Looking vs. Seeing

It was one of those days today. It was hot and I was tired so when the guy in the truck almost backed into us, I yelled "Watch out!" 

This conversation ensued: 

"Whoops, I didn't see you."

"Watch out better, then."

"I was watching out."

"If you didn't see me, you weren't watching out."

"I was watching out."

"You weren't. I'm not invisible. Pay attention next time."

And by that time, I was far enough away that I couldn't yell loudly enough anymore. It's one of those "conversations" that make me want to gag. You can't miss a giant red bike in the MIDDLE OF THE TRAFFIC LANE and still think that you're actually seeing what's on the road. I really wish people would understand the difference between looking and seeing. Your eyeballs might technically be open but if your brain is not actually processing what said eyeballs are taking in, you have no right to be operating a motor vehicle.  

In other news, the Better World Club had been promoting this graphic: 

It bugged me that the #SaveALife was so flippant in a situation where #Don'tMurderPeopleWithYourCar would be more appropriate. Too often, the media portrays traffic deaths as inevitable and accidental so in that reality, an attentive driver seems almost heroic. 

Luckily, I have some awesome Twitter buddies and we made our voices heard. Here is the end result:

It's a subtle difference but it's a big one, not quite as good as my suggestion #dontmurderpeoplewithyourcar, but it's an improvement. Thank you for listening, Better World Club!