Stupid People - Ignorance meets lack of thought

Reading my friends blog entry (http://midnight124.multiply.com/journal/item/13/Stupid_Neighbors?replies_read=10)

reminded me of a event several years ago.

 I was recently married, and had taken a job as a school bus driver.

On one particular road, I needed to pull over at the bus stop designated by the Highway Patrol, kill the engine, park the bus, turn on the flashing RED STOP FOR SCHOOL BUS lights (which also causes a Stop sign to flip out on the side of bus) carefully assist the kids (ages 5-10) to the front of the bus, walk across the street with my STOP sign in hand, wearing my bright fluorescent orange vest, listen for any traffic,  then walk back, get the kids and walk them across the street. More than once I did this routine and at the part I was about to walk the kids across, I would here the sound of a large engine accelerating up the hill towards the curve around which we were at.

This woman would come flying up the hill, rain, snow, whatever, and fly by me and the kids in her GM truck without even acknowledging the large yellow vehicle with flashing lights. The last time she did this, I was in the street with a boy about 6, who i had to grab and carry off the roadway, feeling the wind of the vehicle blow against us as we lunged for safety. Reporting these incident had done nothing, so I told the dispatcher i was going to quit if the highway Patrol wasn't going to do something. The next day, the designated Highway Patrol officer showed up at the stop, parking behind the bus. He was with me when here she comes, flying up the road again....only this time Officer Dan is in the road, waving her over.  She blew by him. Bad move. I have never seen a 50 something-year- old -close -to-retirement officer run so fast, and start his car so quickly.  

The next day, she came flying up the road, and stopped.  

 As I crossed the road with the kids, she glared at me, and when I walked back, she gave me the finger. "I got a f ing ticket because of YOU"  I screamed back "The person in the mirror got you that ticket"

Moral of the story: Some people are ignorant of the law; some know the law and just act stupidly. Most who are ignorant and are informed, alter their behavior accordingly. Stupid people don't. People can either be ignorant or stupid. Its pretty difficult to be both, but some try.