As Dr Sheldon Cooper would say, Fascinating!

[CairnsDuc]

People in Laboratories everywhere have placed Mice and Rats in Mazes with Obstacles to get to the prize at the other end.
All the while watching how certain Animals react, some give up, some think it through, some use brute force.

I just watched a real life (Accidental) experiment of a similar design, this time only involving Humans, and the restriction of access to a Service Station (Gas Station) I was driving by this particular Station to get to a nearby Shop to get a few things, and for the few minutes I was there I was fascinated by the amazing things people would do/React to a closed shop that is normally open 24 Hours. As I'm on a Day off, I thought I might hang around and watch the Shenanigans. This particular Service station is in a very busy section of the Suburb, lots of little Shops and retail space around it, 4 Suburbs Border this area, so it's a very busy spot, and this Service station has prime spot where 4 main roads meet up.

It would appear that early this morning the place had an Electrical Fault as there are Electrician Vehicles everywhere and the Main Electrical service board is open with Wire coming out of it everywhere, so the Station Pumps were not working, so the Station put large Orange Traffic cones/Bright Yellow Trash Bins (Whatever they could find by the looks of it) across it's Driveways to indicate to the General public that they were closed.

After standing there for nearly 30 Minutes (didn't mean to stay that long I just hooked watching the Stupidity of some people)
I figured out that the People driving to this Station could be divided up a number ways:

1: The Average person, People came around the corner, saw the driveways were blocked, understood that the place was closed. Drove off in Search of another Gas Station. A little inconvenient, but such is life.

2: The Sticky Beak, again came around the corner, went to drive in, saw the blocked Driveways, slowed down to near Walking pace (Regardless of the other Road users trying to get around them on this busy intersection) drove around the Gas Station (the Gas/Service station has 3 streets on 3 of it's sides) Trying to look in and see what was going on. (One guy ran his car up the Gutter he was so busy trying to see what was going on, didn't look at the road, or in this case the Gutter)

3: The non Believer, Quite few of these were of the older Generation, they would come around the corner, spot the blocked driveways, and simply stop in there Tracks, they didn't care that they were blocking half the road and causing traffic Chaos, you could quite clearly seeing some of them mouth "I don't believe this" some would then proceed to drive Slowly drive from Driveway to Driveway trying to figure out another way in.

4: The Mobile Phone driver, 2 People while I was there came hurtling around the corner, both on Mobile Phones, chatting away, both young Females, one simply turned into the driveway running over 3 Cones, clipping a bin and proceeded to pull up at the Pumps seemingly oblivious to what she had just done, got out, went to the pump, lifted the nozzle up and shoved in into her Car (all the while still talking away on the phone) after about 30 seconds a Staff member approaches her to tell her to leave, the whole time she is hanging onto the pump nozzle chatting away not realizing there is no Petrol/gas flowing. She drops the Nozzle on the ground, gets in the Car and drives off knocking down 2 more cones (still chatting away!) The 2nd driver was a bit quicker, she comes around the corner, goes to turn in, hits the brakes and comes to a screaming/ Tire smoking halt, put's the phone down, reverses back, picks up the phone to continue her conversation and drives off.

5: My personal favorite, the "I'm getting Gas/Petrol and damn your Stinking Traffic Cones" this could be broken down into a number of Sub Categories, The 4WD owner who decides to not use the driveway, 2 or 3 simply jumped the Gutter/Curbing and drove in that way, 1 was that keen he jumped the gutter, and drove through a Garden bed! the Compact/small Car Driver who looks at the Traffic cones and other obstacles as a Challenge to see just how small a gap can I squeeze my Car through. again 2 or 3 got there Cars and just drove through the small gaps, pulled up at the pumps and got pissed off when the pumps wouldn't work. this also doesn't mention the fact that 5 or 6 people simply drove over the Cones, or got out and moved them. never stopping to think that maybe they are there for a specific reason.

6. The Person just looking for a Fight, 3 or 4 people would pull up outside on the street (Again, totally oblivious to the Traffic Chaos it Causes as there is no parking on the Street) Haul ass into the Station, only a minute or 2 later to be seen walking back out cursing and swearing. 1 guy stood at the door demanding to know what was going on, a Staff member was talking to him (I couldn't hear what the staffer was saying) he proceeded to curse and swear and storm off.

After 30 minutes or so, the folks in the Service Station moved all of there Vehicles and the Electrician Vehicles across the Driveways, so now people had large Physical Barriers, that seemed to stop people completely then. so I walked back to my car, and by the time I drove past a minute or 2 later there were Cardboard signs leaning against the Cars saying "Service Station Closed"

Why am I posting this? buggered if I know, I just found watching the Stupidity of it all very entertaining, after 20 years in Retail it still never ceases to amaze me how people carry on when you limit there access to a store or service, change Trading hours, stop selling a product they like or some other simple thing, they take it so personally, Classic example, I work in a Bottle/Liquor shop that is open 365 days a year, we close early on one day a year (Xmas Day) We get threatened, yelled and cursed at for closing the doors at 6pm on Xmas day, instead of the normal 11pm every other day, we can have signs up for a month prior, but they still carry on like we have asked for there 1st born's head on a Platter!

Ahh, the Joys of Retail, I really should find another job. you'd think after 20 years I would have learned my lesson by now!  

[stopintime]

Sheldon FTW 

My favorite is watching preoccupied shoppers trying to figure out how to get through a double glass door, especially if one is locked - there is only four ways to do it, but it still takes seven or eight attempts

[RAT900]

humans are cruel parodies of chimpanzees.....I study them all the time for personal amusement

you reminded me of when I used to go to the Central Park Zoo and study humans in front of the chimp cage....

I won't jack your thread here with that tale

[sofadriver]

"think about how stupid the average person is...........

then realize that half the people you see every day are stupider than that!"

George Carlin

[Duck-Stew]

A *very* entertaining read...  Thanks for posting!

[Grampa]

Bazinga!

[orangelion03]

Brilliant report!   thanks for the laughs!!

[Scooter Montgomery]

"Even Howard would know that they were closed and he's not even a doctor."

[CairnsDuc]

"Even Howard would know that they were closed and he's not even a doctor."

I could hear Sheldon's voice in my Head when I read your line. 

[Autostrada Pilot]

"Even Howard would know that they were closed and he's not even a doctor."

Well said.


Bazinga!

[cokey]

I love that show..

When im in the east 20s working ill grave lunch at this spot on Lexington then proceed to the corner of 24th n 3rd where 3rd becomes a 2 way going down town..
       right turn arrow light is green on 24th going to 3rd while uptown 3rd ave is green.  Oh the hilarity which ensues while pedestrians try crossing then jumping back in a startled state. Then they get mad till they look up and notice why that car or truck almost crushed them.. love the look on their face when they feel dumb.
    While bike messaging in the beginning of 00', I came to a non scientific conclusion that about80% of people either just don't pay attention or are idiots... 

[RAT900]

There was a line Meg Ryan delivered in that movie Joe Vs. The Volcano to Tom Hanks' character...it is as follows

"My father says that almost the whole world is asleep. Everybody you know. Everybody you see. Everybody you talk to. He says that only a few people are awake and they live in a state of constant total amazement. "

those words stayed with me

[Autostrada Pilot]

There was a line Meg Ryan delivered in that movie Joe Vs. The Volcano to Tom Hanks' character...it is as follows

"My father says that almost the whole world is asleep. Everybody you know. Everybody you see. Everybody you talk to. He says that only a few people are awake and they live in a state of constant total amazement. "

those words stayed with me

Sounds about right....

[sno_duc]

Another enjoyable study in the human condition is a public boat ramp.
Husband wife teams can be particularly entertaining...........NO!! LEFT!! NO!!! NO!! the other LEFT 

[phishhead1]

this sounds like one of my daily challenges. So I am an electrician and it never ceases to amaze me how many little old ladies or people on cell phones will pull up behind my bucket truck, with me 50 foot in the air, and be completely oblivious to all the flashing lights and strobes (15 on my truck i have had to count them several times to make sure I'm not the whacked out one) then lay on the horn and wonder why i won't move the truck.  Normally I yell down from above and say "I cant drive from up here" or some other sarcastic comment. I do get a kick out of the disgusted look people give me when they realize just how idiotic they are.  Ah the things i do to entertain myself at work.