Special People

For some reason as I live in the DC area, I am frequently reminded of an article that appeared in the Washington Post Health section a year or so ago. It was written by a man who liked to mountain bike, and he and a freind would frequently take a morning ride on a running/walking trail in Rock Creek Park that was specifically marked No Bikes. But it was okay, because he and his friend only did it once in awhile (or some such ridiculous rationalization). The point is, he didn't think, for reasons that remain a mystery to me, that the rule applied to him.

Anyway, his article was about their near collision/encounter with a runner (a very slim, unintimidating runner, by the biker's own description) who doubled back and nailed them with pepper spray for biking on a running trail -- which of course, can be very dangerous to runners. (Often there are actual reasons for rules.)

The biker was furious and indignant that he had been assaulted by this runner. I, reading this article, was incredulous at the biker's mindset. Not only was he wishing he could have beaten up the runner, he still didn't understand what right the runner had to assault him with pepper spray. He wanted to press charges. So this biker is so self-absorbed and clueless that he writes an article in the Post about his horrific experience. I wondered what his editor was thinking... was he giggling to himself that this guy was gonna get his commupance once again, or was he sympathetic?

Well, I was gratified to see a raft of letters the next week, unanimously slamming the biker for his arrogance and flouting of the rules. Yes, the runner's attack was over the top -- even assault -- but perhaps he felt threatened after he'd nearly been run down by two guys on bikes who shouldn't have been there. Unfortunately I doubt that the biker got the picture even then. People like that never do. I work with people like that allmost every day: people who ignore the big sign that says "Employees Only Beyond this Point" who walk right back into the production dept and try to sit themselves down at one of my computers and "just do this one little edit" to their file. Often these people are architects, which is not surprising, because we were taught a certain sort of arrogance in Architecture School.

I, unlike the more conciliatory people at my place of business, do not put up with this behavior. One time I returned to my dept to find a sales person hovering nervously over a client who had helped themselves to one of our computers. I walked up to them and restated the company policy: "We don't allow clients to use the company equipment." I wanted to say "If you need a computer, there's a Kinko's around the corner."

Yes, I took a certain satisfaction in saying it -- and seeing the 'what do you mean, I'm not special!?' look on their face -- probably not unlike the satisfaction felt by the runner who pepper-sprayed the biker.

But they still won't get it.