People Don't Pay Attention

[MFDub]

It has come to my attention that people don't read enough. And I'm not just talking about books and newspapers. It's like people have such a natural aversion to the written word that they'll blatantly ignore it at any possible point.

As I've mentioned before, I work as security at the local ballpark. Now, while this ballpark isn't great with signage leading to your seats, it has signs mentioning the rules of the park all over the place. You can't go a few feet without running into a 'NO RE-ENTRY' or a 'NO SMOKING'. Not only that, but these same rules on the signs are printed on the very tickets themselves. So why do we have to keep repeating them to people? Why are people so surprised when I tell them they can't come back into the park, or that they can't smoke somewhere? I could understand if there were just a few small signs, then people could have simply missed them in the crowd. But these signs are EVERYWHERE!

So why don't they see them? Because people don't pay attention. They walk forward and backwards in their own little world, only interacting with others if they wind up entering into their personal bubble. In this bubble, the world revolves around them. If they want pizza, of course they're going to be able to buy it. If they get in a fight, of course the other guy's going to get kicked out. If they leave, of course they can come back in. Because this is their day at the ball game and nothing can spoil it. And then when we have to come along and burst that bubble, they take it as a personal offense, because obviously we are stopping them from enjoying their game. It's not like we do this to EVERY SINGLE OTHER PERSON WHO DOES THE SAME THING!

It just annoys me a little. Folks, when you're in a situation with that many other people, you have to be observant of what's going on around you. Don't expect everything to be handed to you. Don't expect a little alarm to sound when you're about to do something bad. Take care of yourself. Take it upon yourself to know what the rules of wherever you are, are. And try to have a good time. Being in a positive mood is easily the single most enjoyable thing I've seen fans do.

"I can't come back in? Well, I should have known that. Have a nice night."

Awesome! No fight, the responsibility for the action has been taken and he's off to enjoy his night somewhere else. Best situation ever!

[hapacheese]

We have bred a culture of unaccountability and apathy, unfortunately. I get annoyed by the very same things =\

[tekkan]

Give people some slack.

They paid for the ticket, they missed the signs. So what. It happens to us all.

Of course they are gonna try and get you to make an exception for them. And its more than expected that you do your job. But don't act so surprised if people act bumed out. You just told them that they just screwed themselves out of the rest of the game because they made a mistake. Yes, it was their mistake. But not everyone takes the high road. Of course they are gonna blame the closet person who is not themselves.

And when there is thousands of people out there in the stadium, there is bound to be at least a few riding the short bus. If you let things like that get to you. You're going to just get stressed out and possibly go pyscho on one of the fans...:D

[Daishikaze]

I haven't run into that since I moved here to Switzerland, Thank the gods.
But back in the US, I experienced these situations alot more when I lived in California. Seriously, Most of the people I went to school with never took responibility for their own actions, it was always someone elses fault or someone elses problem to fix.

I witnessed a woman getting pulled over by a cop for speeding, She was going about 80 in a residential area when she got stopped. To top it all off, she had a baby in the car with her, so she got a huge ticket and a stern lecture from the cop. Now here's kicker, As soon as the cop heads back to his car, She peels out of there as fast as she could! I overheard the cop say that if she wasn't careful they would eventually have to take her child away because she was endangering his life driving like that (or something to that effect, I don't remember too well, it was a long time ago.)

Naturally the cop stopped her again, and I remember they waited for another car to come, so I guess they called social services on her this time.

[MFDub]

Give people some slack.

They paid for the ticket, they missed the signs. So what. It happens to us all.

Of course they are gonna try and get you to make an exception for them. And its more than expected that you do your job. But don't act so surprised if people act bumed out. You just told them that they just screwed themselves out of the rest of the game because they made a mistake. Yes, it was their mistake. But not everyone takes the high road. Of course they are gonna blame the closet person who is not themselves.

And when there is thousands of people out there in the stadium, there is bound to be at least a few riding the short bus. If you let things like that get to you. You're going to just get stressed out and possibly go pyscho on one of the fans...:D


This is all true. It's not the fact that they made a mistake that gets to me. It does happen. It isn't even the fact that they're disappointed. It's how many people act like such asses about it. I'm talking about the people who have a severe superiority complex. The ones who go, "I can't back in the game? Do you know how much I paid? etc. etc." People make mistakes, it happens. People will get upset. But just because you're upset that doesn't excuse acting like you should be allowed to break the rules because, somehow, the rules don't apply to you. You tell some people they can't come in and they just walk in, as if you're below their notice. THAT'S what annoys me.

As for the psycho thing, I've already suggested to my supervisor that they should allow the use of sharp, pointy-sticks. :D

[tekkan]

Well I guess thats what you get when corporate America keeps feeding people "The customer is always right" attitude.

Ponty-sticks..or tasers. One or the other. :D

[gizmaluke]

Reminds me of something Bill Hicks(a comedian) said. he was down south doing a show and he went down to the local diner to get a bite to eat. he was just sitting there reading a book, minding his own buisness when the waitress came up and said "why you reading?" and while he was thinking this question through a guy in a trucker hat turns round and says "looks liks we got ourselves a reader".
I have noticed the same thing. I dont know what people have against reading in all its forms. there are plenty of kids all around the world who would give anything to have half the education most westerners have and be able to read.