Overheard at... Starbucks

“Could you watch my stuff for me?”

Uh… No!

Let me be clear. It’s not that I think you are a bad person or that you have an evil intent. But I believe if we all followed the rules we would be able to help avert disasters such as on Monday.  

We all know the rules, right? Don’t leave your bag unintended. Don’t ask others to watch your bag, or accept items in your bag from strangers. Don’t carry prohibited items through security. Over time, though, we have become lax about living with these regulations. We think it can’t happen again… until it does.

But I have noticed there is another reason why people dismiss rules. Some people seem to feel above them. This happens at our school all the time. There is a strict visitor badge rule… even if you are just dropping something off to the classroom. Everyone must check in and get a badge. And yet frequently I see the secretaries chasing people down the hall and insisting. Come on; they have enough to do without having to monitor parents.  

Are these the same people that park their old SUVs in the energy efficient vehicle only spots? Just saying… And don’t even get me started on rules around pick up and drop off. It doesn’t seem to matter how many times the Principle sends out reminders about this process, many people just do it the way they want to do it.

In order to live in a civil (and safe) society we give up certain rights: such as jaywalking, or cutting in line, or running red lights. We agree to follow the rules, because if we didn’t, if everyone thought they were above the rules, society would fall apart.

  So don’t ask me to do any of these things. And, don’t expect me to stay silent if I see a bag without an obvious owner, or an unusual package just lying around. Whether at the airport or at Starbucks I go by the rules.