I love getting run over by trucks

Monday, April 9, 2007 » thought

Near the top of my long, long list of driver pet peeves is one that doesn't even happen while I'm in the car, and it probably sounds weird, but anyway: I get so furious when drivers stop to let me cross the street and there are no traffic lights or stop signs in sight. I'm sure a lot of people would appreciate the convenience the driver is affording them, but I can't help transposing myself into the car behind the one now stopped in the middle of a block, going BLGSHDLGHLGH:L YOU ARE DISRUPTING THE TRAFFIC FLOW (ALSO MY BLOOD FLOW). Back on the pedestrian side, I have to wait to see whether some car that's like 100 feet away is actually going to slow down and stop in the middle of the road just because some guy is standing there, maybe thinking about crossing. (I MAKE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO STAND AWAY FROM THE CURB SO THEY WILL JUST CONTINUE ON AND I CAN CROSS NORMALLY.)

Another reason why this is really not a great idea: While waiting to cross a two-lane, one-way street, a car speeds out of the distant intersection and sloooowly comes to a halt in front of the invisible stop sign in the lane nearest to me. The driver generously motions for me to cross. About a second later, a HUGE TRUCK zooms through the intersection in the other lane. THANKS, I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE CROSSED BECAUSE I LOVE DYING.