Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Does anyone admit when it's their fault in traffic?

warrrreagl · 02-13-2005, 06:57 AM

This is something that resurfaced last week when a student was telling me about a fender-bender. In telling her story, she gave me dissertations on weather conditions, the deceptive speed of the other driver, the deceptive color of the other driver's car, the apparent malfunctioning timing mechanism on the traffic signal, etc. But at no point did she simply say, "It was totally my fault; I ran a red light and hit that car." Although I'm sure that's what the accident report probably summarized, she doesn't tell it that way.

This is something I've noticed for a long time. Nobody ever seems to admit when they fuck up in traffic; there are always mitigating circumstances that excuse and alibi someone's reasons for fucking up. Have you ever heard someone say any of the following:
"I was speeding, and it was my fault."
"I cut that guy off and I shouldn't have."
"If I'd used my blinker, this wouldn't have happened."
"I shouldn't have been talking on my cell phone, and it was my fault."
"Boy, I sure did swerve back and forth between the lanes too many times, didn't I?"

I challenge all of you to tell your next traffic story honestly the way a disinterested observer might tell it.

02-13-2005, 06:57 AM	#1 (permalink)
warrrreagl pinche vato Location: backwater, Third World, land of cotton	Does anyone admit when it's their fault in traffic? This is something that resurfaced last week when a student was telling me about a fender-bender. In telling her story, she gave me dissertations on weather conditions, the deceptive speed of the other driver, the deceptive color of the other driver's car, the apparent malfunctioning timing mechanism on the traffic signal, etc. But at no point did she simply say, "It was totally my fault; I ran a red light and hit that car." Although I'm sure that's what the accident report probably summarized, she doesn't tell it that way. This is something I've noticed for a long time. Nobody ever seems to admit when they fuck up in traffic; there are always mitigating circumstances that excuse and alibi someone's reasons for fucking up. Have you ever heard someone say any of the following: "I was speeding, and it was my fault." "I cut that guy off and I shouldn't have." "If I'd used my blinker, this wouldn't have happened." "I shouldn't have been talking on my cell phone, and it was my fault." "Boy, I sure did swerve back and forth between the lanes too many times, didn't I?" I challenge all of you to tell your next traffic story honestly the way a disinterested observer might tell it. __________________ Living is easy with eyes closed.