Specifically, in my neck of the woods, they are the people who park or double park wherever the hell they want, sometimes even blocking intersections and holding up traffic. (I once witnessed a woman who pulled her car over at a very tight intersection, blocking cars in all four directions, and ran out to buy a paper from a kerb side machine. She thought it hilarious that everyone was honking at her.) The same people drive around (usually corners) while holding either a very full cup of coffee, a small dog or a cell phone. See, no one else can manage to drive carefully while thus distracted, but these people are better drivers than us.
Anyway, on Tuesday we had the Twitter arrogance of actor Alec Baldwin as he ranted and raved about a flight attendant who had "reemed him out" (yelled at him) for refusing to stop playing some game on his cell phone. Baldwin's excuse was that the plane was at the gate, ie. going nowhere. Of course it was going nowhere - they can't taxi anywhere until all electronic devices are switched off. You may question this rule, and even believe that such devices don't interfere with anything, but rules are rules and if you don't obey them, you will be escorted off the plane, as Baldwin was. And I'm not the only one who thinks this.
Funniest thing was his Tweeting that a) he bet United Airlines doesn't do that. (I'm here to tell you they do sunshine.) and b) he will never fly American again. I'll bet they're distraught about that Alec.
And today, we have the former Governor of my state, Illinois, sentenced to 14 years in a maximum security federal prison - for corruption. He will join his predecessor, George Ryan, who is still in the slammer on similar charges. Former Governor Blagojovich, (pronounced Blagoyovitch) was arrogant, unrepentant, and outrageous in his baiting of the media. Despite the fact that the FBI had over 500 hours of taped conversations in which Blago tried to "shake down" a local Children's Hospital and sell the Senate seat that Obama was vacating in 2008, he maintained that everything he did was in the interest of me and my fellow Illinois residents. At one point his defence seemed to be that he didn't actually obtain any money, so hey - no harm done! Today he received the longest sentence ever handed down to an Illinois politician. (There have been many sentences, so lots to choose from.)
So to all those "special" people - it looks like you're starting to get on everyone's nerves just a little. Be afraid!
Special people feel so privileged. As if the rules don't apply to them. They are really surprised when we expect them to follow them. What sort of dimension do they live in that they are so out of touch with the rest of us?
ReplyDeleteWords with Friends is pretty freaking addictive ;)
ReplyDeleteYeah, I need to give words with friends a go.
ReplyDeleteI wish I'd never heard of it, as I am sorely tempted now. But will def switch the phone off when told!
ReplyDeleteSo Baldwin was thrown off the plane for not switching off his electronic device when asked - yet someone else on that same flight apparently tweeted about it right after it happened - therefore violating the same no electronic devices rule!
ReplyDeleteOoo, I'm so glad you feel the same way about Mr. Baldwin's behavior as I do. I was ranting about this on the way to work this morning. I don't care if it's a silly rule, if everyone else has to follow it, you do too no matter who you are!
ReplyDeleteAnother reason for me to despise Alec Baldwin. This was the first one: http://britishpages.us/news/2011/11/01/alec-baldwin-says-england-is-a-failure/
Speaking as a rule-follower: I feel your pain, and was delighted to see that both Baldwin and Blago- well, the other guy - got their just desserts. In our house, when we run across such behavior (such as occurs almost daily in Seoul traffic)we always say (voice dripping with sarcasm) 'Well, that's what's most convenient for *him*'...sigh.
ReplyDeleteHere in the States I often find that the "end justifies the means" and that people will ignore rules if they really want something or, as in Baldwin's case, if they can't see the logic.
ReplyDeleteWe have a local nature park where they have asked people to only walk on the designated paths because they are trying to grow various plants that are native here. Not only have people blatantly ignored this request, the park has ended up carving out new paths where people have trekked in the soil. I found that really annoying.
Some people think they are exempt from the law for some reason known only to themselves.
ReplyDeleteIt would be impossible to get away without being caught in England with hot cups of coffee while driving. Thats IF there was someone waiting to catch them. Sooner or later they'd be caught.
Maggie X
Nuts in May
It does rather depend on the rule though, in my opinion. And whether it's a law or a rule. I can't think of any laws that I would break (apart from a bit of speeding, but never in residential areas. Motorways are fair game, however), but rules, well, that's different.
ReplyDeleteI would switch my phone off when asked to on a plane because there's a good reason for the rule. But I argued with a customs person who made me take my zip-up top off when he wasn't making people with jumpers (sweaters?) take them off. What difference does it make if the thing has a zip down the front or not? It just seemed arbitrary.
And at school there were many stupid rules that probably had a good reason when they were first implemented, but the reason had long since gone. So I ignored the rules. Which made life far more interesting than being a goody two-shoes.
And at a country park where I walk my dog, there are rules about where you can and can't let your dog off the lead. If there are school groups or other people around, I'll put my dog on the lead so that he doesn't bother anyone. But if it's early morning(which is usually when I walk) and quiet then I let him off the whole time as there's no-one around to be bothered by him. It's all about applying common sense.
Some rules are definitely made to be broken!