Daily Dose of Common Sense

People pushing strollers get a pretty bad rap as far as pedestrians are concerned. I’ve heard occasional complaints from friends who grouse about the size of strollers and/or the speed at which they travel. I’m a mom with two small kids, and, although I always try to be polite in transit, I’ve received the occasional dirty look from someone while out pushing my kids. It’s time for the madness to end. We need to give strollers–and the people pushing them–a break. Here’s why:

1. We’re late, we’re late, for a very important…EVERYTHING.
I hate being late. It’s rude. But, since having kids, I usually run about ten or fifteen minutes late for everything. This isn’t for a lack of trying to get out of the house on time. Kids have a way of making sure you can’t find the sippy cup, snacks, keys, cell phone, or wallet when it’s time to leave. Or, one child suddenly needs a diaper change. So, people out pushing kids in strollers are generally running late and in a hurry. Which leads to….

2. Move quickly or get out of the way.
If you’re walking slowly, we need to maneuver around you. We need you to walk on the right-hand side of the sidewalk–not the middle. We’ll try to be polite about it, but we don’t always have patience for slowpokes who won’t move over. And, if you’re rocking out to your iPod with headphones, we will be annoyed that you didn’t hear us say, “Excuse me.” You know who you are, you dawdlers without kids in tow and not a care in the world. You might be out for a leisurely stroll by yourself or with a friend. But, we’re not bitter (usually). We’re just late. So, please let us pass without comment.

3. We’re pushing a heavy load.
A stroller generally weighs around 20 lbs. Add to that the weight of the kid(s), and you’ve got quite a torpedo. My kids are 40 lbs and 22 lbs, while my stroller weighs around 25 lbs. So, that’s close to 90 lbs I’m pushing around. Yes, I realize momentum and gravity do some of the work, but it’s still not easy to stop on a dime or get through doorways. We’ll do our best to accommodate other pedestrians, but sometimes it’s like steering a battleship.

4. We’re so tired.
Most parents don’t get a lot of sleep. We’re sleep-deprived and can be cranky on occasion. Sometimes, this perpetual tiredness can impair our judgement or make us lose our patience too quickly. Perhaps we aren’t as nice or courteous as we should be. We’re sorry. When we’re well-rested, we promise we’re a LOT nicer.

I’m not saying there aren’t obnoxious stroller-wielding parents and caretakers out there. I have seen my fair share. Most of us, however, do try to be courteous and respectful. We don’t want to run over people or play chicken with pedestrians. We just need to get where we’re going before our kids go into full meltdown mode. So, the next time you feel anger building toward some stroller-pushing parent, feel some compassion for them instead.

Photo courtesy of Flickr: Payton Chung

We’re staying at a major beach resort that is very family oriented. We have two little kids, so we always get lots of swim diapers. These are diapers that hold any accidents inside, therefore protecting others in the pool from contamination. All the public pools I’ve been to require them for small kids.

Well, yesterday I saw a mother playing with her tiny NAKED daughter in the pool. So, not only did the child not have on a swim diaper, the infant was completely naked. Yep, not even a swim suit was there as a barrier between an accident and the pool water. This was not a potty-trained kid and the child wasn’t old enough to talk any more than coos and giggles. But, there she was–butt naked in a hotel pool.

I was surprised no one from the hotel staff said anything to the parents. Isn’t it a matter of public safety?

The effects of feces, vomitus or a dead animal in a public pool can be serious, if not life-threatening to pool users especially children, the elderly and people with suppressed immune systems. Feces and vomitus material can contain large numbers of pathogenic (harmful) microorganisms.

Swim diapers are sold everywhere, including within the resort. So there’s no question of their availability. I’m not sure whether these parents were clueless or just rude. Putting a diaper on your young child in the pool seems like a no brainer.

Even if you’re one of the parents who play by the rules, don’t swallow pool water. You never know what’s in there.

Older Americans commonly grumble that the younger generation has lost its manners. Well, New York City is about to launch a campaign on the buses and subways that might help.

Seat hogs who are unwilling to give up their bus or train seat to an elderly or disabled person will now be slapped with a fine OR possibly recieve ten days in jail. Yes, jail time.

It seems extreme, and it’s sad that we have to remind people to do something so basic in good manners. But, apparently we do. In addition to older and disabled passengers not getting seats, many pregnant women also complain that no one offers them a seat during busy times. It’s a shame that compassion sometimes gets lost in the rush hour commute.

Mass transit is for the masses. But, individual courtesy is still important.

Dog poop is a problem. Rather, dog owners who don’t pick up after their dogs are a problem. In a big city, dog feces litter the sidewalks and public walkways like land mines. Even in smaller towns, homeowners grumble after finding a “present” on their lawn from a random pooch.

Signs hang in various places to remind dog owners: Please Curb Your Dog. Does everyone know what this means, or is this too antiquated an expression for some dog owners? You would assume it’s self-explanatory, but perhaps our signs need to be a little more direct and lose the politeness: Please Pick Up Your Dog’s Poop Before Moving On.

New York City just got tougher on negligent dog owners. In June, the fine for not picking up after your dog will more than double to $250. Of course, you have to be seen by a policeman for this law to be enforced. But, it may prompt some dog owners to be more diligent.

The majority of pet owners are responsible pooper scoopers. However, a few bad apples are all it takes to ruin the sidewalks for the rest of us. The fines for leaving poop behind can’t be high enough.

You’ve seen them. Big globules of spit on the street or sidewalk. Loogies just waiting there for you to step or drop something in. And worse than seeing a pile of spit is listening to someone expectorate one. Starting deep in his (or, less likely, her) throat, he coughs, sputters, and hocks until a giant phlegm ball comes out. Then, it’s deposited somewhere nearby for all to see.

Is this really how far we’ve come as a society? We can put a man on the moon, obsessively Twitter and elect a black president, but we can’t stop ourselves from spitting in public?

Many diseases can be transmitted through saliva and some of them can live for hours outside the body. In previous centuries and in more recent years, outbreaks of TB and SARS respectively led to prominent “don’t spit in public” campaigns. But not even SARS was able to curb the Chinese practice of spitting. It wasn’t until the Beijing Olympics that the government waged a full-on campaign against what many there consider an accepted activity. Perhaps we need a little more public awareness here in the states, as well.

The recent Swine Flu outbreak should be a wake up call to all of us–spitters and non-spitters. To the spitters: just stop it. It’s gross and we don’t care WHY you’re doing it. Invest in a handkerchief or carry tissues. Non-spitters: speak out! Admonish and embarrass the spitters until they are shamed into keeping their phlegm to themselves. It should not be acceptable social behavior.

Yes, we can stop public spitting.

Here’s a tip for folks walking in a large group together: you don’t own the sidewalk, so you need to make way for other pedestrians. It sounds silly to write it (and probably read it) because it’s so obvious, but you would be surprised how many sidewalk hogs are out there. You’ve seen them. A group walk abreast of one another and fan out across the public sidewalk, oblivious to the rest of us trying to get around them. It’s like a game of chicken on foot. To be polite, they should switch to single file or at least double file in the crowd. Otherwise, someone is forced off the curb just to make way for the gang who won’t separate. This act of common courtesy applies to more than city sidewalks; it also includes malls, boardwalks, zoos, parks…any place where large amounts of people are moving.

A good rule of thumb to use in judging whether this applies to your group or not is the “pack” rule. If you are more than two people, you are a pack. Therefore, it is your responsibility to make room for others to travel around you. So, change to single file until traffic passes. If you don’t, you’re likely to get shoulder bumps from other angry pedestrians.

An older kid at the playground today was coughing and hacking all over the park. I was completely skeeved out and made sure my daughter wasn’t in spit-shot. Since you can’t chase random kids with Kleenex and Purell (at least where I live), more people need to realize the importance of covering coughs and sneezes.

It’s a basic rule of consideration and hygiene: cover your mouth when you cough but especially when you sneeze. It seems simple, but many people don’t bother and it’s never been so important. This week, the flu caused more schools to close in New York City. If you don’t know what happens when you sneeze, watch this great simulation that takes place on a subway car. (It’ll make you want to walk to work from now on.)

It’s best if you don’t use your hands. Cough or sneeze into your arm or sleeve to prevent the transfer of germs from your hands later on.

In other words, keep your germs to yourself.

We get a bum rap as New Yorkers. Everyone believes we’re rude and cranky. We’re not. We’re just annoyed by anyone not following common courtesy rules while navigating a large urban area. Well, the following may help. Here are some simple things to remember when in a big city or a large crowd.

Rule #1: If you’re standing still, you’re in someone’s way. For example, NYC is a city of more than 8 million people. So keep moving! This rule is especially important at the top of stairs or in the middle of sidewalks. If you need to stop and admire the buildings, step over to the side.

Rule #2: Watch where you’re walking. While our city is the cleanest it’s been in decades, the sidewalks still contain the occasional pile of poop (usually from a dog), food or vomit. At the very least, you could step in gum.

Rule #3: Walk on the right-hand side of the street. In some countries, the custom is to walk on the left-hand side of the street. We walk on the right here. And, along those lines….

Rule #4: Remember to let others pass. If you’re in a group walking together, you need to make way for other pedestrians. Switch to single file when necessary in order to let other people get around you.

These rules even apply at places like malls, sporting events, and concerts. Like George on Seinfeld once said in disgust, “We’re living in a society, people!” So let’s all work together to make it run a bit smoother.

Yesterday, an incident between two Long Island drivers left one man dead. The deceased left his car to confront another driver, wouldn’t let the other driver pass and was run over. Also last week, a Baltimore police officer was arrested after throwing tobacco juice and pointing his gun at another driver while off-duty. Sadly, these are hardly isolated incidents.

According to the NHTSA, there are two problems: aggressive driving and road rage. Aggressive driving is a “traffic offense,” such as speeding and improper lane changing. Road rage is a “criminal offense,” by which an incident occurs on the roadway and an assault transpires. It is estimated that aggressive driving is responsible for one-third of all crashes.

Are you an aggressive driver? Take this quiz to find out. Here are 10 Tips to Prevent Road Rage. If you see someone driving irresponsibly, you can anonymously report them to this site.

Remember, you’re in a car but you’re not invincible. Let’s be careful out there.