Awkward List

Awkward moments and more weird stuff

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#12 Making a full stop when a cop is around

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 You might have heard of a California Roll. You know, that rice thing called “Sushi” or something that nobody really likes on their first try?

O.K. well that isn’t what I’m referring to. I’m talking about the rolling stops that are frequent here in California; as you approach a stop sign, you slow down and hold down the brakes but don’t really come up to a full stop, you just slow down to 1 MPH and then continue after looking both ways.

I do my complete stop all the time. Especially when there is a police officer right there on the adjacent corner.

These police officers live in California, and they themselves do not do full stops, so when I approach a stop sign and there is a police car behind me, I always think to myself:

“Oh crap. OK. Full stop.. check. Look both ways.. check. Oh no, what if I get a ticket for taking too long?”

And then the police car approaches the stop sign and does the California Roll so I begin to freak out thinking that he’s coming after me and that’s why he didn’t want to wait at the stop sign. Here is what the cop is thinking:

“Hmm.. I know that nobody does a full stop, but since I’m here, he’s doing it. This is awkward.” *Speeds away*

I wonder if they notice that everybody hits the brakes to slow down when the cop is spotted on the freeway. At night it becomes pretty obvious, since big red lights flash behind your car when you tap the brakes.

It must be cool to be a cop. Well, except for the fact that everyone around me would drive extra slow enough to get me mad.

Oh stop signs. They’re amazing. Who actually stops fully? Please take the poll below:

#7 Saying "no" to surveys or petitions

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Let’s face it. If we’re in a hurry, we simply cannot stop to listen to someone with a clipboard and a pen. Or maybe we are just not interested in taking a “short, two-minute survey”.

Have you ever seen that portion of your receipts that says “Chance to win $10,000! Just answer this question.” Just one question. Sometimes you get a free burger just by answering ONE question. Maybe we’re afraid of sharing our opinions?

Not me.

 Say no can just be an uncomfortable situation for any person. I mean, if we have no loose change when a hobo asks us for money, or if a little girl tries to sell us chocolate and we just happen to be allergic to chocolate (that would suck, by the way), we find it hard to say no.

How do you say no?

1) You can pull out your cell phone and pretend to be on the phone.

2) Pretend you don’t speak English and look straight down at the floor (it makes it look more realistic).

3) Wave at a stranger from far, and pretend that he’s an old co-worker and you have a lot of things to catch up on. Then walk away from the person with the clipboard and go to your car and speed away.

Or you could try my technique and look angry. Nobody wants to talk to an angry person.

Remember, few of us feel comfortable saying no to others. We might feel a little guilt. I always make sure to stop, and apologize that I cannot take the survey or sign the petition because I am not interested. I wish them luck in getting other people to sign their forms, and walk away with a smile. They’re used to getting rejected, but they’re still people with feelings, and that is something you might want to remember next time.