Common sense isn’t common because it’s part of Darwinism. If survival of the fittest is the case, then common sense can’t be common. Only the strong survive. Unless insurance companies step in to protect the idiots who don’t have enough sense not to suck down some freon from a HVAC unit because they don’t want to pay out on ridiculous lawsuits…but I digress.
It really should be called something else, but because it’s pretty much engrained in my DNA, it’s difficult for me to understand that most people just don’t get what I get when I’m out in the world. They don’t see the simple steps they can take to ensure their safety or at least reduce their hassle level. And for me, that’s really what it’s all about, reducing the hassle level. Life is too short to be hassled by stupidity.
A great example of this is jaywalking. I have seen way too many people wandering through traffic. Seriously, one couple was almost hit by a bus. The couple barely blinked an eye at it. They just kept sauntering across Grand Avenue.
At almost every corner along my morning drive in downtown Minneapolis, I see at least one person impatiently jittering on the pavement when the red hand is upon them. They take a step or two off the sidewalk as though daring a driver to show some sort of weakness by slowing down because they don’t want the hassle of hitting a pedestrian. These are not distracted people. They are not texting. They are not talking on the phone. They might not really be awake, but they look annoyed.
People drive like that too. They don’t signal, but I can tell they want to change lanes because they hover around my car. Needless to say, I play dumb until they put on their damn blinker. Although there are times when I’m not really paying attention to the idiot in the next lane. I’m too busy focusing on the idiot in front of me. Hello, defensive driving.