Are we ignoring or just don't care anymore

At the risk of coming across as an old curmudgeon, I'm more and more annoyed by the lack of respect for posted signs that almost everyone has these days. I live on a corner that has a four way stop, with signs and a flashing red light above the intersection, and yet most people don't really stop (unless on rare occasion a Milford policeman happens to be visible - likely writing a ticket for running that stop). On that same corner is a grade school with signs that read "No skateboarding" which are posted just in front of one of Milford's favorite skateboarding areas on the school grounds. And, although there is no sign on the street, I'm relatively sure that skateboarding down the Summit Street hill is not legal, even if it is a favorite pass time for the older boarders.

One of these days a car running the stop will meet a skateboarder doing the hill run and then everyone will get all upset about "why something wasn't done" to enforce the laws and protect people. That's why we have things like warning labels on lawnmowers now, telling you not to put your hand under the mower while it is running - someone did something stupid sometime back and the lawmakers and enforcers reacted with an even more stupid way to deal with it.

Now, in the midst of the Milford Memories weekend there are many more examples of people either ignoring the no parking signs or the signs in merchants' lots that clearly state "No Milford Memories Parking". The smarter merchants have set up rope lines and are charging for parking, since people are likely to ignore the no parking signs anyway. Have we become so much a "me first" nation that ignoring signs that may have content that would inconvenience us has just become the norm? There are "no pets please" signs at all of the entrances to the Milford Memories street festival, yet people still ignore them and think it's cute to walk their dogs (some quite large and hard to control) through the crowds. It's times like that that one wishes the Miller Lite can from the TV commercials would come crashing down on those idiot's heads. All around them would likely applaud.

I've pretty much ruled out ignorance - the inability to be able to read the signs or to understand what a stop sign or a no parking sign actually means. So, that really only leaves personal defiance as the cause - "to heck with that, I'll do what I want." If that is the case, it is a sad commentary on the state of our society. Societies can only exist and thrive if they live by a commonly accepted set of rules (laws). There is a place for the occasional use of civil disobedience as a means of protest as we have all seen in civil rights and anti-war demonstrations. Even that can go to far, as have some of the anti-globalization and anti-abortion actions. There is, however, no place for every citizen to make individual, on-the-spot decisions about whether to stop or not, whether to park somewhere or not and whether to ignore other posted signs. Allowing that behavior is the first step on the slippery slope to anarchy.

So, what can we as individuals do? I for one tend to point out to drivers, if I see them running the stop, that they just ignored a stop sign. Their normal reaction is to get angry at me for pointing that out,rather than saying "Oh, sorry". If I see other illegal activities I will occasionally call the local police and let them know. I've been cursed out by too many 12-15 year old skateboarders to try to ask them to observe the sign and leave the area. The police are sometimes helpful, but most of the time they just write it up as another call from some old curmudgeon and go about doing whatever it is they do. The local Ordinance officers are pretty good about enforcing parking violations and will react to calls about other potential violations - dogs running free around the neighborhood happens a lot, too. I guess the best thing we as individuals can do is to try to observe the law ourselves and teach our children to do the same and hope that setting an example rubs off on a few others. Until then, we can all imagine the giant beer can crushing down on the offenders and then let it go. What are your thought on this issue?