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PLEASE slow down in parking lots

Nonbryan

By Nonbryan
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CHIEF

CHIEF 5095

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CHIEF Jr. is the worst about looking down at his phone to change music or text. I have told him repeatedly to quit, but the message hasn't really soaked in. The next time he does it, I'll tell him I love him and doing this for his own good, but I will hit him closed fisted in the bar ditch if I catch him doing it again. Under 25 has to be the worst about this horrible epidemic. Parents of teens and college aged kids need to really get this message across to their kids, this is a life ruining tragedy that needs to be prosecuted. Texting, looking at your phone, snapchat, instagram, etc. are going to get a lot of children killed, it's worse than drunk driving at this point. I wish every phone had a mandatory feature that cut off all signals when above 5 mph, and sent any message to voicemail. Truly gut wrenching.

 

CHIEF

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achooloco

achooloco 1086

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On 10/6/2019 at 8:51 PM, Bevo said:

In separate incidences, two kids were hit crossing Anderson Mill to Cedar Park High School. I was surprised by all the jackass responses.

Jared Mathews It was my son that got hit today at Cedar Park High School. It happened at the corner of Twin Creek and Anderson Mill Road. My 15 year old son was waiting for the cross walk to tell him to go. When the sign said walk, he went to cross the road and a lady coming out of Twin Creek and turning right on Anderson Mill failed to yield the right of way to him. She was talking on her phone. My son had his shoes knocked off of him and he rolled up on the hood and then when she braked, he was thrown off and hit the ground. He was hurt and went to the hospital. He is going to be ok, but he is pretty banged up.
 
First response:
Renee Davis I cannot tell you how many times kids just dart out thinking the driver sees them. And the same can be said about drivers who think they are more important than everyone else rolling thru stop signs, flying thru school zones just trying to save 30 seconds. Kids and drivers need to pay attn

 

 

That’s not really a jackass response. Least not like earlier in this thread. In fact she is 100% right. Just bc you have the right of way, doesn’t mean the driver saw you. More importantly  it doesn’t mean you should start walking. 

I’m pretty sure I walk on busy streets more than 99% of this board, and having the right of way won’t do you any good if you’re dead. if you walk bc you think you have the right of way without attempting to judge the speed of traffic, whether cars are turning, or at least without attempting to make eye contact with an oncoming driver, you got a death wish.  It’s not the kids fault he got hit but if you see someone doesn’t notice you and you step in front of their car... it might not be legally your fault but you aren’t really very bright either.

to the OP, sorry for your friend’s loss. Can’t imagine the pain. 

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Apep

Apep 645

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A decade ago when I worked for a Big 4 firm, one of our Fortune 5 clients had a policy that if they called us on our cellphones and we answered while driving we would be fired. I'm sure I've been the subject of various NextDoor threads because I've pulled over to have phone calls in random neighborhoods or parking lots.

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Nice Guy Eddie

Nice Guy Eddie 13523

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2 hours ago, Apep said:

A decade ago when I worked for a Big 4 firm, one of our Fortune 5 clients had a policy that if they called us on our cellphones and we answered while driving we would be fired. I'm sure I've been the subject of various NextDoor threads because I've pulled over to have phone calls in random neighborhoods or parking lots.

I worked for a big Oil company that had this policy.  More than once I pulled into a random parking lot to take phone calls. and FYI, even bluetooth/hands-free calls were prohibited as that was thought to be just as distracting as holding a phone. I agree. Holding a phone vs using bluetooth isn't much different outside of driving with one hand.

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HouTex

HouTex 1894

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Posted
I worked for a big Oil company that had this policy.  More than once I pulled into a random parking lot to take phone calls. and FYI, even bluetooth/hands-free calls were prohibited as that was thought to be just as distracting as holding a phone. I agree. Holding a phone vs using bluetooth isn't much different outside of driving with one hand.

Agree. And drivers also should not be allowed to talk to any passengers riding with them. No different than talking handsfree on the phone.
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EZ$

EZ$ 2105

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A kid was run over and killed in a Chuck-E-Cheese parking lot where I live about 10 years ago. I told my 4 year old daughter the story about 2 months ago and she repeats it every time we get out of the truck in a parking lot (and to anyone else she’s with when passing by Chuck-e-Cheese).  She holds my hand anytime we leave the truck because “she doesn’t want to be like the little boy who got his brain and bones crushed in the parking lot” (she’s in a blood & guts phase right now). 

I’m not sure if she really understands, but it’s a start maybe. I also have a two year old daughter that would definitely take off when given the chance, so I’m always on high alert when they are out of the truck in a public place. 

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CHIEF

CHIEF 5095

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52 minutes ago, HouTex said:


Agree. And drivers also should not be allowed to talk to any passengers riding with them. No different than talking handsfree on the phone.

We have an agreement in our vehicles not to have arguments, or heated discussions. The silent treatment is fine with me while I drive a 3 ton missile along at 75 mph.

CHIEF

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FondrenRoad

FondrenRoad 4378

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On 10/3/2019 at 1:34 PM, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I'm sure he's in a lot of pain.  I can't imagine it. But his lack of attention is also a contributing factor to the kid's death. I wouldn't say that to his face or to a friend of his, but it's a fact.  Someone is dead because of a mistake he made. How much pain he's in doesn't change what he did or didn't do.  

I know this is an unpopular opinion. Instead people want to throw all of the blame on the person (driver) that doesn't know the child, while saying the father is just being a father. I see it differently.

He's probably gonna beat himself up about it for the rest of his life. I certainly would. It isn't his fault though. 100% attention isn't possible even if we want it to be. 99.9% of the time, his kid probably stayed right by his side so he took that for granted and it cost him dearly.  We live in a society, and everyone has to do take care so that terrible things don't happen in that .1% of the time.  The driver wasn't doing her part. 

But I do get where you're coming from. A 3 year old is short, can't always be seen by drivers, and is much more fragile so can be injured or killed much more easily.  A 3 year old is also too young to understand real danger and self preservation. A true accident can definitely happen with a 3 year old. 

But that didn't happen here. Instead, an inattentive driver who was on her phone is at fault. She is the one driving a dangerous machine while distracted. She should do time for it also.  If she is paying attention, the kid is probably still alive. 

My thoughts are with the family. The dad probably thinks just like you do about it more than you know. It's a parents worst nightmare. 

 

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TXSooner518

TXSooner518 2438

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20 hours ago, HouTex said:


Agree. And drivers also should not be allowed to talk to any passengers riding with them. No different than talking handsfree on the phone.

The science actually doesn't concur with this. For whatever reason, speaking with a person who is present with you uses a different part of your brain than speaking with someone on the phone. And the part that is used speaking on the phone is also used for driving. 

Hands-free is safer than non-hands-free, since theoretically you don't have to look away from the road, and you have both hands, but it is still considerably less safe than not using the phone in a way that in-person convos/listening to the radio are not.

One thing that typing this has made me curious about - when I attended the conferences where I learned the above, I didn't listen to podcasts. I do now. I wonder if listening to podcasts acts more like in-person convo or on the phone convo. 

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NeverMarryAStripper

NeverMarryAStripper 21921

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11 minutes ago, TXSooner518 said:

One thing that typing this has made me curious about - when I attended the conferences where I learned the above, I didn't listen to podcasts. I do now. I wonder if listening to podcasts acts more like in-person convo or on the phone convo. 

I wouldn't think it would be any different than listening to audio books.

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HouTex

HouTex 1894

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47 minutes ago, TXSooner518 said:

The science actually doesn't concur with this. For whatever reason, speaking with a person who is present with you uses a different part of your brain than speaking with someone on the phone. And the part that is used speaking on the phone is also used for driving. 

Hands-free is safer than non-hands-free, since theoretically you don't have to look away from the road, and you have both hands, but it is still considerably less safe than not using the phone in a way that in-person convos/listening to the radio are not.

One thing that typing this has made me curious about - when I attended the conferences where I learned the above, I didn't listen to podcasts. I do now. I wonder if listening to podcasts acts more like in-person convo or on the phone convo. 

I wouldn't be surprised if that science doesn't change, several times, in the coming years.  I can say, anecdotally, when I'm a passenger with other people in the car the driver is often engaged in discussions with others and either looking in the rear view mirror or over at the driver's side passenger or, worse, turning behind and actually looking at the passenger in the passenger-side back seat.  Maybe not always, but talking to passengers can be even more distracting than talking hands free on the mobile.  Then there's people listening and singing along to music while driving.  I wonder how distracting that can be.  I'm sure radio manufacturers have a bunch of science on that.

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TXSooner518

TXSooner518 2438

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Definitely drivers who can't carry on convos without looking in the back and/or gesturing wildly are more dangerous. One big factor with in-car convo vs. phone convo, in addition to the brain science (I don't the science on what part of your brain performs different tasks is going to change) is that in-car passengers usually can see when they may need to STFU for a minute in heavy traffic/dangerous spots, whereas the phone person doesn't know the driver really needs full attention now.

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Huckleberry

Huckleberry 33098

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Makes complete sense to me. When you're having an in-person conversation your brain, including spatial awareness, is fully engaged. Your ears hear the direction the sound is coming from and therefore your brain is constantly interpreting that, even if it's subconsciously.

When you're on a phone call none of that is the case. The person you're talking with is not physically present with you and therefore your brain is not processing that conversation as part of your environment.

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hayden_horn

hayden_horn 11365

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1 hour ago, TXSooner518 said:

The science actually doesn't concur with this. For whatever reason, speaking with a person who is present with you uses a different part of your brain than speaking with someone on the phone. And the part that is used speaking on the phone is also used for driving. 

Hands-free is safer than non-hands-free, since theoretically you don't have to look away from the road, and you have both hands, but it is still considerably less safe than not using the phone in a way that in-person convos/listening to the radio are not.

One thing that typing this has made me curious about - when I attended the conferences where I learned the above, I didn't listen to podcasts. I do now. I wonder if listening to podcasts acts more like in-person convo or on the phone convo. 

 

13 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

Makes complete sense to me. When you're having an in-person conversation your brain, including spatial awareness, is fully engaged. Your ears hear the direction the sound is coming from and therefore your brain is constantly interpreting that, even if it's subconsciously.

When you're on a phone call none of that is the case. The person you're talking with is not physically present with you and therefore your brain is not processing that conversation as part of your environment.

also, what he fuck do people have to talk about anyways. i can count the number of personal phone calls i made in the last week on one hand. there are people in the heb just having long form conversations with people. the only time i use the phone in heb is when the wife won't fucking respond to the text about what brand of whatever i'm supposed to get.

i seriously don't really have phone conversations with people. is that weird? i feel like everyone is always on the phone, and i just don't understand what it is that they are talking about.

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gsoda3

gsoda3 3282

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2 minutes ago, hayden_horn said:

 

also, what he fuck do people have to talk about anyways. i can count the number of personal phone calls i made in the last week on one hand. there are people in the heb just having long form conversations with people. the only time i use the phone in heb is when the wife won't fucking respond to the text about what brand of whatever i'm supposed to get.

i seriously don't really have phone conversations with people. is that weird? i feel like everyone is always on the phone, and i just don't understand what it is that they are talking about.

some people verbally vent.  others spew paragraphs on message boards.

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GringoSalado

GringoSalado 1652

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27 minutes ago, hayden_horn said:

 

also, what he fuck do people have to talk about anyways. i can count the number of personal phone calls i made in the last week on one hand. there are people in the heb just having long form conversations with people. the only time i use the phone in heb is when the wife won't fucking respond to the text about what brand of whatever i'm supposed to get.

i seriously don't really have phone conversations with people. is that weird? i feel like everyone is always on the phone, and i just don't understand what it is that they are talking about.

Know how I know you're not a woman?

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HouTex

HouTex 1894

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1 hour ago, hayden_horn said:

 

also, what he fuck do people have to talk about anyways. i can count the number of personal phone calls i made in the last week on one hand. there are people in the heb just having long form conversations with people. the only time i use the phone in heb is when the wife won't fucking respond to the text about what brand of whatever i'm supposed to get.

i seriously don't really have phone conversations with people. is that weird? i feel like everyone is always on the phone, and i just don't understand what it is that they are talking about.

Once in a while I see women on their daily walk with the phone glued to their ear.  They are always on it.  Sure, once in a while I need to make or receive an important call, but I can't imagine always being on my phone.  For one thing, the reception/clarity of a mobile phone almost always sucks.

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Huckleberry

Huckleberry 33098

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I've actually had the opposite experience. My wife would rather have a 10 minute text message conversation using a separate message for every sentence than have a 1 minute phone call to cover everything. It's maddening. Why would I want my phone notifications to blow up 100 times in 10 minutes instead of just talk to you for 1 minute?

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4th and 5

4th and 5 4915

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Posted (edited)
On 10/2/2019 at 9:57 PM, Lhorn said:

Terrible. Didn’t even try to stop until she’s run over the toddler with both axles. Not an accident but gross negligence. I’d like to reinstate my previously expressed ill will towards the driver. Fuck her.

 

If you weren’t driving too fast, yacking on the phone a 2 year old toddler wouldn’t be dead. Not an accident.

 

 

Criminal negligence or recklessness.

Sounds like a case of Criminal Negligent Homicide or Manslaughter.

I'll expect to see a warrant when the accident reconstruction and investigation is complete.

 

On 10/3/2019 at 12:34 PM, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I'm sure he's in a lot of pain.  I can't imagine it. But his lack of attention is also a contributing factor to the kid's death. I wouldn't say that to his face or to a friend of his, but it's a fact.  Someone is dead because of a mistake he made. How much pain he's in doesn't change what he did or didn't do.  

I know this is an unpopular opinion. Instead people want to throw all of the blame on the person (driver) that doesn't know the child, while saying the father is just being a father. I see it differently.

User name does NOT check out

Edited by 4th and 5
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tbone_

tbone_ 14162

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My uncles dad didn’t even let him have a car with a radio in it...this is the early 60s. Said he wanted him to be thinking about where he was going and what he was going to do when he got there...not listening to music.

The world could use more old school like that.
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Jersey Man10

Jersey Man10 3542

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I only text (or Sext) with two exceptions.  One is my mom.  The other is my daughter.  My daughter calls me every day when she gets home from school and rambles on for about 15 minutes.  They both get  a pass because my Mom is 89 and my daughter is on the spectrum.
You sext your mom and daughter?

Kinky...
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Paper_jam

Paper_jam 831

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I'd like to also request that when a parking lot has aisles that are designed and marked to be used in one direction, please don't drive the wrong way down them. (And if you do go the wrong way, please don't act like I'm the asshole when I'm going the "correct" way and we meet head-on.)

 

 

 

 

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CHIEF

CHIEF 5095

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It seems like once a day that I have to give the horn a small honk to get a driver at an intersection to look up from their phone because the light turned green about 5-6 seconds ago. It's just fucking rude. The guys at the back of the turn lane sometimes have to sit through the light twice.

CHIEF

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HouTex

HouTex 1894

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It seems like once a day that I have to give the horn a small honk to get a driver at an intersection to look up from their phone because the light turned green about 5-6 seconds ago. It's just fucking rude. The guys at the back of the turn lane sometimes have to sit through the light twice.
CHIEF

You are generous on the 5-6 seconds. Most drivers wait .000001 seconds before laying on the horn. There was an old Johnny Carson joke (obviously pre-cell phone) that the shortest time period is the time it takes the guy behind you to honk after the light turns green.
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gsoda3

gsoda3 3282

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Twice in two days in my neighborhood I've stopped my car at a zebra crossing to let someone cross the street and a car has tried to pass me to my left. Yesterday they saw the person crossing and managed to stop even with my car. Today they came 3 feet away from hitting the girl walking to school. I thought I was going to witness a death.

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High Plains Drifter

High Plains Drifter 11052

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On 10/7/2019 at 10:00 PM, CHIEF said:

CHIEF Jr. is the worst about looking down at his phone to change music or text. I have told him repeatedly to quit, but the message hasn't really soaked in. The next time he does it, I'll tell him I love him and doing this for his own good, but I will hit him closed fisted in the bar ditch if I catch him doing it again. Under 25 has to be the worst about this horrible epidemic. Parents of teens and college aged kids need to really get this message across to their kids, this is a life ruining tragedy that needs to be prosecuted. Texting, looking at your phone, snapchat, instagram, etc. are going to get a lot of children killed, it's worse than drunk driving at this point. I wish every phone had a mandatory feature that cut off all signals when above 5 mph, and sent any message to voicemail. Truly gut wrenching.

 

CHIEF

 

Take his phone away for a few weeks.

 

 

On 10/9/2019 at 11:02 AM, TXSooner518 said:

Definitely drivers who can't carry on convos without looking in the back and/or gesturing wildly are more dangerous. One big factor with in-car convo vs. phone convo, in addition to the brain science (I don't the science on what part of your brain performs different tasks is going to change) is that in-car passengers usually can see when they may need to STFU for a minute in heavy traffic/dangerous spots, whereas the phone person doesn't know the driver really needs full attention now.

 

This is correct. In car conversations ebb and flow with what the driver is doing. You don't noitce it, but if you watch a video of people talking in a car, you'd notice it. Phone conversations don't.

 

On 10/11/2019 at 10:25 AM, HouTex said:


You are generous on the 5-6 seconds. Most drivers wait .000001 seconds before laying on the horn. There was an old Johnny Carson joke (obviously pre-cell phone) that the shortest time period is the time it takes the guy behind you to honk after the light turns green.

 

Quantum time.

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hopkinsnhorns

hopkinsnhorns 533

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On 10/1/2019 at 4:47 PM, Brisketexan said:

Maybe I don't have all the facts, but in the reporting on this horrible story, I haven't seen any reporting that the driver was driving unreasonably fast or recklessly.  The OP's point is well-taken -- slowing down and keeping your head on a swivel in a parking lot may enable you to save a life, and that's a good message.

But as for the driver who hit this little girl....there but for the grace of God go I.  We've all driven 15mph+ through a parking lot.  Any one of us could have that moment where someone darts from between cars, or from out of our vision, and it's unavoidable.  Hell, see some posts on this page.  See any of us who have hit and killed an animal while driving (I have, in spite of my best efforts).  I suspect that the driver in this case is in their own hell as well.  It's an awful damned tragedy for everyone involved.  And unless some facts come out that the driver was driving recklessly, I can't imagine wishing the driver any more pain than they're already in.

I know someone who killed a pedestrian in an unavoidable accident (as in, full police investigation and determination of same).  Doesn't really matter.  The only upside is that he didn't go to jail.  But he has to live with that fact every day, and it's changed him.  The universe can be a merciless bitch.

My old roommate hit and killed a motorcyclist when she was still a teen driving home to her house out west of Austin.  It was at night on one of those windy country roads and the motorcyclist was going too fast and came around the corner in her lane.  She never even had a chance to avoid him.  He died, she lived but had a concussion from the impact and the weight of his death on her shoulders from then on.  She must have been through a lot of therapy afterwards, but even still, she'll never get over that incident.

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jimmyjazz

jimmyjazz 46134

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I routinely drive east on Far West Blvd past Doss & Murchison schools.  On weekends, it's white knuckle time as more often than not there are hundreds of young kids playing soccer, i9 flag football, and kickball on the Murchison fields.  That hill is full of cars parked along the side of the road and on several occasions I've seen little kids wander out into the main lanes of traffic.  I'm shocked there haven't been tragic accidents there over the years.

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LonghornJones

LonghornJones 837

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On 10/9/2019 at 11:36 AM, hayden_horn said:

 

also, what he fuck do people have to talk about anyways. i can count the number of personal phone calls i made in the last week on one hand. there are people in the heb just having long form conversations with people. the only time i use the phone in heb is when the wife won't fucking respond to the text about what brand of whatever i'm supposed to get.

i seriously don't really have phone conversations with people. is that weird? i feel like everyone is always on the phone, and i just don't understand what it is that they are talking about.

Well, have you heard what Brad in accounting did with Karen in HR after happy hour last week? I didn't think so.

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Brisketexan

Brisketexan 105340

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I routinely drive east on Far West Blvd past Doss & Murchison schools.  On weekends, it's white knuckle time as more often than not there are hundreds of young kids playing soccer, i9 flag football, and kickball on the Murchison fields.  That hill is full of cars parked along the side of the road and on several occasions I've seen little kids wander out into the main lanes of traffic.  I'm shocked there haven't been tragic accidents there over the years.

Yeah...on a Saturday, the safe speed there is 10-15 mph. I hate it, and anytime I have to travel it, I’m looking for little shapes the whole way. And I’ve seen them just casually walk out into the main lanes.
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