Arbella is having one hell of a time. She hit the trifecta at the end of august: retirement, selling her condo, and moving to a (strange & wonderful) new neighborhood.
She had an epiphany of sorts today. When crossing the street to the metro from her apto, she waited till the light turned green, looked to the left to make SURE there wasn't any traffix, started across, and paused just momentarily when a fellow pedestrian behind her said "hey!"....
at that point, a white car SWOOSHED past her nose, missing her entirely, thanks be, but causing her to stop and ponder wot had happened in mid-crosswalk. yes, she had the green light, and NO, the white car was NOT visible at all when she started. it must have been going maybe 50 mph....
the other pedestrian then said "hey, i told you!!" indeed he had, but i hadn't paid attention.
anyway, arbella is now realizing that she is enjoying borrowed time. she imagines that had the white car struck her, she would now be deader than a doornail (thanks, charles dickens), and everything that's happened since is GRAVY. so....
she's very GLAD she's here. and she's resolved to pay much more attention when she crosses the streets here. and she's resolved, also, to pay MORE attention to the other pedestrians/passengers on this ship of fools......
god love y'all....life is indeed short, and fragile, and precious. how completely arbella tends to ignore this....
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Oh gosh, I'm so GLAD that the other pedestrian distracted you enuff that you SLOWED DOWN. And I'm even gladder that you are still here. Wot wud we-me-do without you????????
ReplyDeleteCat
Omigod!!! Do I have to come down there and teach you to look both ways before you cross the street?
ReplyDeleteSeriously, you be careful -- we need your voice here in the Land of Blog.
Yikes! These things can happen so quickly. I was once pulled to safety by my friend Lena before a messenger bike plowed into me going the wrong way on a street in NYC. Look both ways and assume that the cars don't see you, ever.
ReplyDeleteSal
That was a close call and I'm so glad you weren't hit. I had a similar experience in Paris. I was crossing a six lane street with the pedestrian arrow and a car came careening around the corner without stopping and nearly hit me. Believe it or not, he gave me the finger.
ReplyDeleteJeeze Ma! Be careful!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you weren't flattened!
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Peg
at the speed that guy was going through the red light, i wouldn't have been flattened....they'd probly have had to pick me out of the tree branches at the side of the road.
ReplyDeletexo, ma
Darlene...I hope you gave it right back to him!
ReplyDeleteWe pedestrians need to become way more aggressive. I am totally unimpressed that the outfit here, Transportation Alternatives, is really bicycle people. Their eye is not on this sparrow! Have you ever seen grown up shoes like the ones for kids that have little flashing red lights? I'd like that...and you?
ReplyDeleteAll the best in the coming year as you have changed your digs in response to new tenants in the WH.
NDB: i've always wanted shoes like that but simply as a fashion statement. to slow down the rogue drivers in DC, we'd need a hat with strobe lighta....
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