Awhile back Ann Arbor City Council passed a "motorists must stop for pedestrians in crosswalk" law. No big deal right. It's already a state law, and nearly every pedestrian-heavy downtown in Southeast Michigan has an enhanced enforcement of that law in some way.

Well, it is a big deal apparently.
First, let me say that I don't care which way this particular ordinance goes. Why? Because it's not a big deal. I've been hit by cars, a lot, and I still don't think it's a big deal. The problem is why people are freaking out about it - and yes, they are losing their minds.

Ann Arbor Dot Com (it's our "newspaper") has been following the controversy and people are outraged at the increased number of rear-end accidents due to cars stopped for pedestrians. As in, people are super pissed at City Council because they crashed their car into something. These are adults, mind you. This is Ann Arbor; one of the most educated cities in the U.S. Yet, somehow 75% of the commenters on that article think that it's City Council's fault that they crashed their car into another car.

Another car, may I remind you, that was stopped for a pedestrian. If a driver didn't see a car stopped in the middle of the road, would that driver have seen a pedestrian? I guess I'm glad that another car was there to run interference.

One driver was so pissed at City Council for driving his car into the rear-end of another car while he was driving, that he actually brought a piece of his damaged car to City Council.

The sad part of all of this is that as City Council members face re-election this week, this will be a hot issue (bizarre, I know, I'll explain below), and it's even possible that council members will be replaced because they voted to make people crash their cars that they're driving while they're driving them. The ordinance will likely be repealed if not by new council-folks, then by scared-barely-made-it-back council folks.

This is sad because that's politics these days. Ann Arbor likes to think that it's some bastion of progressive thought; a place where enlightenment reigns supreme. In reality, all it took to turn the wise people of this city into giant, selfish, babies was a little road rage.

The psychology is simple. When someone makes a mistake on the road, they get pissed and flip the bird at the person who made a brilliant maneuver to avoid them causing an accident. This is a simple human reaction, for simple humans. When a person makes a mistake, especially one that results in a burst of adrenaline, like an accident, or near-miss on the expressway, their brain begins functioning on reflex. It's the most primitive part of the brain and its only job is protection. It protects you from physical and mental danger. It covers  the later part by telling the larger, smarter, more mature part of your brain that it's not your fault.

Teachers will know what I'm talking about here. Have you ever had to tell a parent their kid was a jerk? How many times has a parent been angry at you because their kid ate all the paste? It's the teacher's fault right? Wrong.

Just like it's not Ann Arbor's fault that some people crashed their cars into other cars. For those of you who are pissed about this ordinance and reading here because you like to read things that make you angry, allow me to offer some free therapy.
When things are stopped in the middle of the road, don't run into them. Ever.

Ordinance or not, this is a wild and crazy world with sharp pointy things and stuff in places it doesn't belong. Don't hit that stuff with your car. You can do this by paying attention and looking where you're going - almost all the time.

Some of you have requested that flashing lights would help you not run into stuff on the road. You know, similar to the red flashing lights on the backs of the cars you ran into.

Good people of Ann Arbor, I ask you this one favor: Look where you're going, and if you're caught off guard, grow the fuck up and take responsibility for it.