Monday, August 29, 2011

In case you stumbled in here ...

This is just a private start page designed for my own use.  But if you're still reading, please consider adopting these civilizing habits.

Consider driving at the posted speed limit.  It's not just a suggestion.  It's the law, and there are really good reasons to observe it.  Stay safe, and help keep other people safe.

Please use your turn signal when you should.  If you're holding your cell phone to your ear while driving, then there are no more hands left to actually operate the vehicle safely.  The rest of us that are trying to share the road with you need to know that you are about to turn in front of us or switch lanes. 

Please return shopping carts to the cart corrals provided by the merchant.  It's just lazy and rude to do otherwise.  Yes, they have people who go out and bring the carts in, but when you use a cart you enter into an unwritten contract with the store.  They provide the cart, but you are obliged to bring it back inside the store or leave it in an assigned spot.  And frankly, most of you who don't take your carts back could use the additional exercise. 

Please be aware that the rest of us are not interested in your cell phone conversation.  That means please don't scream into your phone when making calls in public places.  Please don't drift around stores chatting when you should be minding your cart, watching your kids, and making sure that you are not taking up the entire aisle.  That especially applies in restaurants when other diners are a captive audience for your conversation, or someone is trying to serve your table.

Besides making life safer, less stressful and more pleasant for the rest of us there are benefits for you too.  Fewer people will hate your guts and wish bad things for your immediate and distant future.  You will save money on traffic tickets and you will avoid the incredibly bad karma of killing someone because of your selfishness and stupidity.