The Idiocy Epidemic

My mother keeps telling me “Marie, people are stupid”. And, like a compassionate person, I sincerely want to hope they’re uneducated, ill-informed, or “having a bad day”.

As it turns out, my mother is usually about 99.98% correct.

People are stupid.

Here are a few examples:

(Note: this first one was back in about 2010/2011):

“Oh, that #5 GoDaddy car? That’s shared by Danica Patrick and Mark Martin. She drives it on Saturdays and he drives it on Sundays”.

OY!!

FACT: Danica was racing in the Nationwide Series. She was in the #7 GoDaddy. That series uses DIFFERENT cars. Mark Martin was racing the #5 SPRINT CUP SERIES car.

(Danica Patrick's #7 GoDaddy Nationwide Series car)

(Mark Martin's #5 GoDaddy Sprint Cup Series Car)

While they're similar ... they're two different cars (by weight and specs), and they're TWO different numbers.

Here's another "stupid":

“Oh, this driver’s meeting thing here in the Neon Garage is all new. Just started this year” (heard on Sunday, March 10, 2013 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway/Neon Garage)

FACT: Last year the first ever “public” driver’s meeting was held. I have pictures of that:

 (Neon Garage -- Kobalt Tools 400 Drivers' Meeting, 2012)

And there are more cases, but for now, I’m going to get to the point of why I’m writing this blog:

“So lemme get this straight, parents pulling their kids out of schools because they had to use port-a-johns for a few hours? What a bunch of wimps and wussies!!!!!” (notice the person cannot spell or use proper grammar) (said by obviously a man who has never used one, a man who cares nothing about kids, or someone who’s just stupid)

FACT: Those port-a-lets (johns, potties, loos … whatever) are “a BREEDING ground for bacteria, and disease. Not to mention there is NO sink in them to properly wash one's hands (as in running water with soap) to prevent the spread of germs and disease” 

(Does this look like it's designed for an elementary school child? Say, ages 5-10?)

“Ummm... at least they provided other means of potty!!! Good heavens. No wonder why kids are growing up to be whiney brats.” 

FACT: Direct quote from one parent – “It's unsanitary for the kids to come to school and have them using the bathroom on a port-a-pottie”. Parent was stressing a “health concern”.

(sample picture of a BASIC "port-a-potty". I don't see a sink with running water, or a regular SOAP dispenser, do you? What about paper towels?)

My reply?

“Ummm, how is a concern about "health issues" turning them into whiny brats? "It's unsanitary for the kids to come to school and have them using the bathroom on a port-a-pottie." We're so concerned about kids drinking soda and eating cheese puffs because we don't want them to be fat. We can force feed them healthy foods, and that's ok. But, caring about diseases, germs and bacteria turns them into "whiny brats", "wimps" and "wussies"? There is definitely no common sense or logic left on this plant.”

Seriously? Here’s the news article for reference: http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=9033300

Notice there were 20 “portable toilets” for students, yet they don’t give the number of students. Not to mention it does not look as if they were designated for male/female students.

Why is that important? Even adult “boys” have bad aim with a lid up … imagine a little boy’s aim? What little girl is going to want to sit in someone’s URINE or POOP? Boys tend to not mind (though mind you I’m writing this from a perspective of a girl/woman), girls do. I know, I’m a “girl” and I mind. My mom is a pretty tough lady, and even she minds what’s on the seat or how well some have “aimed”

Yet, others seem to think that potentially sitting in someone else’s URINE or POOP is ok? Just … GROSS :P

I'll admit, the pee or poop deal could happen with a regular toilet, but this kind of toilets are not designed for children ... so that increases the likelihood of bad aim.

We care if these children are overweight, but don’t mind if they use an unsanitary toilet?

We watch what they eat to the point of force-feeding them, but don’t care if they wash their hands after going to the potty? Or have an adequate place to wash their hands?

I think I’m going to throw up!

However, it isn’t just this article, it’s a whole culmination of stupid things I see and read. And, they’re not isolated incidents. 

Last week, my mom and I decided to get some KFC for dinner. We chose a location close to our home. Shouldn’t be a problem. It was a stand-alone restaurant in a strip mall.

I pulled into the driveway and slowly drove towards the KFC. As I rounded the corner to my left, a woman was backing up from one of the other stores (around the right of the Dollar Loan Center). 

I clearly indicated where I wanted to go by using my turn indicator/signal.

The woman in truck keeps backing up, backing up and backing up into the parking lot of the KFC to the point I barely had 6 inches between her rear fender and the rear fender of a parked van. I kept signaling to the woman to stop so I could PARK in the KFC parking lot.

What did she do? Tried to run me into the van :/

Then, after I skirted around the van and the person, I parked and watched as this woman put the truck in forward, and exited the parking lot. If you look closely at the picture you’ll see she didn’t have to reverse as far back as she did.

(If you look and see where the white truck [sort of dead center] is parked, that begins the "driveway" to the KFC. The van on the night in question was parked 5 spaces to the left of the truck. So, you can imagine how far the woman had to back up. Then, if you notice the silver truck in front ... that was where the truck driver exited. Clearly no need to back up as far as she did. I parked in front of the "K".)

That isn’t all …

Yesterday I called Sprint to make arrangements to pay my past due part of my bill. I did so for a few reasons:

            1.) To give me more time to pay the balance (until the 22nd)

            2.) To prevent service interruption or termination.

Today I am trying to text my mom to tell her where I am so she isn’t worried. And, my text can’t be sent. On a hunch, I called my home phone was re-directed to Sprint. Long story short, guess what?

My payment arrangement was done improperly, resulting in “interruption” of my service. As a result, I would have been assessed a $36 reconnection fee. Since the payment arrangement was done improperly, they waived the $36, reconnected my services and set it up properly.

Any wonder I believe that there is an epidemic in idiocy?

If this is a result of our public education system, let’s quit now while we’re ahead at being behind. Let’s save the money and work out a better education system.

If it’s a decrease in sympathy or empathy … then there is nothing to be done.

I think I’m going to side with my mom on this one … PEOPLE ARE STUPID, it is increasing ... and I believe there is no cure for the epidemic.

UPDATE:

As of 6:30pm (pacific daylight time) ... these are the replies I get:

" I am respectfully disagreeing with you. Would it have been better if no portapotties had been provided? They are not ALL as you illustrate. They can be cleaned and kept clean. Perhaps the school should have just hung a shower curtain around a bush? "

Really??

My reply?

"Since you obviously didn't get my point ... let me state it quite simple -- I am glad the schools provided the port-a-potties for the kids. HOWEVER, you stated "No wonder why kids are growing up to be whiney brats.". That has no relevance to the decision the parents made to remove their kids. Perhaps the parents felt the facilities were not adequate. That is the parents' right. They're the ones who'd have to pay for the medical costs of diseases caught from a toilet. The parents' concern has nothing to do with kids being wimps, wusses or even whiny at all. You're taking it to an extreme with the shower curtain a bush. Yes, some port-a-potties are clean and some are downright FILTHY. But 20 of them for how many students? That is a sanitary issue not a "whiny" issue. Also, was there a teacher to wipe each seat and inspect the kids' hands for cleanliness after use? Likely not. I am respectfully disagreeing with you. Don't criticize parents or children for making a decision that better suits them. There is no one size fits all solution in life. What works for you, does not work for me and vice versa. That was the point I was trying to make."

"In my 60 years on the planet I've used hundreds of port-a-johns, pit toilets, outhouses and lived to tell about it. Those were fresh, and clean with fresh chemicals. The port-a-john people are also now required to provide hand sanitizing stations and I'm sure the teachers made the kids use them. The toilets were cleaned up and back in service by mid morning so the the port-a-johns were only used for a coupla hours, how dirty could they get? I'm also reasonably sure they were segregated by gender. I just think it's much to do about nothing IMO, your mileage may vary. 

PS, Haven't you ever been camping in the Sierras?"

Oh for heaven's sake!! What difference does me camping or not camping make?

Me?

"I have been in port-a-lets (loos, johns, etc) as well. Some were clean, some were not. No, I never went camping, never had a desire to go camping. I do attend NASCAR races that have the potties in the parking lot, but I prefer to use the toilets inside the track or drive back to my lodging. That is my choice for me. As someone who worked in a hospital, hand sanitizer does not replace soap and water for proper cleansing. It is better for preventing the spread of diseases as opposed to just sanitizer. My hospital has a "hand-washing" campaign and we discourage hand sanitizer as people think it's a substitute. It's ok in an emergency, but when the emergency abates ... wash with soap and water immediately. Sanitizer does not "wash" off any waste that might accidentally get on one's hands, FYI. My main point was that you were calling the kids or the parents wussies and wimps. The parents have a right to make the decision they feel is best for their kids. It's their child, not yours, and not mine either. If the parent feels the situation is not healthy (and certainly not with sewage backing up), they have a duty to their child to remove them. If you'd keep your kids there, fine. Why should it bother you if the parents took their kids home? And why name call? That's just immature, in my opinion. Trust me my grandmother was a hard woman (lived through the depression). She took me out of school for a whole lot less. I graduated early and even went on to be an honors student in college.

Also, if you watch the video ... it doesn't look like the teachers are going in and making sure kids sanitize; nor does it look like they're segregating the bathrooms. It might have only been for 3 hours, but the parents should have also been notified sooner. Unless any of us were there, we don't know what exactly went on, and can't claim we do. My point is this -- the parents had a right to be upset, they had a right to remove their children. If someone doesn't want to do something, fine. This is America, land of the free ... well, the last time I checked."

Seriously, what difference did it make to them, and why name call? Oy!!