Zombie mutant ninja CURMUDGEONS!
Zundfolge, thank you for doing an awesome job of defining The Curmudgeon Factor . I've seen these miserable guys at gunshops over the years, and it's never been much fun dealing with them. And aside from all the legal, defense, and political aspects of gun ownership, I like to shoot because it's fun. So the last thing I want to deal with when buying new toys is the guy who looks and acts like he's had a rotten life and has been sucking lemons. Where do all these sour, bitter, miserable bastidges come from?
TechBrute, you touched on something that has really been bothering me lately: "When I get up beside them, it's some little girl on a cell phone oblivious to the world. " In fact, I was considering posting a rant on the Roundtable titled, "Hang up and drive!".
Lately I have been driving around more than I used to, and I have been noticing how many people drive around with a cell phone glued to their ear, totally oblivious of the traffic around them. It's almost unbearably common, and the thing that gets me is I know that for less than $20 you can buy a remote earpiece/microphone so you can talk hands-free. I got one so that when I need to talk I can have both hands on the wheel, and anyone who can afford a cell phone should have one for their car. For gosh sakes, I see people driving around, holding the phone in one hand, and punctuating their conversation by gesturing with their other hand, as if the person on the phone could see them! I can tell who's on the phone from a half-mile down the road, they're usually going too slow, or weaving, or changing lanes without signaling, usually abruptly.
Now, I'm no fan of the nanny state, and I don't believe in throwing legislation at every one of life's little problems. But in the UK they made it a traffic offense to drive while talking on the cell phone, they'll give you a ticket. I hope that doesn't become necessary here.
OK, enough rant, thank goodness for all the pleasant, friendly gun dealers and conscientious drivers out there.