The behaviour of humans never ceases to amaze me - good, bad or indifferent - I often ponder what makes people tick.
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Clearly it would be a boring world if we all thought and acted the same - but surely there are some things that are always acceptable and others that are never acceptable.
With this in mind how is it that some people can still serve up the totally unacceptable?
Two situations, on two separate days, at almost the same location in the Southern Highlands recently pushed this pondering to the forefront of my thoughts.
On the first day I was driving along Boardman Road, Bowral, near David Woods Playing Fields, when in the distance I could see a small dark object on the road.
A couple travelling nearer to the object stopped, put on their hazard lights and the passenger of the vehicle jumped out and relocated the object - which turned out to be a turtle - safely on a grassed area to the side of the road.
Motorists travelling in the opposite direction (including myself) stopped to allow the rescue mission take place without danger.
As the road was cleared of this little nomad we all waved at each other and continued on our path.
No doubt we were all chuffed that the turtle had made it safely across the road and would soon be enjoying the nearby waterway.
A day later I was travelling on the same section of road, following another vehicle, when I noticed in the distance a duck crossing the road and several other ducks on the shoulder - no doubt also contemplating the safety of such a crossing.
To my complete shock the motorist in front of me - an elderly woman (I could see her reflection in the side mirror on her vehicle) - proceeded to increase her speed and honk her horn as she approached the crossing duck.
Fortunately the duck made it safely to the other side, but I can honestly say I was gobsmacked and angered by the behaviour of this motorist.
I am convinced that her actions were consciously and callously deliberate.
She obviously increased her speed on approach, she gave the horn a good hit and she slowed to about 40km once she had passed the area where this duck was crossing.
All I could think was "what type of person could behave this way?"
For starters we are currently living in a time where much of our country's animals are struggling after they have lost their habitats - and the numbers of many species have been decimated - due to recent bushfires, we should be looking out for our wildlife in all locations.
Furthermore this area along Boardman Road is the natural habitat for many ducks, turtles and other creatures. The encroachment on their "safe haven" began several years ago when roads and houses were built in the area.
It is a responsibility of all people to look out for these animals when they are passing through the home grounds.
For the people who stopped to rescue the turtle, I send out a big 'thumbs up'.
For the lady who sped up as she approached the duck crossing the road, you should be ashamed of yourself.