The Car, the Pedestrians, and the Cow

This evening my boys and I were walk home on the west side of  Elgin. When crossing Somerset in the pedestrian walk we approached a car turning right. Elgin traffic was busy, and so there was no chance that the car could turn right. Yet it blocked the pedestrian walk.

So here is the dilemma: We cannot walk behind the car because there is another car next to it and we could not squeeze between. We cannot walk in front of the car because this would mean we would need to walk into traffic on Elgin and possibly die.

But the car could back up.

So, other than standing in the middle of the pedestrian walk, in the middle of the intersection. I suggested to the driver of the blocking car to back up.

For this helpful suggestion, a passenger in another car yelled at me:

"Oh come one, walk around".

This (and I am being generous here) ignorant fat cow wanted me and my children to risk our life by walking in front of the car into Elgin traffic to get around a car when pedestrians have the right-of-way.

Examples of base ignorance and stupidity explain the problems with society, and our species.

Death Wish?

Say I have death wish and I also have a road and bicycle fetish. How would I want to die?

Clearly, what I saw last Monday night held the answer. A man on a bicycle riding down Bank Street in the Glebe at night with no lights or reflectors. Plus, at no additional brain power he was riding without his hands on the handlebars and he was listening to his mp3 player.

The only thing missing from this scene would be talking on the cell phone.

The Dog, The Glebe, and the Ottawa Driver

Imagine the look on my face as I watch, in slow motion, a driver lose control of their vehicles as they hurtle towards me. The driver frantically attempting to grasp the steering wheel as they make a right hand turn, and failing at it all the while encumbered with a small dog over their shoulder...

...lucky for me, and my children in the back seat that the driver eventually regained control at the last moment.

Next, same driver was distracted by me mouthing the words "you stupid idiot".

Was it the Glebe, the dog, or the Ottawa Driver(tm) at fault?