"safety" certainly NOT first for Malaysians!

I was just plain disgusted at this recent news article I read:

Imagine that: the 6-yr old kid had it right! Be safe, cross the road using the pedestrian bridge! But the “adult” “parent”, the one who is supposed to role model correct behaviour, pooh-poohs the kid, and insists on crossing a SIX-LANE highway, in the pouring rain, because the gap in the divider will make it “faster,” … and proceeds to get them all mowed down by a passing vehicle.

My dear reader: please, take a few seconds to ask yourself : “What would I have done in the same situation?” There you are, with your two precious kids in tow : would YOU have jaywalked across a highway in the pouring rain?

I’m sorry, but I feel so GOOD to see something like this happen. I feel badly for the affected family and all, but, well, you reap what you sow, right? Maybe, just maybe, thanks to this incident, Malaysians in general will think twice about simply jaywalking any which where they please? Maybe, just maybe, Malaysians may let go of that illusion of invulnerability and invincibility they seem to suffer from most of the time (hello : just LOOK at those bloody motorcyclists!!). Maybe, just maybe, “safety first” may suddenly be not just some stupid slogan to mouth around your boss, and actually is a principle to live by???

I’ve always felt I’m one of those abnormalities: While I share Malaysians’ general disdain for following rules, I DO take safety seriously:
- hence my insisting on seatbelts being worn in the car (although not in the back seat lah… that’s taking it too far in Malaysia! I buckled up once when sitting in the back seat and got the driver all insulted! Go figure!)
- and I do not approve of driving while NOT using a hands-free set (… yes yes yes I DO (DID actually) sms while driving – but that’s when I was using the phone which was SO easy to text with!!! Heehehe)
- and as far as possible I wait for the green man to appear before I cross the road at the designated pedestrian crossings…. Or at least make very very sure that it is safe to jaywalk! Oh yeah: and I cross in a straight line (it’s the SHORTEST distance to the other side!!) instead of crossing in a diagonal manner that would bring me to the sidewalk a few steps closer to the final destination. I don’t understand – MY objective is to cross safely, THEN get to my destination! Perhaps it’s me who can’t multi-task? Haaahaha no I don’t for a minute believe that.

I think I have my priorities right, unlike most other Malaysians.

What do you think?