I’m tired of making excuses for peoples’ bad behaviour.
That is my new motto. As an eternal optimist, it’s hard to accept.
I’ve always believed society is made up of good people with honourable intentions, who for no fault of their own, go astray and do bad things. It’s taken five decades, but I finally need to accept there are just jerks in the world.
Like the man whose dog was doing a big dump in a public park and despite seeing it he just kept walking.
“Aren’t you going to pick up after your dog”, I asked?
“No,” he said, “It makes good fertilizer.”
Which meant I had the job of picking it up.
How about the excuses I heard for the teenagers who vandalized Ladner Elementary. “They’re bored, and bored kids get into trouble,” or “It’s the parents fault.”
Those kids were destructive and they knew it. Full accountability for their behaviour is the only way they learn that vandalism has effects and consequences.
There’s the bad behaviour of a drunk woman who had a cab driver drop her off at her car so she could drive home. Luckily he called 911 before she got far. The old me would have suggested she had a substance abuse problem and couldn’t help herself.
The new me concludes she is an irresponsible selfish person, along with the numerous other morons who continue drinking and driving in our community every day.
There have been a rash of automobile break-ins in our neighbourhoods. While no one should leave their cars unlocked, the thieves are opportunists who have stolen property and identities. I won’t be cutting the punks any slack as they spread fear through our community.
How about the bold fraudster who showed up at an elderly ladies house in North Delta attempting to steal her savings for a second time. Lucky the police were ready. Clearly this person has no shame.
Maybe I’m weary from the pandemic and I’m becoming a cynic, or maybe the tipping point was ignorant people who drive across Canada and deface war memorials in the name of freedom in the freest country in the world.
There’s no excuse for bad behaviour, so shape up people.
Ingrid Abbott is a freelance writer who may need a 12-step program so she no longer makes excuses for peoples bad behaviour.
