Daily Dose of Common Sense

You’re driving down a busy road, looking ahead to your destination. You see it, and–lucky you!–there’s a parking spot on the side of the road. You pull in and then go to get out of your car. Do you:

A) Open your door quickly to get out. You’re in a hurry, after all!
B) Open your door quickly and stick your leg out onto the road. Oncoming traffic will stop, right?
C) Check the traffic flow to make sure that you can exit your car safely. You don’t get out until you’re sure that your car door will not get taken off by an oncoming car.

If you answered C, congratulations! You show enough common sense to procreate. It is AMAZING how many people do either A or B. Besides really stupid and dangerous, it’s also selfish. Why is it my responsibility as a moving vehicle to stop and wait for you to get out of your car?

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Here are some of our favorite brief Web stories from this week.

Some people had common sense.

• Coming soon to an airport near you: the ability to safely and comfortably nap while waiting for your flight. There have been days where I would have paid a LOT more than the $30/hour these places charge in order to get a few zzzzz’s.
• For you fast-food haters, it turns out that the quality of meat served in most chains is much better than what’s served to children in school cafeterias. It’s easy to see why: schools don’t have to worry about being sued.



























• AT&T has developed an app called “Mark the Spot,” which will allow users to tell the telecomm giant about service problems. No one knows if this will really help improve service. But, sometimes it just makes you feel better to complain.

And, some did not.

• There was an article about how tattoos aren’t acceptable in Washington, D.C and many must go to great lengths to cover up their body ink. So, not only are our politicians inefficient, they’re repressed. Hooray for America!
• There is now a gizmo sold that allows caregivers to text while pushing a stroller. Who needs to watch for other pedestrians or cars?



• A Starbucks barista was written up for chasing after a tip-jar thief. This gets knocks for many reasons. First, the barista should have known better than to chase after a potentially harmful criminal for a few measly dollars. Second, Starbucks actually reprimands the employee, which seems silly. Third, and most important, WHY do baristas need tips? They should be paid more so that we’re not guilted into giving them more money for DOING THEIR JOBS.

Photos: hgmonster.tumblr.com/, flickr.com/photos/taylar/

Talk about tenacity. A South Korean woman has taken–and failed–the driver’s written exam around 950 times since April 2005. Well, she has finally achieved a high enough score to pass the written portion of the driver’s license test.

The aspiring driver spent more than 5 million won ($4,200) in application fees, but until now had failed to score the minimum 60 out of a possible 100 points needed to get behind the wheel for a driving test.

She still has to pass a road test in order to secure her driver’s license. Perhaps this is an indication that this woman should NOT be on the road? Look out, South Koreans!

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Now that I’m back driving on the road, I’m amazed at motorcyclists. Not all motorcyclists, though. Just the ones that believe the rules of the road don’t apply to them.

There are two lanes of traffic and who comes squeezing through between them, making his or her very own lane? Yes, a motorcyclist. I’m sorry…did I miss the memo where we can all just throw traveling caution to the wind? I have also seen many motorcyclists weaving and speeding on highways. While small and low to the ground, dodging and weaving in traffic while on a motorcycle seems incredibly dangerous.

And, I won’t even touch the helmet debate. (It shouldn’t be a law, but it sure seems like a good idea. Who wouldn’t want to wear a helmet?) The way some of these cyclists drive, they should be wearing head-to-toe body armor.

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Growing up, our household had a strict “no bumper sticker” policy. We were threatened with bodily harm should we ever put an unnecessary sticker on the car. My dad didn’t want to scrape them off, and I learned early on that bumper stickers were a nuisance.

I understand the need to show “flair.” Some people want to personalize their cars, too. But, putting a hard-to-remove item on the paint job seems like a hassle.

Some people believe having a bumper sticker on their car has lead to vandalism from someone who didn’t share the same views. Who wants their car to be keyed, or worse, just for showing your opinions?

We’re all free to decorate our cars any way we please, of course. I just think there might be a better way to do it than a rectangle sticker on your bumper. Dashboard toy, anyone?

Photo courtesy of Flickr: Phillie Casablanca

Most pedestrians jaywalk at one time or another. For those who don’t know, jaywalking is defined as, “to cross a street at a place other than a regular crossing or in a heedless manner, as diagonally or against a traffic light.” I’m a fan of jaywalking if it helps you get where you need to go a little bit faster. However, if you’re jaywalking, you should know to move your ass if cars are approaching.

I’ve seen it time and time again: lollygagging jaywalkers. Some pedestrians appear to think that traffic should stop for them, even though they are in the middle of the street. I don’t know whether that attitude stems from selfishness, naiveté, ignorance, or what. But, it’s very unwise to play chicken with something much larger and heavier.

I want to have a sign that says, “You’re the one breaking the law and a 4,000 pound metal machine is speeding towards you. Can you get a MOVE ON?!”

Photo courtesy of Flickr: Adrian Miles

I recently began driving again after a sixteen year car-free existence. I have one question: What happened to the friendly “thanks a lot!” driver wave? No one seems to bother anymore. If another driver does me a solid by letting me in, I give a friendly wave to show appreciation. Some days, I feel as if I’m the only one.

This also applies to pedestrians, cyclists, roller bladers, people on scooters…really everyone. But, there seems to be something about being in a car where people feel they can be rude without repercussion. It’s no wonder there are so many incidents of road rage.

Come on, drivers. Just remember to be polite and people won’t key your car later.

Photo courtesy of Flickr: tedkerwin

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

Last week, a 15-year old girl fell into a manhole in Staten Island because she wasn’t watching where she was going. Instead of paying attention, she was texting on a cell phone.

Now, the girl wasn’t seriously hurt and just came out scraped, smelly, and minus one shoe. (Since she fell when workers were still putting out orange caution cones, her family plans to sue the city anyway.) But, this brings to light again the danger of texting while doing, well, pretty much anything else.

We’ve all read in the past few years that texting while driving can be a dangerous combination. (In fact, the folks at Car and Driver have just determined that it’s worse than drinking and driving.) But walking and texting, which is clearly a safety issue for pedestrians, doesn’t get quite as much attention.

It should. If you’re texting, you’re looking down at your phone and not watching the roads, sidewalks, or other people around you. You’re not using your peripheral vision to warn against cars, muggers, dog poop, bicycles, or anything else that may be nearby. In London, one street added cushions to its lampposts because texting pedestrians were repeatedly being injured. (We can only hope one of these pre-cushion lamppost crashes is on YouTube.) Can you imagine your tax dollars spent on baby proofing the sidewalks because someone can’t wait to send that extra “LOL”?

Yes, we’re all addicted to our iPhones, BlackBerrys, and cell phones. But, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a pedestrian dies in the U.S. every 110 minutes. Refrain from texting while you’re walking and that will increase your odds of staying safe.

[Thanks Gizmodo!]

Every tourists’ nightmare happened this week at JFK Airport in New York. A family of five was held captive by a pair of unlicensed solicitors in a van, who offered the family a lift from the airport. An officer observed the renegade drivers loading the family into their vehicle and banged on the window. But, when he ordered the two men out, they hit the gas and took off.

A high speed chase ensued, which left the French family begging to be released from the car. The ordeal ended when the van crashed into a stop sign in Brooklyn and the police chased down the two suspects on foot.

What did the family do to deserve this? Nothing, except get into a sketchy, non-licensed vehicle. If the cops hadn’t intervened, the family likely would have been brought to their hotel safe and sound. But, who knows how much they would have paid for the ride.

A good rule of thumb is to never get in anything but a yellow cab or a private car you have personally arranged. There are a lot of hustlers, especially at the airport, who will try and convince you a random ride is okay…but it’s not.

Here is some good information from Consumerist.com:

Rick Seaney has a few tips to help you avoid getting trapped in a runaway cab like the Dulugats:

• Avoid “gypsy cabs” and other non-licensed vehicles: the legitimate cabs are all lined up at the curb. If your cabbie claims to be licensed, and it’s a hike to his vehicle, he isn’t. By the way, these taxis can cost just as much as the legit ones.
• Check out the transportation choices before you arrive: JFK, for example, offers many alternatives to taxis including trains and a bus system that takes you directly to Grand Central for $27 roundtrip.
• Consider a private car service: it need not be a limo – and it can cost just a few bucks more than a taxi fare.