There is never an idiot shortage

SOMEBODY once said that one of the things there will never be a shortage of is idiots. If they did not say it, they should have done.

As readers of this newspaper know, the adage is proved every single day. Today’s prime example is the idiot who heaped verbal abuse on a crew member as they were tackling a car fire.

As can be seen from the pictures with our story, it is quite obvious that there was a fire, which anybody could see.

Quite rightly, the firefighters had closed the street to allow them to put out the fire safely.

It was at this point that the idiot in question chose to abuse the crew because he could not get his car past.

You just know that he, or possibly she, as the idiot is referred to simply as a motorist, would have been the first to complain should the car on fire have exploded as they drove past.

Road rage is an unpleasant modern phenomenon which seems to be getting worse all the time.

Whether it is because we all lead more stressful lives or because the roads are getting more crowded or, possibly, because more idiots are being produced every year, is not clear but it is certainly unpleasant.

Normally it is possible to work out what the infringement is that caused the outburst of swearing, gesticulating, hooting, or all three. Quite often it is something that, without the idiot factor, would not be likely to lead to abuse.

In this case, it seems that this factor must have been quite high as the road was closed to ensure people’s safety, including the abusive person who wanted to drive past.

The only thing that will stop it is when our cars become driverless but even that wouldn’t have stopped this unpleasant incident. And we know the idiots will find a way to rant and rave.