On the last day of my walk across the country, a few friends joined me to walk over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
We arrived at the north end of the bridge to find that the pedestrian path across was closed, and the bike path was the only option. The problem with this is that NO PEDESTRIANS ON BIKE PATH was posted all over the place. Permission was gotten to use it anyway by the great people at the bridge patrol (and thanks to Sarah for hooking that up!) and we were on our way.
Then the meanness started.
Bicyclists flew by us as close as possible just to be rude. They yelled at us, with my favorite moment being the guy that yelled, “WRONG SIDE, ASSHOLE!” and then sped off.
Sure, we were on the wrong side, but had this guy (and the other dozen or so people who yelled at us) known WHY we were, they probably wouldn’t have been so rude.
If I had a chance to tell them that I just walked 3,400 miles across the continent and was finishing my trip in the next couple of hours, they may have even shot a congratulations my way instead of a death stare and a WRONG SIDE, ASSHOLE.
This is a perfect example of why, for lack of a better term, you shouldn’t be a dick to people, no matter how rude they are to you.
That person who cut you off in the check out line? Maybe they’re in a hurry to get to the hospital to see a dying family member. Or maybe they just lost their job.
You don’t know the whole story.
Can you imagine how that guy would have felt if I had caught up with him and informed him of exactly why I was on the wrong side of the bridge? When he learned that I was given permission to be there?
He would have been he asshole at that point, not me.
Don’t criticize or be a dick to people, because as much as you think you might, you do not know the whole story and the circumstances they are dealing with.
Be nice. Be human. Peace starts with you.