You see, I'm starting to develop a case of (passive) sidewalk rage. I start out walking happy, enjoying the day, the breeze, the joy my legs produce when not stuck under a desk. But then ordinary little things start to get to me. A flood of oncomers at a crosswalk. The car that drives by with full-volume bass, forcing me to experience its music. A long line of cars speeding through a crosswalk marked "yield to peds". Yet another bicycle that pedals full-speed on the wrong side of the sidewalk, making me choose between hoping that it'll swerve or giving way. And then I remember all the obnoxious things that I've encountered walking in the past year: The car that floored it as I was crossing a road, screaming profanity at me as I ran; the lady with a big truck who decided to make a right-turn through a signalled crosswalk as I was directly ahead of her massive bumper... I start imagining that every car is a plotting devil. I fantisise about punctured tires, magic electronic car-stopping devices, broken windshields. and then I'm finally home and forget that it ever happened.
Tonight, I'm buying myself a bus pass.
This nodeshell rescue provided by exaggeration and a swath of yellow umbrellas.