When natural selection fails

[Tsa`ah]

I'm driving down University this morning to meet my wife for a late breakfast and there really isn't much of anything to call traffic. The light turns yellow as I get about 10 ft from one of the hospital intersections. It's a four lane road, two lanes each direction ... and on the opposite corner there's some building construction and they have cones all along the curb reducing the oncoming to one (and 1/3) lanes.

Now there's a car right up my ass with his left turn signal on indicating he's going to move over to the empty lane but not really making a visible attempt to get over (I assume it's because he's coming up on an intersection and it's a violation to change lanes in said intersection) ... and there's a guy on the curb to the right of me on the other side of the intersection.

Knowing I can't slam on the brakes and make the stop without an Audi trying to make babies with my Cherokee, I obviously make the decision to proceed through the intersection since it would be hazardous to stop.

Now the light is still yellow as I get to the intersection and the guy on the curb points to the opposite left hand signal ... and starts WALKING into the intersection while my light is yellow and I'm committed.

The cross walks have timers on them to let pedestrians know how long they have to wait for a safe signal. His signal had turned to zilch ... but had not given him the happy walking guy BECAUSE the cross traffic signal had JUST turned red ... making both intersections RED for the standard 2 count in order to give committed traffic time to clear.

So this tard starts walking through the intersection pointing at his DO NOT WALK signal with a zero count ... and starts looking at me (who is driving at 30 mph and getting ready to hit the brakes as to not make a road pizza) and then pointing to me in anger.

Now if you want to make a point ... it's probably best not to do it as a pedestrian against a vehicle that weighs in well over a ton.

So at this point I'm slamming on my brakes and cranking the wheel to the left .... as an oncoming vehicles saw the yellow light and accelerated to make the make the light and his turn ... and is attempting to turn into me as I'm avoiding a retard in the intersection. I veer back to the right, missing the oncoming car but smack the retard with the quarter panel in front of my rear tire ... the car behind me was also forced into the same maneuver and tapped the retard as he (the Audi) came to a stop ... sending the tard (who was spinning from the clip) to a rolling mass of tard west bound on University.

Now I was only doing about 5mph when I clipped him, so I imagine him meeting the front end of the Audi was nothing more than a tap.

Of course everyone stops and rushes to the guy. I'm the second person there and he's already back on his feet. He's got some nice asphalt induced scrapes down one side of his face. His shirt got caught in my rear passenger side window trim (thus the spin as it yanked and ripped it) ... and he's swatting people away while swearing at everyone.

When he realizes that the two drivers that made contact with him are there ... he descends into a torrent of threats, everything from bodily harm to financial ruin.

I'm just concerned with his well being at this point and so is the other guy that tapped him. The ER entrance is literally within spitting distance and this guy won't go.

There was an Urbana cop waiting for his light a few cars deep who actually saw everything. He was there as well, urging the man to either sit down and wait for a stretcher or wheel chair.

Then the guy launches into making demands of the officer. He wants both of us arrested. He wants us ticketed for "blowing" a red light. He wants a field sobriety test because we're obviously drunk or under the influence ... he just won't shut the fuck up and get to the damn ER.

The cop tells us (the drivers) to get our cars off the road as he tries to get the man out of the intersection and into the ER. Well we got our cars onto the side street and parked ... and the cop is still trying to get the man out of the intersection so traffic can start moving again. Two nurses come out of the ER with a stretcher and wait at the intersection for the cop and the tard (cop won't let them into the intersection).

There there we are (drivers and two nurses) on the corner and this guy won't shut the fuck up with his demands) and keeps insisting the cop "do his fucking job" and arrest us. At that point it was obvious that the cop was at his limit when he said "Ok sir, do you want me to do my job?" as he was reaching for his mace.

It was a funny exchange.

"I want you to do your fucking job you fucking idiot!"

"You want me to do my job sir?!" (reaching for the mace)

"Are you fucking deaf ... yes ... do your fucking job!"

"Sir, if you don't get your ass out of this intersection and on to that stretcher, I will subdue you with mace, cuff you, and then drag you to the stretcher. I will then let the staff attend to you as I place you under arrest ... there will be no more demands ... not another word .... go now."

"Are you fu .... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" (officer applies the mace, then the cuffs ... and yes, drags the man 4ft to the nurses.)

For an hour the cop, and two others, took statements from witnesses, us, and the tard ... and then they put him in the back of a squad car after he was released from the ER.

The kicker was that as they were arresting him, they were also issuing him ticket for jay walking and charging him with public endangerment (hence the arrest).

The cop that was on the scene said he would testify that there was no wrong doing on my part and issued a warning to the guy driving the Audi for tail gaiting.

What's even funnier ... the retard was a hospital administrator. He figured out that my wife was one of his colleagues and made the dumbest move of his professional career by threatening me with my wife's job.

I hate to say it, but it's unfortunate that natural selection didn't kick in because this guy is probably going to drag me to court.

[AnticorRifling]

That's awesome.

Hopefully this works out, and I think it will.

[Asha]

He has no grounds so don't worry.
He'll lose his job and probably be charged. Enjoy the show.

That cop sounds awesome.

[CrystalTears]

Jaywalking. Awesomeness. More of that needs to happen to these self-righteous pedestrians who feel that they always have the right of way.

[Khariz]

Ethnicity of the Tard please?

[Tsa`ah]

All parties involved were white by appearance.

[Khariz]

All parties involved were white by appearance.

Color me shocked. Yes, I know I'm a racist.

[Gan]

The cop in that story performed superbly.

The jaywalker is a fucking idiot.

[Khariz]

The cop in that story performed superbly.

The jaywalker is a fucking idiot.

Oh yes, I forgot to say that. I am very impressed by the cop.

[Celephais]

Where's that The Onion post of "Stay out of the fucking road"

[RichardCranium]

Did he kick off his shoes in a fit of joy?

[Skeeter]

You will probably get your ass handed to you in Civil court.

[Khariz]

You will probably get your ass handed to you in Civil court.

I doubt it. Entering an intersection during a yellow light is not even neligence per se. At least in my state.

[Lucas]

Jaywalking. Awesomeness. More of that needs to happen to these self-righteous pedestrians who feel that they always have the right of way.

They do. Under the law they can throw themselves at your vehicle and you would be liable.

[CrystalTears]

They do. Under the law they can throw themselves at your vehicle and you would be liable.
Uh, not if they're jaywalking.

[Some Rogue]

Man, I thought with this thread title this was going to be about Lysander/Ashlander/Lucas/etc.

I r disappointed.

[Khariz]

Oh yeah, about that...how did natural selection fail? I missed that part.

We had an idiot getting pwned. Isn't that how Natural Selection is supposed to work?

[g++]

Uh, not if they're jaywalking.

Welcome to Maryland, where contributory negligence does not exist.

http://www.courts.state.md.us/opinions/coa/2003/7a02.pdf

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

Oh yeah, about that...how did natural selection fail? I missed that part.

We had an idiot getting pwned. Isn't that how Natural Selection is supposed to work?

He's still able to breed. :(

[Celephais]

Oh yeah, about that...how did natural selection fail? I missed that part.

We had an idiot getting pwned. Isn't that how Natural Selection is supposed to work?
The idiot lived.

[Khariz]

Oh, right! I was concentrating so hard on him getting PWNED, that I forgot he didn't die!

[Celephais]

Oh, right! I was concentrating so hard on him getting PWNED, that I forgot he didn't die!
Maybe natural selection is toying with him. Even better maybe the quarter panel clipped his nuts and he'll never have kids again... which is a pretty good outcome.

[Clove]

Welcome to Maryland, where contributory negligence does not exist.

http://www.courts.state.md.us/opinions/coa/2003/7a02.pdfOh it exists alright, but according to that opinion violation of a statute is only evidence of negligence and doesn't constitute negligence by itself. And to a certain extent the opinion makes sense. What if your reverse light burns out while you pull out of your parking space on your way home? Are you being negligent by not having your vehicle towed to the nearest garage and taking a cab home, and instead proceed directly home in your vehicle with its faulty reverse lights? Would you be negligent if you were driving around with the faulty reverse lights a month later? In my mind you may be breaking a statute in both instances, but you're really only being negligent in the second.

[g++]

Oh it exists alright, but according to that opinion violation of a statute is only evidence of negligence and doesn't constitute negligence by itself. And to a certain extent the opinion makes sense. What if your reverse light burns out while you pull out of your parking space on your way home? Are you being negligent by not having your vehicle towed to the nearest garage and taking a cab home, and instead proceed directly home in your vehicle with its faulty reverse lights? Would you be negligent if you were driving around with the faulty reverse lights a month later? In my mind you may be breaking a statute in both instances, but you're really only being negligent in the second.


I dont know. The point was just because your jay walking doesnt mean you cant sue people. This women scored the judgement here and managed to settle with the guy who ran into her while she was crossing illegally and its been cited in other cases where negligent people have been injured since. Honestly if your breaking a law on its face and as a result an accident occurs and a judge is not allowed to rule it contributory negligence, when does it exist?

[Itachi]

Good show.

[mgoddess]

Man, I thought with this thread title this was going to be about Lysander/Ashlander/Lucas/etc.

I r disappointed.

I'm disappointed too... but at least the story was amusing as fuck.

By chance Tsa'ah, you don't live in the Champaign-Urbana area in Illinois, do you? You mentioned an Urbana cop, and an ER right next to a bunch of construction on a road named University... which is eerily similar to around the area here (I live in CU, which is why I'm asking).

[grenthor]

Clearly, this program has not begun in Marlyand (i think that's where the OP said he's from)

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/new_get_the_fuck_outta_the_road

[Some Rogue]

I'm disappointed too... but at least the story was amusing as fuck.

By chance Tsa'ah, you don't live in the Champaign-Urbana area in Illinois, do you? You mentioned an Urbana cop, and an ER right next to a bunch of construction on a road named University... which is eerily similar to around the area here (I live in CU, which is why I'm asking).

He does and I used to. :yes:

[mgoddess]

He does and I used to. :yes:

Well holy shit... small world moment. LOL

[Clove]

I dont know. The point was just because your jay walking doesnt mean you cant sue people. This women scored the judgement here and managed to settle with the guy who ran into her while she was crossing illegally and its been cited in other cases where negligent people have been injured since. Honestly if your breaking a law on its face and as a result an accident occurs and a judge is not allowed to rule it contributory negligence, when does it exist?Regardless of the outcome of the case, if I read the opinion correctly they simply allowed the plaintiff to proceed with a civil suit. The jury could have found her negligent after hearing the case or (as it sounds from your report) they could refuse to find her negligent. The Maryland court simply says you can't find someone negligent based entirely on the fact that they broke a law.

As in my original example, let's suppose it is illegal to operate a vehicle without working reverse lights. I go to the grocery store and my reverse lights burn out in the parking lot. I don't have my car towed to a garage and take a cab home because I'm not even aware that my lights are burnt out (but it doesn't change the fact that I'm breaking a law). Instead I drive straight home. As I pull into my space, I back up to straighten out and another car smacks into me. Was I being negligent?

Now the same accident except this time it can be proven that I was aware the reverse lights weren't for several weeks and had no plans to repair them. Am I being negligent then?

I'm not saying that circumstances like this hypothetical exist for every law that can be broken, but I think it illustrates how a person can be breaking a law without really being negligent and why the courts in Maryland hold the opinion that violating a statute is evidence of negligence but not a guarantee of negligence. Negligence depends on more circumstances than that alone.

That's all.

[Clove]

Oh and I don't know about natural selection. I'm soft hearted that way, I don't really like to see people die for being moderately stupid.

This is stupid enough to die over (too bad he didn't) http://www.darwinawards.com/stupid/stupid2007-06.html


But I hate assholes and I'm glad Tsa'ah tapped this one. I hope he broke a finger or a toe or loses a tooth or something as a result.

[Tsa`ah]

By chance Tsa'ah, you don't live in the Champaign-Urbana area in Illinois, do you? You mentioned an Urbana cop, and an ER right next to a bunch of construction on a road named University... which is eerily similar to around the area here (I live in CU, which is why I'm asking).

My wife earned her PhD from UIUC, both of us moved to the campus town area after I graduated from ISU ... and she from Wesleyan a year later. We lived in Savoy until a few years ago. Now we live NE (not quite an hour) from CU ... the wife works for the Carle Foundation/Pavilion.

This is one of those situations where you don't feel a bit of pity for the person and actually come to feel vindicated for a time.

Now I feel like shit. Though I didn't know it at the time, this guy was having an emotional/psychological break down. Granted this is all second party hearsay from my wife ...

The guy's four year old daughter had just received a second opinion diagnosis. Three weeks earlier a growth/tumor had been discovered on her hip and had been diagnosed as malignant. The second opinion discovered that it was fibrous and she had been given a shelf life at that point (how long I don't know).

The man had decided that day to take an indefinite leave of absence. The board wanted the proper forms filled out (they hadn't denied it) before he left. From my wife .... everything that could go wrong did. His local network was down, the fax and his office was out of toner ... so he had to drive to the hospital (records department is attached to the hospital via catwalk crossing University), couldn't find a parking spot closer than two blocks ... and at that point lost it.

So I clipped a man, and felt some what good about it afterward, while he was in the midst of a breakdown and facing the reality of seeing his own child die at a very young age.

[Parkbandit]

God.. that sucks.

Sorry Tsa'ah :( (and no, this isn't sarcastic.. it's heartfelt)

[TheEschaton]

Wow. That sucks for that guy.

[g++]

Yeesh if he wasnt so angry you hit him Id guess he was hoping you would do him a favor.

[diethx]

That really does suck, poor guy. You shouldn't feel bad, though, you didn't make him walk in front of your car like a nutbag.

[Stanley Burrell]

My wife earned her PhD from UIUC, both of us moved to the campus town area after I graduated from ISU ... and she from Wesleyan a year later. We lived in Savoy until a few years ago. Now we live NE (not quite an hour) from CU ... the wife works for the Carle Foundation/Pavilion.

I have nothing to contribute other than stating that Wesleyan is what would happen if SUNY Purchase weren't safeguarded by the narcotics task force.

[diethx]

if SUNY Purchase weren't safeguarded by the narcotics task force.

ROFL, uh huh, DRUG FREE CAMPUS YO.

[Celephais]

Yeah don't feel bad, it doesn't change your circumstances, no matter what was happening in his life doesn't make it your fault.

It does suck though, and it's got to be hard not to feel bad, but good luck (sincerely), on not letting it affect you.

[Methais]

I'm driving down University this morning to meet my wife for a late breakfast and there really isn't much of anything to call traffic. The light turns yellow as I get about 10 ft from one of the hospital intersections. It's a four lane road, two lanes each direction ... and on the opposite corner there's some building construction and they have cones all along the curb reducing the oncoming to one (and 1/3) lanes.

Now there's a car right up my ass with his left turn signal on indicating he's going to move over to the empty lane but not really making a visible attempt to get over (I assume it's because he's coming up on an intersection and it's a violation to change lanes in said intersection) ... and there's a guy on the curb to the right of me on the other side of the intersection.

Knowing I can't slam on the brakes and make the stop without an Audi trying to make babies with my Cherokee, I obviously make the decision to proceed through the intersection since it would be hazardous to stop.

Now the light is still yellow as I get to the intersection and the guy on the curb points to the opposite left hand signal ... and starts WALKING into the intersection while my light is yellow and I'm committed.

The cross walks have timers on them to let pedestrians know how long they have to wait for a safe signal. His signal had turned to zilch ... but had not given him the happy walking guy BECAUSE the cross traffic signal had JUST turned red ... making both intersections RED for the standard 2 count in order to give committed traffic time to clear.

So this tard starts walking through the intersection pointing at his DO NOT WALK signal with a zero count ... and starts looking at me (who is driving at 30 mph and getting ready to hit the brakes as to not make a road pizza) and then pointing to me in anger.

Now if you want to make a point ... it's probably best not to do it as a pedestrian against a vehicle that weighs in well over a ton.

So at this point I'm slamming on my brakes and cranking the wheel to the left .... as an oncoming vehicles saw the yellow light and accelerated to make the make the light and his turn ... and is attempting to turn into me as I'm avoiding a retard in the intersection. I veer back to the right, missing the oncoming car but smack the retard with the quarter panel in front of my rear tire ... the car behind me was also forced into the same maneuver and tapped the retard as he (the Audi) came to a stop ... sending the tard (who was spinning from the clip) to a rolling mass of tard west bound on University.

Now I was only doing about 5mph when I clipped him, so I imagine him meeting the front end of the Audi was nothing more than a tap.

Of course everyone stops and rushes to the guy. I'm the second person there and he's already back on his feet. He's got some nice asphalt induced scrapes down one side of his face. His shirt got caught in my rear passenger side window trim (thus the spin as it yanked and ripped it) ... and he's swatting people away while swearing at everyone.

When he realizes that the two drivers that made contact with him are there ... he descends into a torrent of threats, everything from bodily harm to financial ruin.

I'm just concerned with his well being at this point and so is the other guy that tapped him. The ER entrance is literally within spitting distance and this guy won't go.

There was an Urbana cop waiting for his light a few cars deep who actually saw everything. He was there as well, urging the man to either sit down and wait for a stretcher or wheel chair.

Then the guy launches into making demands of the officer. He wants both of us arrested. He wants us ticketed for "blowing" a red light. He wants a field sobriety test because we're obviously drunk or under the influence ... he just won't shut the fuck up and get to the damn ER.

The cop tells us (the drivers) to get our cars off the road as he tries to get the man out of the intersection and into the ER. Well we got our cars onto the side street and parked ... and the cop is still trying to get the man out of the intersection so traffic can start moving again. Two nurses come out of the ER with a stretcher and wait at the intersection for the cop and the tard (cop won't let them into the intersection).

There there we are (drivers and two nurses) on the corner and this guy won't shut the fuck up with his demands) and keeps insisting the cop "do his fucking job" and arrest us. At that point it was obvious that the cop was at his limit when he said "Ok sir, do you want me to do my job?" as he was reaching for his mace.

It was a funny exchange.

"I want you to do your fucking job you fucking idiot!"

"You want me to do my job sir?!" (reaching for the mace)

"Are you fucking deaf ... yes ... do your fucking job!"

"Sir, if you don't get your ass out of this intersection and on to that stretcher, I will subdue you with mace, cuff you, and then drag you to the stretcher. I will then let the staff attend to you as I place you under arrest ... there will be no more demands ... not another word .... go now."

"Are you fu .... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" (officer applies the mace, then the cuffs ... and yes, drags the man 4ft to the nurses.)

For an hour the cop, and two others, took statements from witnesses, us, and the tard ... and then they put him in the back of a squad car after he was released from the ER.

The kicker was that as they were arresting him, they were also issuing him ticket for jay walking and charging him with public endangerment (hence the arrest).

The cop that was on the scene said he would testify that there was no wrong doing on my part and issued a warning to the guy driving the Audi for tail gaiting.

What's even funnier ... the retard was a hospital administrator. He figured out that my wife was one of his colleagues and made the dumbest move of his professional career by threatening me with my wife's job.

I hate to say it, but it's unfortunate that natural selection didn't kick in because this guy is probably going to drag me to court.

http://fotos.hondaclub.com.ar/data/501/medium/legendary-thread.jpg

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

That sucks, but you're not responsible for it and you shouldn't feel bad (though I can understand why you do).

In any case it sounds like a blessing in disguise that this guy got taken to the hospital in the first place because it sounds like that's where he needed to be anyway given his mental condition.

[thefarmer]

That sucks, but you're not responsible for it and you shouldn't feel bad (though I can understand why you do).

In any case it sounds like a blessing in disguise that this guy got taken to the hospital in the first place because it sounds like that's where he needed to be anyway given his mental condition.

Agreed. Who knows what more damage (to himself or others) he could have done in his obviously distraught state?

[Stanley Burrell]

ROFL, uh huh, DRUG FREE CAMPUS YO.

No, I mean, you don't have to go into the woods or hibernate in Wesleyan. You can just walk around with a blunt lit, from what I've seen, and the worst thing to happen to you from nearby campus officers would be their being nearby.

[diethx]

I dunno, I find it a little hard to believe that you can smoke joints in front of police on any campus, heh.

But either way, you don't have to "hibernate" at Purchase either. We got away with a lot of shit up there without hiding, heh.