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> I stopped and asked her what if I hit her? Why not stop and ask if she needed a ride somewhere? You might even have made the world a better place than stoppi

> I stopped and asked her what if I hit her? Why not stop and ask if she needed a ride somewhere? You might even have made the world a better place than stopping to hurl abuse at a mother and child. For bonus points, try slowing down and passing pedestrians when it is safe to do so.

WalterBright 7y ago
I didn't hurl abuse at her. I hope if you have kids you tell them not to play in the road, even if it would be the car's fault if they were hit. I recall a public service commercial from the 1960s where they suggested that all parties on the road pay attention, even when they have the right-of-way. The catchphrase was "don't be DEAD right".
- VBprogrammer 7y ago
  Stopping to lecture an adult in public is rarely well received. Had you instead said "hey, this is a dangerous road to walk on, would you like a lift to the end?" The chances are that she would have refused but your chances that she took something away from the conversation would have been much higher.
  - WalterBright 7y ago
    > Stopping to lecture an adult in public is rarely well received. Yup. On the other hand, I did some foolish things on the road myself when I was younger, and got an angry lecture from a stranger. I didn't take it well at first, but eventually realized he was right and I changed my ways. > your chances Maybe. Or maybe offering her a lift would have raised her suspicion that I had something other than her welfare in mind, and my point would have been lost. As it happened, when I said that suing me wouldn't have helped if she was dead, her look of surprise at that indicated I had made a point.
  - loco5niner 7y ago
    > Stopping to lecture an adult in public is rarely well received. I imagine the people who need a lecture in public are the same ones who do not receive feedback/advice very well. This is a problem on the receiving end. > "hey, this is a dangerous road to walk on, would you like a lift to the end?" You are advising an adult male to offer a ride to an adult female who he is a stranger to? She doesn't know him from Adam and should NOT accept that offer. Not walking in the middle of the road and not accepting rides from strangers are things people should be taught as children.
    - VBprogrammer 7y ago
      If I felt it was so dangerous that I needed to stop and offer unsolicited advice to someone I didn't know, I would feel responsible for their safety if I didn't offer them a lift. Besides, a world where well intentioned people self-censor themselves from being kind to strangers is a bit self-fulfilling isn't it? Driving your 2 ton metal box in a way which doesn't endanger the lives of others, especially children, would also be a good lesson to teach to children. In fact since it is a vastly more real danger than "stranger danger" it probably do more good.
      - loco5niner 7y ago
        > If I felt it was so dangerous that I needed to stop and offer unsolicited advice... The situation was not dangerous, her actions were dangerous. > Driving your 2 ton metal box in a way which doesn't endanger the lives of others, especially children, would also be a good lesson to teach to children Absolutely. And this is NOT the case here. > In fact since it is a vastly more real danger than "stranger danger" it probably do more good. Why not both?
        VBprogrammer 7y ago
        > The situation was not dangerous, her actions were dangerous. A situation cannot be simultaneously dangerous and not dangerous. Perhaps her actions caused the situation to be dangerous but surely you wouldn't hold that against her child? I say this as someone who rides motorcycles, drives a car and even a Japanese import campervan, the driver of a vehicle is the one in charge of a potentially lethal machine. One of the first lessons you should learn as a driver is to be able to stop in the distance you can see to be clear ahead, if you do that then the chances of having to swearve to avoid people walking in the lane or having to think about the consequence of killing a mother and child are practically nil. That is what I mean by driving responsibly. Anyway, I fear the cultural gulf here is too great.
loco5niner 7y ago
> stopping to hurl abuse How can you possibly call "I stopped and asked her what if I hit her?" abuse?
- VBprogrammer 7y ago
  The part where he all but threatened to kill her with his 2 ton box for having the indecency to go about her life.
  - loco5niner 7y ago
    You've got to be trolling here. He didn't threaten her at all. He informed her that her previous actions could have gotten her and her child killed. Hopefully she listened and will be more careful in the future.

WalterBright 7y ago

I didn't hurl abuse at her. I hope if you have kids you tell them not to play in the road, even if it would be the car's fault if they were hit. I recall a public service commercial from the 1960s where they suggested that all parties on the road pay attention, even when they have the right-of-way. The catchphrase was "don't be DEAD right".

VBprogrammer 7y ago
Stopping to lecture an adult in public is rarely well received. Had you instead said "hey, this is a dangerous road to walk on, would you like a lift to the end?" The chances are that she would have refused but your chances that she took something away from the conversation would have been much higher.
- WalterBright 7y ago
  > Stopping to lecture an adult in public is rarely well received. Yup. On the other hand, I did some foolish things on the road myself when I was younger, and got an angry lecture from a stranger. I didn't take it well at first, but eventually realized he was right and I changed my ways. > your chances Maybe. Or maybe offering her a lift would have raised her suspicion that I had something other than her welfare in mind, and my point would have been lost. As it happened, when I said that suing me wouldn't have helped if she was dead, her look of surprise at that indicated I had made a point.
- loco5niner 7y ago
  > Stopping to lecture an adult in public is rarely well received. I imagine the people who need a lecture in public are the same ones who do not receive feedback/advice very well. This is a problem on the receiving end. > "hey, this is a dangerous road to walk on, would you like a lift to the end?" You are advising an adult male to offer a ride to an adult female who he is a stranger to? She doesn't know him from Adam and should NOT accept that offer. Not walking in the middle of the road and not accepting rides from strangers are things people should be taught as children.
  - VBprogrammer 7y ago
    If I felt it was so dangerous that I needed to stop and offer unsolicited advice to someone I didn't know, I would feel responsible for their safety if I didn't offer them a lift. Besides, a world where well intentioned people self-censor themselves from being kind to strangers is a bit self-fulfilling isn't it? Driving your 2 ton metal box in a way which doesn't endanger the lives of others, especially children, would also be a good lesson to teach to children. In fact since it is a vastly more real danger than "stranger danger" it probably do more good.
    - loco5niner 7y ago
      > If I felt it was so dangerous that I needed to stop and offer unsolicited advice... The situation was not dangerous, her actions were dangerous. > Driving your 2 ton metal box in a way which doesn't endanger the lives of others, especially children, would also be a good lesson to teach to children Absolutely. And this is NOT the case here. > In fact since it is a vastly more real danger than "stranger danger" it probably do more good. Why not both?
      - VBprogrammer 7y ago
        > The situation was not dangerous, her actions were dangerous. A situation cannot be simultaneously dangerous and not dangerous. Perhaps her actions caused the situation to be dangerous but surely you wouldn't hold that against her child? I say this as someone who rides motorcycles, drives a car and even a Japanese import campervan, the driver of a vehicle is the one in charge of a potentially lethal machine. One of the first lessons you should learn as a driver is to be able to stop in the distance you can see to be clear ahead, if you do that then the chances of having to swearve to avoid people walking in the lane or having to think about the consequence of killing a mother and child are practically nil. That is what I mean by driving responsibly. Anyway, I fear the cultural gulf here is too great.

loco5niner 7y ago

> stopping to hurl abuse How can you possibly call "I stopped and asked her what if I hit her?" abuse?

VBprogrammer 7y ago
The part where he all but threatened to kill her with his 2 ton box for having the indecency to go about her life.
- loco5niner 7y ago
  You've got to be trolling here. He didn't threaten her at all. He informed her that her previous actions could have gotten her and her child killed. Hopefully she listened and will be more careful in the future.