Please drivers: don't assume things when you pull up to the fuel island

That point of view is becoming more rare these days.

 

It matters greatly and it is FAR harder to behave respectfully and courteously when one has not received such. Of course it's doable, but much less likely to happen. Poor behavior begets poor behavior, and positivity begets the same.

 

No it doesn't. It only gives those who want to act that way an excuse to do so, under the guise that that's how they were treated

And I'm not excusing myself, BTW. I act ridiculous all too often

 

Does that mean if someone cuts you off or acts rudely, you will do the same to someone else?

Your statement does not hold much water, because people don't just repeat the treatment they are given.
I am not rude to people on the road, even though people treat me rudely. It is simply not my way.

I guess it is the whole nurture vs nature argument, right?
Are you the way you are because of who you really are, or because you were shaped into that by your circumstances.

Both are true to some degree, but the true nature of a person (I think) will always win out over the nurturing effects of the environment.

 

You don't think so? OK, let's put this to the test.

Next time a DOT officer tells you that you're a little heavy on the drives, tell him it's because his ol' lady is in the sleeper - and then ask if you can have a warning instead of a ticket.

 

"You have to give respect to get respect"

"You have to get respect to give respect"

Both statements are true, but are mutually exclusive. If you never get respect, you can never give it, but if you never give respect, you can never get it.

In this case, the OP got bent out of shape that the driver behind them got bent out of shape. Then the OP got bent out of shape because of the responses he got to a post seeking sympathy.

Let's Roshomon this from the perspective of the "bowed up driver" - let's call him Tim. Tim has been sitting behind a truck 'camping' on the fuel island for 20 minutes and circumstances have made backing out and heading for a different pump a less than desirable option. Tim is frustrated and walks up to the truck that he believes is camping on the fuel island and says "DUDE, what is the ISSUE". Daisy responds with a vitriolic "the pump is locked out"; Tim goes back to his truck and looks for an opportunity to switch fuel lanes. When Tim sees Daisy finally gets the pumps turned on, he rues the tone he used in the initial interaction, but Daisy interprets the look as getting the 'side eye' and goes to post a rant on the internet about the interaction.

When Daisy realized it was going to take a second visit to the fuel desk it's a simple thing to take a 30 second detour to the truck behind him to explain what's going on. It costs Daisy NOTHING, but creates an atmosphere of mutual respect. He might never have received such a courtesy, but that doesn't prevent him from giving it - particularly when he is frustrated by circumstances outside of his control.

 

Folks do seem to be calmer when they are in the know….

 

I got to the TA in Denver today. The keypad was messing up so I had to go in to get the pump turned on.
No wait in line, right in and out. But it does happen that sometimes things get mucked up.

If I was walking on a broken toe, I would also not walk back to try and explain things.

And if I was the driver behind you, being held up by you, I could either walk up to you to inquire what the hold up was or I could back up a bit and choose a different pump. Or I could just wait until you did your business.

 

But you might motion to the driver behind you, that there is an issue with the pump. Point at the pump, a finger across your throat, indicating it's screwed up, or similar. No personal interaction is needed. Some might call it a courtesy.