Effin Bitch

So, I was turning from one fairly traveled road in a residential area onto a more heavy traffic road.   The light turned green, and a man with what may (or may not) have been a service dog was slowly crossing the street.  They were not on my side of the road, but I waited for them because that's what you should do.  This lady honked at me.  I motioned at the man and the dog, as if, do you see this man and dog crossing the street, possibly a service dog?  The woman honked several more times, and I flailed my arm more.  Then she went around me and man and go be damned, drove around them.  I was scared she was going to hit them.  Luckily she didn't.  She swerved around them.

What was so important that you can't take time to wait for a (possibly) physically or emotionally challenged citizen or veteran and his faithful helper companion?  If it's such an emergency, maybe you should put your hazards on or something.  Maybe you shouldn't be driving because you are mentally unstable.

Fuckin Bitch.

Holy Moly

Another long day.  And need I remind you, I'm unemployed.  Woke up early.  Did shit.  And more shit.  And more shit.  And some more shit.  And I'm not even finished.  Tomorrow will be a long day as well.  Followed by the arrival of my BFF, and a part consisting of mostly people I've never met, and one person I haven't seen since high school.  It should be fun and interesting, but there's a lot to do before we get to the drinking and socializing.

Anyway, I'm going to take this time to bitch once again, about other people.

Driving.  I totally see why people honk so much around here.  The lights suck.  The timing is off, and there are not sensors.  So sometimes, there's a long ass green light, and not one car is going that way.  Other times, there is a long long long pause between the change from the turn lane green signal to the straight lane signal.  And then, why do people have to drive so slow.  Sooooo slow.  Sometimes, they are looking for a street, and then all of a sudden, they will turn with no turn signal of course.  It's maddening.  I'm going to conduct an involuntary driving school.  No cell phones.  No eating.  No reading.  No ipad.  No talking at all for some people.  Always use the turn signal if turning or changing lanes.  Never use the turn signal if just driving straight in the same lane.  Be prepared for the light to turn green, and go as soon as it turns.  Make sure you stop right behind the car in front of you.  If you leave a gap, then you might be fucking someone behind you over.  They might want to get into the turn lane, but thanks to you, they don't have enough room to get up there, and they will have to wait through another light to go.  On the reverse side, don't follow people too closely.  If there's not much traffic, then  you should drive 5 miles above the speed limit, unless there's cops around or you're in a school zone.  Never NEVER EVER speed in a school zone.  Trust me on this one.

Thanks, and that's all.  End of sermon.  I need to take my vitamins, brush my teeth, floss my teeth, and then rinse with mouthwash, and then hit the hay....

Goodnight!

Things Drivers Should Not Do

So, I honestly don't walk too much as transportation.  I usually just use our one car when it's available.  I always can find stuff to do at home, so, even when I plan to walk somewhere it doesn't always happen.  I do wish I did walk more, because one misses out on so much holing up in one's abode, or even driving to and fro the same places every day.

For one thing, people on foot are more friendly.  When one is walking, it is courteous to make eye contact when one passes another pedestrian and to say hello or at least smile.  When people pass each other in cars, it is not necessary to do the same.

Also, now that I am interested in plants much more than I was before, I have time to look at other neighbors' trees and plants and things.  Like, after seeing the few yards with bamboo in them, I finally came up with the idea to plant a row of bamboo on the one side of the house that borders next to the apartment complex.  That way there will be a natural barrier, so no one will run over our solar lights again, and it will also give us (and the neighbors) a little more privacy.

Anyway, one thing one notices while walking, as one also notices while driving, is things other drivers do that they shouldn't.  So, there's the obvious ones:

- driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.  Um, duh.....

- driving and talking on the phone - especially when driving onto the on ramp, making a left turn, in fast moving traffic, etc.  Either what you are talking about is not important at all, or it's so important that you should pull over and give the person you're having a conversation with your full attention.

- driving and texting - I am a big proponent of banning this completely.  Who the fuck needs to text while driving?  And if you do, just pull over.  But it's so much more dangerous than driving and talking on the phone.

- driving and grooming - makeup or shaving or even doing your hair -just can be very dangerous.

- driving and reading, writing or looking at a map!!!  This kills me!  It's like texting, but maybe worse!

-driving and eating - well, some things aren't too bad, like a simple sandwich that doesn't have a bunch of stuff falling out.  One needs to not care at all about spilling food or sauce on their clothes or in the car, or wear a giant bib or napkin.  But, I've seen people eating things like salads and hot entrees while driving.

- driving while engaging in sexual activity.  Do I really have to explain this one?  If I do, then you probably don't understand any of the other things above and you are quite possibly a hopelessly dangerous driver!



Here are the other things that seem less obvious to drivers in my observation:

- turning right when the walk sign in on and there are pedestrians crossing!  The pedestrians have the right of way!  And it's going to take them longer to go shorter distances, so give them some respect!

- not letting someone trying to merge or change lanes in.  Just be helpful and avoid accidents, people!

- driving slow in the left lanes or passing on the right.  It's so dangerous!  I notice these two kinds of drivers going into Miami.  My stereotypical thoughts... old people and oblivious tourists driving slow in the left, adrenaline junkies, angry drivers, or coke heads weaving in and out of traffic going 90+ miles per hour.

- honking or yelling at women and girls walking down the street who are not streetwalkers!  It's not flattering, it's rude.  It also is often startling when one is minding one's own business walking along and a driver breaks into the pedestrian's world by wooing or whistling or yelling.  Also, women who watch unsolved crime stories may be overly paranoid.

- pulling over in a big van or truck with a cab and asking a pedestrian for directions.  A guy in a big white truck with a huge cab pulled over today and asked me where Sweet Tomatoes was.  I couldn't hear him, because I was not going to get very close to that truck.  I've seen enough after school specials. As he pulled away, I noticed that the restaurant was literally across the street, and if he had been minding his driving rather than pulling over to talk to me, he would have seen the place.  I watched him pass it, oh well.


So, that's my two cents.

Honk If You're Angry

So, people here sure like to honk their horns a lot.  I mean A LOT.  Especially here in Hallandale.  There are a lot of New Yorkers here.  They are kind of known to be a little aggressive when it comes to driving. They like to close in the gap, and as soon as the light turns green, they like to go.  Not a second later.  If you wait half a second before laying on the gas, you're gonna get honked at for sure.

I have gotten honked at here more than I have ever in my life.  Now, every time I drive, I make sure to hit the gas the millisecond the light turns green.

So, this morning, I was driving back from the beach.  I was turning from the road that runs along the beach - Ocean Drive - onto Hallandale Beach Boulevard.  This old guy was in front of me.  He was driving at a normal speed, and then he hit on the brakes when he got behind a bike.  He slowed way down and was tailing the bike.  The bike was staying as close to the curb as he could - in the bike lane.  The car wouldn't pass him, but he was hogging up both lanes.  And then he honked at the bike.  He Honked At A Bike In The Bike Lane!!!!  So, we swerved around him.  We were turning at the same time.  And this guy slowed down and started drifting into my lane.  Then he drifted back.  Then he was riding down the middle, right between the two lanes.  So, I honked.  And he kept driving in the middle.  So, I honked again, long and hard.

It felt good.  After having everyone else honk at me all these weeks.    And finally the guy got back in his lane.  So, I sped up to look at him.  He was oblivious.  He didn't even notice that he did something wrong.  He just kept driving.  Must have been a tourist.  But it doesn't excuse the driving like shit.  And who the hell honks at fucking bicyclists?  I mean, really.  Who the fuck honks at a bike in the bike lane?  Fucking asshole.  What the fuck is wrong with people.  C'mon man!