The BIG Question

[Toyasaurus]

Is STUPIDITY ENDEMIC OR IS IT LEARNT?

My job is driving a school bus in a small South Coast town.
I don`t have to do service runs, thank god. BTDT. 7yrs in Sydney.

Today I saw someones action that made me ask the above question.
What makes people so brainless or stupid that they endanger their lives and that of children?

I have to do a tight left turn around a set of lights in the main shopping centres.
I always lane share, (take up 2 lanes) because there are always cars parked poorly around the corner and cars in the on coming lane.
ATM the sun is quite low at the time I come through and I have to drive directly into it, not blinding be close to it, I have to be careful.

Well this afternoon I came around the corner avoiding the cars.
This Woman darts out from between the parked cars on my left dragging a young girl of about 5-6yrs and nearly gets them both cleaned up by 15 tons of bus.

I had only just started to straighten up and was on the throttle, so she was less than 20mts from the lights that have a crossing on them.
Where it would have been safe to cross the road, but no instead she chooses option B to try and get squashed.

If I had hit them of course I would be in the wrong, pointing out that she was right next to the lights doesn`t make any difference to some coppers.
The child couldn`t make her own decision (age).

So how do people expect kids to make the right choice when there parents do moronic things like this.

I guess I may have my answer, Mum in this case is endemically STUPID, and unfortunately the daughter will grow up to be because she has been taught that way.

PS. on the same trip I had a high school girl get off the bus walk 2mts away and then cross the road in front of me.
For anyone who`s never driven a bus this is a hanging offence, people get collected by cars coming round the bus.
I wonder what she will do tomorrow when I tell her she can`t get on the bus, ever.

PPS,
I had a really bad day.
Cheers. Ian.

 

[Kippie]

Mate, I feel for you. You can't legislate against stupidity. The only thing you can do is protect yourself. How about a dash cam. It would provide useful evidence.

 

[Toyasaurus]

Thanks Kippie.
Most of the buses have 10+ cameras inside and out, I know mine has 3 inside I`m not sure about outside though.

Maybe we can`t legislate against it, that`s what Darwin takes care of.
I just feel for the kids.

 

[mikehzz]

People under stress do things that mimic stupidity. Even the smartest of people can do stupid things given the right amount of stress factor.

 

[MrMiller]

Unfortunately common sense just doesn’t exist anymore and you just plain and simply can’t fix stupid!

 

[Komang]

Some people never learn or never never learn.
Yesterday on merging lane a hutcback try to over run and pass me, my ute already ha infront of the hatcback and Iam on the stright lane and it put the accelarator and pass me right the end of mergging lane. Probably who ever drive the hutcback their life not worth a 10 second.

 

[discomatt]

Maybe we can`t legislate against it, that`s what Darwin takes care of.

OH&S took care of that
The dumber society gets the more laws they introduce
The more laws the less we think' and the dumber society gets
The dumber society gets the more the children get dumb down
The more laws we need to keep us safe

It is eveident througout the whole of society, the average punter is a mindless , stupid drone

 

[Albynsw]

OH&S took care of that
The dumber society gets the more laws they introduce
The more laws the less we think' and the dumber society gets
The dumber society gets the more the children get dumb down
The more laws we need to keep us safe

It is eveident througout the whole of society, the average punter is a mindless , stupid drone

I would have to agree with that, I remember as a young bloke on big building sites you had eyes in the back of your head looking out for things that could potentially harm or kill you. The kids on the job these days walk around oblivious to everything, safe in the knowledge they have a piece of paper in their pocket that says the job is safe

 

[mikehzz]

Ok, I have to point somerhing out that's quite unpleasant. This conversation is heading in the direction where we have individuals proposing that society is getting stupid but they themselves are not. I think I need to point out that the reality is we are all "society" and that it's probable that we're all stupid. Society is the cumulative result of all the individuals not just the stupid ones. These days I'm constantly checking myself for stupidity, because it makes sense that dumb people don't actually know that they're dumb so it could be me. Conversely, a stupid society doesn't know it's stupid either. The evidence is found by looking at other countries like the US or Russia, polar opposites both doing extremely stupid things and each government in place and kept there by the collective will of the population. I might be an idiot.

 

[Kippie]

OH&S took care of that
The dumber society gets the more laws they introduce
The more laws the less we think' and the dumber society gets
The dumber society gets the more the children get dumb down
The more laws we need to keep us safe

It is eveident througout the whole of society, the average punter is a mindless , stupid drone

No, the primary objective of OHS laws is to ensure that employers provide a safe workplace. Before they were introduced, if you got hurt or died while at work, it's your problem, even if it were caused by your boss' negligence. Those laws were introduced to protect the workers.

 

[Albynsw]

No, the primary objective of OHS laws is to ensure that employers provide a safe workplace. Before they were introduced, if you got hurt or died while at work, it's your problem, even if it were caused by your boss' negligence. Those laws were introduced to protect the workers.

That is true and absolutely necessary but the bi product is still the same. Look at the law suits these days and how nobody takes responsibility for their actions, it is always someone else’s fault

 

[Rusty Panels]

There's dumb and dumber without doubt. There seems to be more and more stupidity around every day.
Who was it that had a theory about fluoride in the water? Maybe there are side effects after all!

 

[Triton14]

Its a very complex issue, is stupidity inherent & your genes dictate how you will be or is stupidity/common sense something that can be trained into someone??

Funny how even people who are trained professionals still do things that have the untrained scratching your head asking.....................why would you??

Backyard stupid....................

I vividly remember one thing a OH&S instructor told told me on a training course many years ago.

Every second we do an action the mind is(or at least) & should be doing a risk assessment.

Usually these are usually split second decisions but then at times they can be timely & well thought out.

Unfortunately you cant take the humanity out of decision making but you can instil better decision making with continuous training.


Some just wont or cant get it & there are plenty of people who close the front door to go to work or go & do the shopping & never come back & many times its through no fault of their own rather than someone else's stupidity.

 

[discomatt]

Ok, I have to point somerhing out that's quite unpleasant. This conversation is heading in the direction where we have individuals proposing that society is getting stupid but they themselves are not. I think I need to point out that the reality is we are all "society" and that it's probable that we're all stupid. Society is the cumulative result of all the individuals not just the stupid ones. These days I'm constantly checking myself for stupidity, because it makes sense that dumb people don't actually know that they're dumb so it could be me. Conversely, a stupid society doesn't know it's stupid either. The evidence is found by looking at other countries like the US or Russia, polar opposites both doing extremely stupid things and each government in place and kept there by the collective will of the population. I might be an idiot.

I assume you are directly referring to me, yep I can do stupid things, recent times have proven that without question, as all people do stupid things at times
My point was is when you totally get remove individual thought processes by introducing over the top laws people as a group stop thinking and go through life as drones.
society is full of examples on how as a group we are stupid or as a group act like sheep
Whereas when they are broken down to individuals attitude, perception and thought process completely changes

 

[rogerazz]

There is a difference between stupidity and ignorance.
Eg. A handyman using various dangerous tools and doing dangerous work practices, like electrical work,etc., with no real idea of OH&S.

 

[Kippie]

Laws are not to prevent stupidity. Laws are there to protect the rights of people or things (like the environment) who otherwise are the subject of others who have for one way or another a greater sense of entitlement. Without laws we'd have a chaotic society where survival of the fittest strongest prevails. I'm sure none of us want that.

If you disagree with a law or want to establish a new law, then there are processes in our democracy that allow you to do that. But whether or not you're successful depends on your ability to convince the majority.

 

[mikehzz]

I assume you are directly referring to me, yep I can do stupid things, recent times have proven that without question, as all people do stupid things at times
My point was is when you totally get remove individual thought processes by introducing over the top laws people as a group stop thinking and go through life as drones.
society is full of examples on how as a group we are stupid or as a group act like sheep
Whereas when they are broken down to individuals attitude, perception and thought process completely changes

No mate, not specifically you at all. Almost everyone who has posted has assumed that everyone around them is getting more stupid and that they aren't. I was trying to say that we all may be unknowingly sleep walking into a state of stupidity because as a society we're allowing it to happen. I try my best to never have a go at anyone and if you thought so I apologise for the wording. Cheers.

 

[LongRoad2Go]

There's a theory that society needs to march at the speed of the slowest person to keep society functioning and moving forward. Well, there seems no doubt, in the not-too-distant-future, society is going to achieve something quite amazing = total inertia, because I agree, society is getting dumber exponentially.

I reckon it has a lot to do with how kids are raised these days - wrapped in cotton wool by helicopter parents. Let the little shits climb trees, fall and break bones, eat dirt, run with adult type scissors, etc ... learning the hard way through experience and hard work makes better adults and a stronger society.

 

[mikehzz]

 

[Komang]

This arfo a trade swerf to myline. What the hex. I manage look him up before i turn left from the other line.
he’s eating his lunch with big bowl in his lap and spoon on right hand.