‘Me first’ attitudes becoming more prevalent

By Karen Gavis/editor-in-chief

Line jumpers and hogs. I’ve pretty much had my fill of them. Just what in the world is everyone’s big rush anyhow? It seems there is some sort of “me first,” “get mine” type mentality gaining ground.

But anyone who has ever attended a door-buster sale landing first in line to get theirs may have realized that bulldozing the crowd or outpacing an elderly person doesn’t exactly generate a winning feeling.

And there is danger involved. Some of those first-in-liners have been trampled and discovered that being number one really is not all that matters.

Another thing to contemplate is that people who always take the largest or last piece of food could end up mirroring a hog in more ways than one. A good way to guard against it and slash calories in the process is to simply share.

It seems the me-first scenario would improve somewhat near the holidays but no such luck. 

Once while making my way to Starbucks, I got caught up in the Christmas light-gazer traffic. Vehicles were literally bumper-to-bumper with mere inches between them to guarantee another car did not edge past their spot in line — not even those (like me) who had the green light.

I needed a bullhorn so I could shriek, “What is wrong with y’all? Don’t y’all know this is Christmas?”

I still get aggravated, and for some strange reason, although I can’t imagine why, I’m usually near Starbucks.

Recently, while leaving their parking area waiting for traffic to move so I could turn right, a guy decided he just could not wait a second longer and pulled up on the left so he could turn.

And guess what?

Then, I could not see past his big gas-guzzler to see if I could turn at all. After I gave him a long look, he glanced back as if he had done nothing. Grrr.

I am actually becoming accustomed to this kind of thing.

Now, when it happens, I’m thinking, “Go ahead on. I’ll just lag back here with common courtesy and what is left of my patience.”