NROP: Selfishness; When is it about us, and when should we consider others?

Road rage is something I am currently working on. Some days are better. Some not so much. Just the other day I was discussing other drivers with a friend.

“Why do people drive like this?” – I asked.

“Because they’re not in a hurry” – my friend answered.

Not in a hurry.

Is that a good enough answer? It surely was not for me. In fact, it started a more in-depth debate. One about selfishness and the lack of consideration.

Last week, the moment I left work, I was gridlocked. There clearly were some accidents/ road closures going on, because the traffic was incredible. There was more stepping on the breaks than letting them go. I knew there was nothing I could do (aside from calling my private helicopter and ditching my car), so I remained calm. However, once I got closer to the bottle neck, I realized that my fellow drivers were not helping the traffic. And the cops that were there to direct traffic in order to loosen things up were doing an absolutely appalling job. But, what can you do, right?

So I knew I was close to getting out of the problem area, but there maybe was 1 car in my lane per green light that was allowed to drive past it. Absolutely ridiculous. I mustered up all that patience, and was able to drive through that light without any altercations. However, the moment I passed that light, I had to stop again (another light). It turned out that the trunk of my car was blocking a pedestrian crossing. I pulled up front as much as I could, but the car in front of me decided to leave enough space for half a car between him and the car in front of him. I honked gently, and motioned them to move up ahead a little.

“No one is going anywhere” – said a pedestrian.

“I know. I was just trying to make space for you to pass” – I answered.

“Oh” – answered the pedestrian slightly shocked.

“That’s alright. Thank you for being considerate” – he added, realizing that I was not a hot-head.

Considerate. That is someone I strive to be.

Considerate. Are you?

(Needless to say, the person in the car in front of me did not move until the light turned green.)

Anyway. Back to my conversation with a friend.

I understand not everyone is in a hurry. Although, if you are on the street during rush hour, and you are not in a rush, maybe you should consider not rushing during different hours next time? But in all seriousness, I know that there are people who are not comfortable with driving, or who have health issues, or just received bad news. I UNDERSTAND all of it. My only request – be more considerate.

There are times when I cruise, enjoying the trip without the need to hurry. But when I do, I do not take up the left lane and drive 20 mph under the speed limit. Instead, I get onto the right lane. When the road is open, I am on the right lane, the lights are changing to red, and I see a car behind me signaling that he is turning red, I move to the left lane. That way, he gets a chance to turn right on red without waiting for me to get a green. Consideration. When I do not feel like driving fast, yet I am still going faster than the right lane and there is someone getting too close to me, I change to the right lane for a moment, let the other person pass, and then get back to the left.

Consideration. I might not be in a hurry, but someone else might. Maybe someone’s driving to the hospital to see their newborn baby. Or trying to make it to say “Goodbye” to their loved one. We are not the only people on the road.

“But this is supposed to be a NROP” – you say.

“It is. I am getting there” – I assure you.

This post was inspired by a suicide.

OK, before I go any further, allow me to explain that I am saddened by the act. I feel for the family. It horrifies me to think how the person who committed that act felt before it happened. I am human. I have emotions. It is a grave matter. Literally.

However, it is a prime example of the lack of consideration we have for others.

On Saturday, a member of the Transportation Security Administration jumped from a balcony at one of Florida’s busiest airports. He did not survive.

That incident caused a lot of havoc, and so travelers rushed check points in fear for their safety. Because of that, everyone had to go back and go through security again. I agree with security precautions, but this must have been terribly inconvenient. Just imagine waiting in those lines AGAIN. Being searched. AGAIN.

A single airline cancelled nearly 50 inbound flights, and almost as many outbound ones. It is speculated that several thousand travelers were affected (either delayed, rerouted, or cancelled).

Even though nothing else happened, security was on high alert, and it took a while before they were ready to get everything back in order.

The suicide affected workers and travelers. THOUSANDS of them. What if the travelers lost a day of their hard earned vacation? What if some of them were late to work, coming back from a vacation? What if some of them did not make it to their elderly family member on time?

It makes me wonder if he thought what that jump would cause. Did he think how his family would feel? Did he think how many unrelated people it would affect? And if he did, did it not matter to him? If so, why not?

It might make me sound insensitive, but I ask those questions to understand better. I ask, because it does not make sense to me.

If you are suicidal, I am deeply sorry. I hope you find a way out. I hope you get better. But if you choose to mess up so many bystanders’ lives because of it, you are just selfish.

Think of all the trauma the jump caused. How do you think the people that actually saw the body landing on the ground feel?

Thoughts?

Stories?

Experiences?

Stay golden,

***

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