April 22, 2004

Random street scene

As I was walking to church tonight from the public library, I came to an intersection where a woman in a car was attempting to make a right turn. As is the (bad) habit of so many drivers, she had pulled so far ahead that her vehicle completely straddled the crosswalk, making it necessary for pedestrians to cross in front of her (thus risking death in traffic) or behind her (thus risking death by the car coming up behind).

Unless you were the guy coming up the street in the opposite direction as me. He walked halfway across the intersection, stopped approximately opposite the driver's seat, and stared at her. After a few moments she actually backed slowly out of the crosswalk. No kidding. I think she was probably a little bit intimidated, as I am not sure this guy was entirely "there."

Nonetheless, he actually does what I, a perennial pedestrian, have been merely thinking for years. I wanted to buy him a drink.