| Author |
Message |
    
Buffalojoe
| | Posted on Monday, June 11, 2001 - 1:43 pm: |     |
Good idea, Dave. I was thinking -- We all know my personal little pet peeve about Maplewood and parts of NJ in general is that I find *SOME* of the citizens herein to be a bit...erm...cold. So, a few days ago as I was going about my daily errands in Maplewood, I thought it would be interesting to keep a sort of informal log of my interactions with Maplewoodians. Of course, this may only be interesting to *me* (heh), but I will take advantage of your generosity of space on this board to do so until I am muzzled or otherwise discouraged. This way I, and any others who are interested, can analyze whether I am indeed right in my assessments. It'll also make for an entertaining little slice-of-life vignette of our town. I will, where possible, not give specifics as to the identities of the people with whom I interact, both to protect their privacy and maintain my own. |
Buffalojoe
| | Posted on Monday, June 11, 2001 - 2:03 pm: | |
So. Last Thursday, June 7th. We'll start with a positive experience. I was at a deli in town, and my bill came to $7.51. The cashier/owner told me I owed $7.50, but I gave him $7.51 anyway, as I had the penny in my pocket. He looked at me and said I didn't have to pay the penny, to which I responded that it was OK, but I appreciated his little kindness. This led to a long and friendly discussion about random acts of kindness, the real meaning of "community", how people need to be generous of spirit in their daily lives, etc. I left the deli with a spring in my step and a smile on my face.
Now, the bad news: About an hour later, I was attempting to turn left onto Baker St. from Valley Street. Just before the left-turn arrow came on, an ambulance came barrelling up behind me, lights and sirens ablaze, also wanting to turn left. I, of course, immediately swung to the right to let the ambulance go first (heroic, I know). Once the ambulance had passed, I still had a couple seconds left on the arrow, but, to my horror, I saw that the drivers coming from the other direction had decided to take advantage of my having moved out of the ambulance's way, and were driving straight through the intersection, despite the fact that I still had the arrow. No one would let me turn left. Obviously, this is not a major crime against humanity, but it is these little unkindnesses that diminish us, I think. What especially bothers me is the self-importance and thoughtlessness involved, and I see this a lot here -- people seeing an opportunity to get ahead, so to speak, at the expense of their neighbors. Cutting in line, turning left into parking spots on Maplewood Avenue, not stopping at crosswalks...all these actions indicate a selfishness and lack of concern for others and community. |
Tracks
| | Posted on Monday, June 11, 2001 - 4:01 pm: | |
Those drivers must have been from towns other than Maplewood or South Orange. |
Evm
| | Posted on Monday, June 11, 2001 - 6:54 pm: | |
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz |
Eggman
| | Posted on Monday, June 11, 2001 - 8:38 pm: | |
Evm - Show Buffy some courtesy.
Bravo Buffy! You are the first person to write a member profile! You are braver than I am. |
Harold
| | Posted on Monday, June 11, 2001 - 9:29 pm: | |
Those drivers must have been from towns other than Maplewood or South Orange????? Only "perfect" people here!!! |
Mimosa
| | Posted on Monday, June 11, 2001 - 10:36 pm: | |
Hey Buff...gotta agree with ya on the self importance of many drivers around here...NJ in general? Well, maybe. Although I've seen worse on the Capital Beltway.
This brings up a question. Many times I'll be coming from the South Orange direction on Ridgewood Rd. and want to turn left onto Baker. Someone will be at that flashing stoplight on Baker (coming from town) and as I signal and slow down to turn left, they pull out in front of me to turn left onto Ridgewood. This also happens a lot on Maplewood Ave. As I am coming down the Ave.from Walton and want to turn left onto Parker, drivers who are stopped on Parker pull out in front of me to cut me off and turn left onto Maplewood Ave. When I react with indignation (honk) they gesture with their arm like I have some kind of problem. Don't I have the right of way in these situations? Sure, if there is a lot of traffic I might gesture for them to go ahead, but I'd like the chance to make the offer, not have it grabbed like it's their right. I am getting paranoid.
Sorry to go on for so long on your page. |
Buffalojoe
| | Posted on Monday, June 11, 2001 - 11:45 pm: | |
I like this "Buffy" nickname, make me feel like slaying some vampires and knocking off clever one-liners.
Anyone else notice the irony of EVM's post, contextually? What a meanie-pants. I wonder if Dave will ever implement a bozo filter.
In the interest of fairness (and to once again prove that I MAY be wrong, or, as someone else has suggested, am focusing on the negative) I should report that everyone I came into contact with today was lovely and pleasant. I spent most of my day in the eastern half of Maplewood and near CHS in S.O.
So, to stir up a little controversy: In your experience, are rich people meaner than poor people? Obviously we can't make universal statements or overreaching generalities, I'm sure there are plenty of rude poor people and nice-as-pie richies, but -- does being poor engender a stronger sense of empathy? |
Buffalojoe
| | Posted on Monday, June 11, 2001 - 11:50 pm: | |
>Sure, if there is a lot of traffic I
might gesture for them to go ahead, but I'd like the chance to make the offer, not
have it grabbed like it's their right.
Ah, one of my favorite subjects -- entitlement. This ties together nicely with my rich/poor question above. How does one come into a sense of entitlement? Maybe the thing I feel entitled to is the kindness of my community. |
Bobk
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 12, 2001 - 8:30 am: | |
Uhm, Buffalojoe, I hate to break this to you but CHS is in Maplewood, not South Orange. Also Valley Street isn't exactly the "eastside of town" nor do most who live around there consider themselves poor. |
Njjoseph
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 12, 2001 - 8:58 am: | |
Uhm, Bobk, (and Buffy certainly doesn't need me to speak for her), she didn't say exactly what you think she said. She said she was in the eastern part of town AND near CHS. In addition, I think she misplaced her modifier (she'll correct me if I'm wrong), and meant to say she was "in So. Orange near CHS." |
Bobk
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 12, 2001 - 9:35 am: | |
My normal reaction when seeing anything that says eastside or westside is kinda like a bull with a red cape. |
Buffalojoe
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 12, 2001 - 10:05 am: | |
Thanks, NJ, you're right, of course. I misplaced my modifier. That's what I get for posting late at night. Let's see -- I was near Pathmark in S.O. Better?
Also, I can see how my rich/poor question, coming as it did on the heels of my comment that I had spent time on the East side of Maplewood, could've been interpreted as me saying I think Eastsiders are poor. I do not think that. But, as to the ES/WS Question -- I am bothered that there is a disparity, I am bothered by the rift (and it *does* exist). |
Mem
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 12, 2001 - 10:24 am: | |
I always thought Evm had mean looking pants. |
Librarylady
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 12, 2001 - 12:32 pm: | |
Besides, part of Columbia H.S. IS in So. Orange ( at least part of the athletic field on Valley near Blimpies!)East Side, West Side , All Around the Town(s)... |
Bobk
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 12, 2001 - 2:36 pm: | |
Librarylady:
Details, details, the devil is in the details
 |
Willfalaise1
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 13, 2001 - 8:06 pm: | |
But if you still had the arrow at that intersection the people coming from the other direction would have had a red light. Are you saying they ran a red light to prevent you from making your left turn? That's not rude, it's illegal. Did you get plate numbers? |
Buffalojoe
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 13, 2001 - 9:08 pm: | |
Yes, they had a red light, and yes, it was illegal. I certainly didn't have time to get liscense plate numbers -- and what would I have done with them if I had? Anything I pursued would've been hearsay. |
Dave
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 13, 2001 - 9:24 pm: | |
You could post it here and MetaCops Unlimited will take care of everything.
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Willfalaise1
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 13, 2001 - 11:54 pm: | |
Yes, perhaps my fantasies of calling in plate numbers and making citizen arrests are a bit far-fetched!
I guess it just seems worth a phone call to the police if multiple people ran a red light like that. Are we talking about 2, 5, 8? Because at that light it's not like they would have even been running through the tail end of a yellow. It would have been red the whole time from the start of your arrow to the end. |
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