And I’m not just referring to us stupid Americans. I witnessed many occurrences in London and Paris (that both have a multitude of travelers from countries around the world) that made it blatantly obvious that either people don’t read or they have absolutely no respect for anything anymore. I’m not sure which is more upsetting.
First, there was the British Museum experience. For those that have never been…it is amazing! They have more ancient Egyptian antiquities than Egypt. Many of these items are sitting out, uncovered, within arm’s reach. However, there are signs all over the place that say, “Please do not touch.” Why? Because the oils and dirt and grime on our hands help to degrade these priceless pieces of history. So, it really and truly pissed me off when I saw nearly every person in the damn museum touch something. I didn’t even need the sign there to know that we shouldn’t be touching! I was appreciative that they weren’t covered in glass because it made it easier to photograph and look up close (without touching) at the details of these artifacts. It saddens me that one day all items will likely have to be behind glass because people are just too lazy, too ignorant, or too disrespectful to not read and obey the signs.
Then there was the National Gallery. You actually aren’t allowed to take pictures there. I didn’t see the sign when I first walked in and went to take a picture of the beautiful foyer. A museum employee politely told me there was no photography allowed in the museum. I apologized and put my camera away and left it there for the duration of my visit. I cannot say the same for others. When I walked into the first gallery, I finally noticed the signs that said no pictures and that they had them leading into each of the individual galleries (hence why I didn’t notice it right after entering). From that point on, I was amazed by the number of people that just blatantly pulled their cameras out to take photos. The museum staff was polite in telling them it was not allowed, but I can only imagine how irritated they must get having to do it day in and day out when there are hundreds of signs saying that you shouldn’t do so!
Then it was just the overall feeling while walking around in London. London is pretty well signed for a city (Boston could learn a thing or two). Most of the touristy places have signs that direct you there directly from the nearest Tube station. There are also signs on the streets that point in the direction you need to go. It amazed me how many people seemed totally and utterly lost. It may have been because they just don’t pay attention. I almost witnessed multiple collisions because of the people that didn’t look at the pedestrians signals on the busy streets. London traffic is not a fun thing to just walk out into.
Then there was the Louvre. What an experience! The art, the antiquities, the structure itself…just breathtaking! But the people…just irritating. There were signs everywhere (EVERYWHERE!) that said (in words and using pictures) that no flash was to be used for your photographs. Easy enough to follow, right? Wrong! I saw flashes going off everywhere, at all times. I have to be honest. I forgot to turn my flash off once (it automatically is on when I first turn on my camera) and actually had to retake the picture because the photos came out better with the natural lighting. Then comes the Mona Lisa. She is behind a very large and thick piece of glass (probably to protect her from the idiots that can’t read the ‘do not touch’ signs). What does glass and flash do? It glares people! And every freaking idiot smashed in front of the painting was using flash. It was nearly impossible for me to take a picture without glare caused by all the other people taking pictures. It was infuriating!
There were many other cases of this happening while abroad and it kind of made me smile to know that at least it’s not just in the U.S.
As for things happening here at home, I often feel like I waste my time in writing complete and thorough reports, summaries, and emails for people that just plan on wasting my time by asking a question that was already answered in the text. Example one. I wrote a preliminary engineering report for a project. In that report, there was a written description and a figure showing what the new proposed roadway section was going to look like. In the weeks and months following the submittal of this report, I have received no less than 5 inquiries as to what the new road is going to look like. I have actually memorized the page number that it is on because I have been asked so many times. Why did I bother have the figure created and writing the report, again? Oh yeah, because it’s my job! =) Example two. I wrote an email to a group of people about an event. The first paragraph was describing the event. The second paragraph detailed the day, the time, the place, and what to bring. This information was also located on the invitation that I attached to the email so it could be printed out. I received an email from nearly every invitee asking me what time and day. I wanted to scream. These are professional people that I know, like, and respect and yet somehow can’t read more than one paragraph!
I have many more examples of the same thing. I actually emailed my sister once asking her the date of an event because I had read and re-read the email 5 times looking for it. The second I sent the email, I realized the date was in the subject line of the email. I have to admit, I felt like an idiot, but also wondered why that would be the only place that information was given.
Basically what I’m saying is that we are all idiots! =) Ok, just kidding. We are all idiots…but usually only on occasion. As they say, “We all have our moments.” Then there are those people who are idiots all the time. I kindly refer to them as ‘everyone else’. Tee hee!
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