conflict, I would say, talk to her first. It is the most open way to go about the issue, and people will often surprise you by listening. Even if they don't, at least they must acknowledge that you tried to sort it out with them personally first. If someone finds out after the fact that you completely went over their heads, that's where the heavy-duty resentment steps in, usually. Starting with an attempt to resolve the issue of a personal level and working your way up the "chain of command," is my general MO, and in my experience, it works pretty well.

[Rían]

If it were just me, I'd tend towards your way, Gwai, but I really doubt the kindness of someone who so flagrantly steps on disabled people to get something for herself, and kids can be mean, and I don't want my son hurt by any fallout - he's had enough to deal with this year already

I called the police dept, and they confirmed what I thought - all I can do is call and ask for an officer to come, but it's very low priority so it's not likely they'll come.