Posted On: Thursday - September 19th 2019 2:43PM MST
In Topics: Curmudgeonry Female Stupidity
This post is somewhat of a continuation of previous one, as I had intended to put a paragraph or two of this but clean forgot. It sounds pretty curmudgeonly, top-of-the-line curmudgeonly in fact, to bitch about being slowed down by an ambulance at the stop light, doesn't it? After all, I should have felt grateful not being the one in the back, or even in the front.
It's the general point I want to make, that "being safe" is now considered to be more important than ANYTHING ELSE. True, I don't want a loved one to do things, or work in an environment, that results in that ambulance ride (with some damn curmudgeon cussing the drivers out as they bring him, hopefully a bit faster to the hospital). Most of the world is a safer place, PHYSICALLY, than it's ever been, though. There's been a 1/2 Millennium of science and engineering, done by Western white men, giants standing on the shoulders of giants, to make it this way.
Just as with the ambulance, you've got to get things done though. Even with much less risk than before, you've got to take some risks just to live your life. You'll hear from the airlines that "safety is top priority". Well, they do a hell of a job with that, as American (especially) airline service has been amazingly safe, and these guys spend big chunks of money making sure it stays that way. However, they do have to make money, nonetheless. There is no such thing as a "perfectly good airplane" (much to the relief of beginning skydivers who are scared of jumping out of one!). All the small things are dealt with an appropriate fashion to keep things moving. "Top priority", is staying the hell in business by making money, as it should be for any non-governmental-organization.
If safety were really top priority for everyone, we would stay home, after re-wiring the house, eat from our garden, and occasionally just order a pizza. The pizza driver, though, what about him? Even with fewer of us on the roads, he may run into a mailbox or light pole, while texting you to make sure you don't mind a pizza rolled up into a ball from his last high-speed turn*. No, someone's gotta get out and take some risks to make the world turn.
This "Safety uber Alles" is another development from the matriarchy we live in, including even the Germans under Herr Merkel. God made the women this way for the purpose of ensuring the survival of our progeny. I would imagine a cave women with the attitude of "sometimes you just gotta say 'what the fuck!', Joel", while living in the midst of hostile tribes, lack of indoor plumbing, and T-Rexes running around**, is not gonna have quite as much progeny... on the average of course. There's nothing at all wrong with this mind-set of women, so long as it stays out of politics and business.
The latest symptom of this development is the standard issue greeting to those we don't know. "Hello", "Hey", "Wassup?!", well we've been through those, and I guess they've been found lacking. From the 1970's we got "Have a nice day!" and lately the corporate world has gone through some expensive brainstorming to "How are you doing today?", as a refreshing change. As Peak Stupidity asked already (I just recalled this post) Is "Be Safe" the "Have a nice day!" of the 21st Century?
* From a humorous story of a friend.
** I know, I know ...
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