Inconsiderate jerkism

There are some people who just ought to be flogged or, at least, publicly humiliated.

Before I launch into that, I should warn you folks that I don't feel well and, when that happens, the smallest thing makes me mad as hell. One of those things that I've dealt with almost every day for the past three years just gigged me to the core this evening -- a traffic jam during my afternoon commute.

I work in Little Rock, Ark., and live about 22 miles southwest in scenic Benton. That ought to be about a 20 minute drive and it is when there's not a wreck that backs up traffic when I'm heading home.

One of the major problems I -- and a lot of other motorists -- encounter on my drive home is that there's almost always a wreck near an area of Little Rock that's near Interstate 430. For those who live in central Arkansas, you probably know exactly the area I'm talking about -- hitting I-30 West from I-430 in the afternoon is dicey because wrecks on Highway 5 are alarmingly common during rush hour.

Why? Because some greedy fatheads decided to build houses in area of town where the road system won't support a lot of traffic. And I'm willing to bet the people responsible for all those subdivisions knew damn well what they were doing just as a five-year-old child knows that 10 gallons of water won't fit in a five-gallon bucket. It only makes sense that shoving a bunch of traffic into an area that can't support it leads to car wrecks, injuries and backed up traffic.

I'm also willing to bet they didn't give a damn about the consequences of their actions. No, all that matters in this world anymore -- seemingly -- is figuring out a way to make a buck. To hell with anything else. So, a lot of us commuters are sitting in a traffic almost every day because a wreck has thrown a wrench into everything while the crumbs who caused that mess are somewhere across town enjoying their profits. Hell, they're probably thinking up new ways to annoy the masses.

The problem, of course, is that society is there are a heck of a lot of amoral, unethical types out there who believe that they can do absolutely anything they want as long as they're not breaking the law. That's about the lowest standard to live by as there's a lot of difference between what's legally right and what's morally right.

And you can't blame the Little Rock Planning Commission for the mess, either. The developers apparently take delight in hiring engineers who have no qualms about dreaming up traffic flow reports that prove that, indeed, you can fit 10 gallons of water in a five-gallon bucket.

"Yes, this subdivision will have virtually no impact on traffic," Amoral Engineer says. "Look! I've got a map of the area with concentric circles on it and some charts with pretty colors on them. That proves it!"

So, the overworked Planning Commission signs off on traffic-jamming project after traffic-jamming project as the people who build things and annoy people cram money in their fat, filthy pockets. Hey, they got paid, so who cares if people who eventually move to the area are lucky to avoid getting in a wreck every day and commuters are delayed? It's all perfectly legal, so that's just fine, isn't it?

If they want to play that way, that's fine. People who go around doing things that they know or should know will annoy large groups of people ought to be held accountable and I've got just the way to do it.

Yes, the Arkansas Criminal Code needs to be amended to include a new crime -- inconsiderate jerkism. You'd have misdemeanor inconsiderate jerkism for mere minor annoyances and the felony charge would apply to people who engage in large scale aggravation.

Separating the inconsiderate jerks from people who actually do care what impact their actions have would be easy. That Arkansas State Trooper who spends most of his afternoon working wrecks in that traffic-congested area knows who the inconsiderate jerks are, yeah? That trooper could pull the trigger that brings the legal system into play. It would work pretty much the same all over the state -- where are people being annoyed and who is the inconsiderate jerk responsible? The police would know the answer to that in a hurry.

Those found guilty of inconsiderate jerkism should have any profits from their obnoxious enterprises confiscated and donated to, say, public education. Oh, and they ought to be publicly flogged on the lawn of the courthouse located in the county where the inconsiderate jerkism took place.

Yes, once that law gets passed in Arkansas, it'll sweep the nation. Inconsiderate jerks lurk everywhere and their turn in the barrel is fast approaching.