Polite or Prick

Yesterday I was picking up a pizza for the kids and some lady parked in the fire zone in front of the pizza place. This was a strip mall with adequate legal parking 10 feet away. This lady wasn’t just picking up food, she still needed to order it, so she had to spend sometime in the restaurant with her car parked illegally waiting for her food.

I was very tempted to say something to her but my politeness (or maybe fear of confrontation) prevented me.

I seem to be confronted with these situations regularly and am getting more and more tempted to be a prick and start verbal assault

Question is, should we be polite or do we have a duty to be pricks? If so what are the rules of engagement?

Is the woman ordering and picking up the pizza a bitch since she’s parking in the fire lane because she thinks she’s better than everyone else and doesn’t have to walk from the parking lot? You bet!!!

As far as rules of confrontation, I’d bet if you said anything to her she’d come back with “it’s no big deal, I’ll only be a minute” or explode on you. I’d mention it to the manager of the store and let them deal with it.

We have a Supercenter in our community that had problems with people parking in the fire lane and going in to do their weekly grocery shopping. The store has since notified the police who check on a regular basis and write tickets. I’ve also seen tow trucks patrolling the area.

[quote]Razorslim wrote:
Yesterday I was picking up a pizza for the kids and some lady parked in the fire zone in front of the pizza place. This was a strip mall with adequate legal parking 10 feet away. This lady wasn’t just picking up food, she still needed to order it, so she had to spend sometime in the restaurant with her car parked illegally waiting for her food.

I was very tempted to say something to her but my politeness (or maybe fear of confrontation) prevented me.

I seem to be confronted with these situations regularly and am getting more and more tempted to be a prick and start verbal assault

Question is, should we be polite or do we have a duty to be pricks? If so what are the rules of engagement?[/quote]

You have a duty to mind your own business unless something directly affects you or you see someone else in immediate distress. She may be a prick, but honestly, who the fuck cares? If she ran over a baby, then it is time to do something.

I saw a guy in line in front of me at the store buy chewing tobacco. Should I be polite and inform him that I have diagnosed oral cancer before in someone who used such a product and that he is at risk? Hell no. It is none of my damn business what someone who is not my patient does in their spare time.

There is a huge difference between being a man and standing up for yourself or someone in danger…and simply being some guy who gets into other people’s business.

Parking in a fire zone has got to be fairly low on the totem pole of “Thing To Rush To The Aid Or Defense Of”. I mean, what next, will you start tackling J-walkers and sitting on them until the police arrive?

If you really care, inform the store owner. My guess is, they probably won’t even waste the time on a phone call unless this is a regular occurrence.

You can politely point out to her that she’s not above the rules and that what she’s doing is illegal. If you approach her with belligerence, she’ll dismiss you; if you approach people like this rationally but firmly, you deny them any argument of their own.

But matters of principle like this kill me – I have to say something. Rules/laws are there for a reason.

its a dangerous job, but some one has got to do it

In some situations it might be warrented, but better judgement has to prevail. I get furious at the ignorant bastards that insist on smoking beside the NO SMOKING sign at the entry to my building. I do so enjoy sharing their cancer! Not 10 feet away a security office full of equally useless tools. Temped to fly off the handle, oh yes, but I’m stuck with these people… What to do…

Speaking of rational arguments, nicely said, ProfX. I don’t necessarily agree that we have a ‘duty’ to mind our own business, but I like your argument.

[quote]sdspeedracer wrote:
You can politely point out to her that she’s not above the rules and that what she’s doing is illegal. If you approach her with belligerence, she’ll dismiss you; if you approach people like this rationally but firmly, you deny them any argument of their own.

But matters of principle like this kill me – I have to say something. Rules/laws are there for a reason.[/quote]

And people who do things like try to act like they are civilian police bother me. I had one lady honk her horn at me (FROM BEHIND) and then drive along side of me to yell that I didn’t come to a complete stop at a stop sign.

What you all are doing isn’t much different and, honestly, if you do it to the wrong person at the wrong time, expect a confrontation. If you want to uphold all small illegal acts in society, become a fucking police officer. Otherwise, worry less about other people and simply make sure that YOU are doing what YOU need to do.

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Razorslim wrote:
Yesterday I was picking up a pizza for the kids and some lady parked in the fire zone in front of the pizza place. This was a strip mall with adequate legal parking 10 feet away. This lady wasn’t just picking up food, she still needed to order it, so she had to spend sometime in the restaurant with her car parked illegally waiting for her food.

I was very tempted to say something to her but my politeness (or maybe fear of confrontation) prevented me.

I seem to be confronted with these situations regularly and am getting more and more tempted to be a prick and start verbal assault

Question is, should we be polite or do we have a duty to be pricks? If so what are the rules of engagement?

You have a duty to mind your own business unless something directly affects you or you see someone else in immediate distress. She may be a prick, but honestly, who the fuck cares? If she ran over a baby, then it is time to do something.
[/quote]

I agree.

If someone confronted something over something dumb like that in front of me, the first thing I would think is, “This guy’s whining about a fire lane? What a tool…”

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Razorslim wrote:
Yesterday I was picking up a pizza for the kids and some lady parked in the fire zone in front of the pizza place. This was a strip mall with adequate legal parking 10 feet away. This lady wasn’t just picking up food, she still needed to order it, so she had to spend sometime in the restaurant with her car parked illegally waiting for her food.

I was very tempted to say something to her but my politeness (or maybe fear of confrontation) prevented me.

I seem to be confronted with these situations regularly and am getting more and more tempted to be a prick and start verbal assault

Question is, should we be polite or do we have a duty to be pricks? If so what are the rules of engagement?

You have a duty to mind your own business unless something directly affects you or you see someone else in immediate distress. She may be a prick, but honestly, who the fuck cares? If she ran over a baby, then it is time to do something.

I saw a guy in line in front of me at the store buy chewing tobacco. Should I be polite and inform him that I have diagnosed oral cancer before in someone who used such a product and that he is at risk? Hell no. It is none of my damn business what someone who is not my patient does in their spare time.

There is a huge difference between being a man and standing up for yourself or someone in danger…and simply being some guy who gets into other people’s business.

Parking in a fire zone has got to be fairly low on the totem pole of “Thing To Rush To The Aid Or Defense Of”. I mean, what next, will you start tackling J-walkers and sitting on them until the police arrive?

If you really care, inform the store owner. My guess is, they probably won’t even waste the time on a phone call unless this is a regular occurrence.[/quote]

The “parking in front of the store” was an example remembered because it happened yesterday

There is a whole continuum of these actions that violate both written and unwritten laws

Substitute “Man who is screaming at wife / girflfriend on verge of physical violence” and what would you do?

[quote]imoko wrote:
In some situations it might be warrented, but better judgement has to prevail. I get furious at the ignorant bastards that insist on smoking beside the NO SMOKING sign at the entry to my building. I do so enjoy sharing their cancer! Not 10 feet away a security office full of equally useless tools. Temped to fly off the handle, oh yes, but I’m stuck with these people… What to do… [/quote]

Dooooo IT!! You might win employee of the month.

Maybe do domething subtly with a fire extinguisher

[quote]Razorslim wrote:

Substitute “Man who is screaming at wife / girflfriend on verge of physical violence” and what would you do?
[/quote]

I would wait for him to attempt to strike. Until then, it is a verbal dispute and none of your business.

These aren’t hard decisions. I can only guess you grew up in a pretty safe environment because if you randomly went around jumping into situations like that in my old neighborhood, you would be dead by the end of the week.

The overall I can do what I want and screw the rules attitude bothers me, but what would happen if you said something.

Here’s what we did recently, we went to see the King Tut exhibit in Philly last week. Everyone was told no pictures. Constant flashes can ruin these ancient artifacts. Imagine millions of pics a year.

We saw a guy taking pics with his cell phone and informed security discretely. He politely told the guy to stop. Problem solved.

You don’t have to be a jackass about this stuff. Tell the store manager and leave it at that.

Let’s look at the other side, what if there is a fire and the lanes are blocked? Anyone hurt or such would complain and sue about the fire lane thing, especially if they were the tool the block it.

There are rules for a reason, thankfully most times they are broken it doesn’t really matter. Personally I don’t park in fire lanes or handicapped spaces. I have no problem with walking 50 yards or so and don’t consider myself and parking more important than anyone else.

I would just call the police non-emergency line and report the car (loud enough for her to hear me), just like when I see douchebags park in handicap parking spaces. As Costanza said, “We’re living in a society!”

[quote]doogie wrote:
I would just call the police non-emergency line and report the car (loud enough for her to hear me), just like when I see douchebags park in handicap parking spaces. As Costanza said, “We’re living in a society!”[/quote]

That is probably the best idea if I were going to do anything at all…and it’s funny as hell.

On one hand, I see someone park in a handicap spot 2-3 times per week. I NEVER see a handicap plate but they may have a placard on thier dash.

The one time I was feeling like I might actually confront the person and tell him to move, he got out and limped like his foot had just been chopped off.

'Woulda felt like a total dick had I done it. He was elderly to boot.

On the other hand, I was sitting in my truck eating my lunch when a teen and his mom(?) were in a van next to me.

The kid tossed an empty cigarette box and then the cellophane to a new one out the window. I yelled to him to “pick that up” and he did. He got out, picked it up and the van drove off.

That’s the kind of lazy shit I cannot stand. He was totally capable of walking 15 feet to the trash barrel or holding on to it until he got home so he got no free ride from me.

I guess you could argue that it didn’t affect me directly but if that attitude is used too frequently, we all suffer.

Sweet justice

Have you ever seen what a fire department does when a vehicle is in the way?

It ain’t good. They will run a hose right through the windows whether they are open or not.

Rest assured, if a person does something stupid often enough, they get caught, one way or another.

It just isn’t my job to catch them.

I have absolutely no patience for ignorance.