You don’t drink, don’t smoke…What do you do?
Last Saturday, I biked to the local field house to run on the indoor track. The track overlooks the gymnasium floor, where some sort of martial arts competition was in progress.
On the stairs leading up to the track, there’s a neon orange sign posted: NO SPORTS VIEWING FROM TRACK. Encircling the track are multiple signs reminding patrons of the same rule.
I ran two miles before a man with a camera ascended the stairs and lingered at the edge of the track. On my next lap, I shot him a look. Don’t come any closer.
Two laps later, he moved onto the track itself, but stayed in the outermost lane as he peered over the rail, down into the gym. I looked at him each time I passed him, but kept quiet.
Two laps after that, he edged up to the middle lane – right next to one of the posted signs. I couldn’t help myself anymore; the next time I passed him, I pointed at the sign and puffed, “The sign says not to do that!” Not very specific, I know, but I was out of breath and moving fast.
On my next lap, I came around the corner to find him standing in the innermost lane, leaning over the rail with his camera. He backed up when he saw me coming, but I’d had enough. I stopped right in front of him, again right next to one of the posted signs.
“Do I need to go downstairs and have the staff ask you to leave the track?” I glared at him.
He glared back. “What are you talking about?”
“There’s no viewing from the track! Read the signs!” I told him, pointing at the sign not a foot away from his head.
“I didn’t see that!” he protested.
“They’re everywhere!” I countered. “Besides, we’re trying to run” – I gestured to the other woman on the track – “and you’re getting in the way!”
I turned away and started running again.
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I’m a rule-follower.
I drive down the rows of parking lots instead of cutting through, always in the right direction. I never try to sneak twelve items through the 10-or-less express checkout lane. I board the aircraft only when my row has been called.
I stay out of the left lane unless I’m passing. I turn out the lights when I leave a room. I don’t even own a pair of white shoes or pants, but if I did, I wouldn’t wear them after Labor Day.
I don’t talk to the bus driver or subway operator while in motion. I pay the appropriate price of admission for all of my children. I am a car seat Nazi.
Yeah, you could probably say that I’m a goody-goody.
But for the most part, my rule-following proclivities are based on courtesy – with the possible exception of the wearing-white-after-Labor-Day business. I don’t like it when other people think that the rules don’t apply to them, so I make an effort to know and observe them myself.
Sure, I flaunt the rules now and then. You’ll catch me with a latte in hand when the sign says NO FOOD OR DRINK, and I definitely consider speed limits to be rough guidelines (except in residential areas). But if you catch me, I’ll apologize. I’ll act contrite. I’ll probably even feel bad about what I did, not just about getting caught.
It’s the nitwits who think that all rules are mere suggestions, or meant for everyone EXCEPT them, that bring out the junior high hall monitor in me. Most of the time, I can control my busybody tattletale impulses – after all, does it really matter if someone ten rows back boards the plane before me, or if the person in line ahead of me has a few extra items?
But when you mess with my triathlon training (however off track it’s gotten) don’t expect me to look – or run – the other way.
July 29th, 2008 at 5:10 am
I am the same way. And my husband is a total rule-breaker. We drive each other crazy all the time. It’s really hard to find a happy medium when I feel AWFUL when we don’t follow the rules and he feels I’m totally unreasonable because rules are just suggestions. And how to find a common ground on which to raise our children? Damned if I know.
July 29th, 2008 at 6:29 am
Oh that gets a big ME TOO. I’m not as good at speaking up about it as you are, though.
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July 29th, 2008 at 6:42 am
You would have been proud of me yesterday while in traffic, I prevented two cars from cutting ahead of the turning lane just because they felt that the rules against driving on the shoulder didn’t apply to them. I would have smiled harder if the cops had been there. BTW – I have the hardest time “breaking” rules, even silly ones – that my friend, is just one more reason why we get along.
motherbumpers last blog post..Paging Ms. White, your indignation is ready
July 29th, 2008 at 11:18 am
Amen, Sister! I also follow the rules for games, too, and get lots of eye rolls.
Just because he says he didn’t see the sign does not mean the rule does not apply to him. Ignorance is no defense if you break a law. And, it’s common curtesy he was ignoring as well. People like that drive me crazy.
caramamas last blog post..Some Babies Just Fidget
July 29th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Yep me too. (Nodding through the entire post.) My two exceptions are speeding, although that’s mostly on highways and sneaking food into movie theater. I’m wild, I know.
It always bugs me when people act like they didn’t see the HUGE signs. Like if they profess to not not having seen it, that it somehow makes it okay for them to stay.
Issas last blog post..I swear the bitch was judging me
July 29th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
I am totally the same way – way to go for pointing it out to that guy. I probably would have just kept getting more and more annoyed.
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July 29th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
I’m right there with you. My current pet peeve is when people park going the wrong direction. Because they’re too lazy to turn around and park going with traffic OR just park on the right side of the street. Sheesh. Good for you for saying something.
Caras last blog post..A Pound of Flesh
July 30th, 2008 at 6:31 am
Ahh, the rules, they are so comforting, aren’t they? I felt like you were describing me in this post (with the exception of the exercising, of course).
Assertagirls last blog post..Gone veggie.
July 30th, 2008 at 8:20 am
I am not a total rule follower. I will see what I can get away with and I would have been on the track with the guy.
Just being honest.
Karens last blog post..Back to the WWC
July 30th, 2008 at 9:58 am
We are very similar in a lot of ways I think. I remember going with my friend to a playplace (not at a fast food place) and it had a sign that said “no strollers allowed inside play area”. So, I took my 2 year old in and held my two babies in my arms while I watched her play because it wasn’t allowed for me to bring the stroller in. My friend just looked at me and rolled her eyes. She eventually brought my stroller in and forced me to put the babies in there. I am not good at breaking rules because I felt totally uncomfortable about that, and it was sort of a silly rule for me to try to follow in the first place!
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July 30th, 2008 at 10:04 am
I must admit I am with you on the rule following thing. Must be good Midwestern values
I think that before I started tri training I wouldn’t have spoken up but now–watch out!
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July 30th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
There is little that ticks me off more than people who think the rules don’t apply to them. I do whatever I can to prevent them from benefitting…if I can do it without major confrontation of course. ‘Cuz I’m from Minnesota ya know, and we’re NICE here.
Darn it.
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August 1st, 2008 at 10:50 am
This post really struck a chord with me. Rule breaking is really a pet peeve of mine.
The one that really gets me worked up is the parking lot at my son’s school. The parking lot has one two lane entry way and signs everywhere saying not to park in the exit lane and yet EVERY day (except when the bicycle cop is on duty) there is a long line of cars parked in the exit lane even though there are empty parking spaces in the lot.
So the traffic is down to one lane for entering and exiting the lot. Add to that the crosswalk that all of the kids have to use to get to the parking lot goes right through that one lane that all the cars are trying to go in and out of. It’s a safety hazard and it ticks me off that those parents don’t care enough for the safety of their kids to park in the lot like they should. I’ve talked to the school about it and they haven’t done anything.
Ok, I didn’t mean to write a book. I guess maybe I should post about this on my own blog sometime.
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