Situational awareness is officially defined as “the perception and understanding of one’s environment and the ability to project the future status of the situation to make timely decisions.”
In plain English: it’s knowing what’s going on around you — and acting like you’re not the only person on the planet.
When someone’s missing that awareness, I’m convinced that’s where rude behavior comes from. Now sure, some people enjoy being rude (they know who they are), but I like to think most folks just can’t help themselves. It’s like they were born without the situational awareness gene.
And nowhere — nowhere — is that more obvious than right here in New Jersey. Especially on the roads. Particularly in the left lane. And don’t even get me started on supermarket aisles. Some people treat the middle of aisle 5 like it’s their personal living room.
This week, Judi, Kyle, and I opened up the phones and asked listeners to share their favorite examples of “Rude Jersey.” The responses did not disappoint.
Here’s our very unofficial, but extremely accurate, list of everyday rudeness:
Walking slowly right down the middle of the sidewalk or hallway
Stopping suddenly in a busy path like they just spotted a UFO
Blocking entrances or exits to have a full-blown phone convo
Cutting in line or pretending lines are just “suggestions”
Playing videos or music out loud — because apparently, we all need to hear it
Talking on speakerphone like it’s a public service announcement
Letting kids run wild in restaurants or stores
Leaving trash behind in public places
Spitting, littering, or both (double points!)
Taking up extra seats with bags, coats, or general entitlement
Chewing with their mouth open or talking with food flying everywhere
Snapping at waiters like they’re retrievers
Taking endless flash photos at dinner
Arguing loudly in public — bonus points if it’s on FaceTime
Driving without turn signals
Tailgating, double parking, or taking up two spots “just in case”
Texting while driving
Blasting music with all windows down (we get it, you love that song)
Ignoring basic manners — like “excuse me” or “thank you”
So, from aisle 5 to the left lane, it’s not that we’re surrounded by bad people — it’s just that too many of them think the world is their personal left lane.