Are People Stupid? Okay, You Don't Need to Answer That

Are people stupid, or what? Okay, you don't need to answer that. Unfair question. Is that what they call loaded?

I was going for my daily walk, I'm getting back into it after some time off, a cold, which turned into a cough, and a period of not being supervised while Sam went home to the motherland, and bam! it is 8 weeks later. It was a lovely sunny day, today. But I guess you all remember that, both of you? I was in my walking shoes and headphones with U2 playing, approaching Drummond Street on Queesnberry Street. The day sparkled. The sky was a magnificent blue. It was good to feel the sun on my face, it makes me feel happy.

Where the streets have no name, I so love that song. I'm really liking U2, almost as much as the Rolling Stones, my goto walking music.

I could see on the other side of the road heading in my direction was a female pedestrian standing at the red man. Waiting, waiting, as the lights on the other road on the intersection were green. This is one of my pet peeves now a days. What are you waiting for, I always want to ask?  Just standing there, tum di dum. Why don't you cross the road? Oh, the red man. You know that is just an indication, don't you? You have eyes, don't you? Why are we so scared? Why have we become so pedestrian?... tum dum! All the cars are stopped, cars are moving along the cross road on the green light, why stand there? Why have we all become so pathetic and compliant? Big Brother is watching you? Brrrrrr! Why are we listening to the government that is legislating down to the stupidest person on the planet. The red man is probably on red because the pedestrian button wasn't pushed. Cross the road! Take a chance. Why just stand there like a dope? Live a little. If nothing else, get you adrenaline pumping, for the universe sake.

We now have little screens to stare at, to which to keep us tuned. So we don't think much?  Mind control, or a form there of? What do you think? If we stare at a screen and stay tuned to what is fed to us constantly, then we think less for ourselves and we become more compliant? Maybe? easier to control.

Standing, standing, she was just standing there. No cars were moving on the road way by this stage, from either direction.

I could see all of this as I approached the intersection. I could see that the light was still green the other way so, of course, I crossed. People to see, things to do, music to listen to, exercise to do, places to go. I give myself more credit than to walk in front of a moving car, why can't other people?

Drummond Street at that intersection is a dual lane carriage way with a median strip in the middle. I crossed the first lane with cars waiting at the red light, as I got onto the median strip the lights in the opposite direction turned red. So as I proceeded to cross the far lane and head onto the footpath on the other side of the road, the lights turned green and the cars about to cross the intersection from the other side of the intersection were about to move off, but because I was on the far side of the intersection, I had more then enough time to cross before the cars crossed the perpendicular road.

At this point, dumb dumb vague-O, who'd waited all this time, saw that I had crossed on the red man, and for whatever reason, vagueness, stupidity, boredom, just incomprehensible idiocy, whatever, decided to cross the road too, stepping directly into the path of the cars that were just moving off on the green light. Toot of horns, skip, jump and she had to run. Duh!

I had to laugh. No really, I did.

I can't wait for the people to say, See that is what happens when you cross on the red man.

No, that is what happens when you can't think for yourself.

I chuckled to myself as I headed down Queensberry Street.