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Dear Readers,
In the morning, I listen to a local television news
program while I am getting ready for work. Recently,
they hosted a special segment encouraging watchers
to email them with pet peeves about Washington area
drivers. Many people shared the same gripes about DC
drivers - lack of courtesy. Some of you may recall
from my writings in the past that I think Washington
drivers are very rude. I grew up in Oklahoma where
turning on your blinker means, “Please may I merge?”
Other drivers respect this request and give you
room. In Washington, when you put on your blinker,
people speed up closing the gap between them and the
next car, making it impossible for you to enter
their lane. I find this very frustrating.
One of the biggest pet peeves shared on the news
program was having someone open their car door into
your car in a parking lot. To me this is simply
disrespect for other people’s property. The person
knows the car is there. They know they have hit it.
It seems they just don’t care or take responsibility
for the fact that they might have hurt or damaged
someone else’s property.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I try to keep my
car nice so it will last a long time. A car is an
expensive investment. I spend so much time in mine;
I really want to take care of it. If I find myself
parked too close to another car, I put my hand on
the edge of my own car door to avoid hitting or
pushing against someone else’s car. I want to keep
my car nice, and I respect other people may want the
same.
Recently, I was in the parking lot of a local
franchise sandwich shop. As I was walking up to my
car, I saw a young woman open the door of her black,
Lincoln Navigator right into the side of my car. She
proceeded to push her door against my car and lift
herself up into her car. I could just stare,
openmouthed.
Mad? Yes, I was a bit mad. And, I am sorry I got so
mad. It wasn’t that the young woman severely damaged
my car. No, she only left a 2” scuff on it that I
think I can buff out. It was that she did not care.
She had no respect for someone else’s property.
What has happened to common courtesy?
Do you have a pet peeve about how people treat each
other? I would like to hear about it. Send me your
courtesy concerns; I will print them in our magazine
(without your name of course). Maybe if enough of us
bring up the issue, RESPECT will become important
again.
‘Til Next Year, Happy Parenting,
Brenda |
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