Wednesday, November 28, 2007

In The Presence Of The Important Ones

I must be ever-vigilant. I’ve seen this happen so much that I’m beginning to think it’s okay to cross the centre line to park.

I saw this twice yesterday morning as I was headed up the street northbound. Some driver ahead of me whipped over and parked along the west side of the street. Within seconds someone else immediately ahead of me followed suit.

Rocky is built on a hill and crossing traffic to park, illegality aside, is stupid. We had fresh snow so it was slippery. This doubles if not trebles the stupidity of it. Both these drivers crossed in front of downhill-bound drivers on a slippery street. I’d hate to see anyone hit, but it is hard to muster sympathy in these situations.

This maneuver used to be know as a “Farmer’s U-Turn.” I always found that offensive as farmers are smarter than that, they do not believe the world owes them a living, and they care for the variety of really expensive equipment they drive in the normal course of running a farm. They also don’t think it’s their Dog-given right to park immediately in front of the business they’re visiting.

Rather it’s the busy people who are Very Important and understand that their convenience trumps all. Why should I walk across the street in the cold? I pay my taxes!

Of all the traffic offenses I’ve seen this one grates me the most. I don’t know why other than it’s to do with the mindset of drivers who do it. They’re lazy, they think they’re better than everyone else, and their time is too valuable to waste.

Maybe I should change my attitude. Instead of being upset maybe I should be grateful for being allowed to be on the same street as these Very Important People.

8 comments:

the Bag Lady said...

Hear, hear! The Bag Lady has her own "Farmer in Town" driving story, only SHE was the farmer! She was in town last week, doing various errands, and not once but TWICE got honked at by the driver(s) behind her at intersections where she was turning left. Both times there were vehicles approaching from the other direction, and, as it was slightly icy, the Bag Lady was trying to be certain that said vehicles were not going to run into her if she turned left in front of them! Sheesh. What could possibly have been so important for those folks behind her that they were willing to risk being even more delayed if she had caused an accident? WTF!?

Leah J. Utas said...

Face it, Cousin. We are surrounded by Important People and we simply do not know our place.

Virginia Lee said...

You know, this makes leaving my truck behind seem not so bad. Thanks for that, Leah. There are days when I really get grouchy about not having a vehicle of my own.

Crabby McSlacker said...

Well, there goes my fantasy that everyone in Canada is patient and polite and sensible! Unless of course these visitors are all Americans...

Wouldn't surprise me!

Reb said...

I'd like to see them try that is downtown Edmonton, or any other large city for that matter. The impatience that bag lady mentioned is so very rampant here - we get all these people from out-of-province because of the boom, then they have the gall to complain that drivers in Alberta are bad! Well, that's because half of them are from other places!

Leah J. Utas said...

You're welcome, Virgina Lee.
Ignore the post, Crabby. Keep your fantasy.
Reb - It probably has been tried in downtown Edmonton.

Ann (bunnygirl) said...

Wow, I thought people only did those types of dumb moves down here where it almost never snows or ices, so the chance of consequence is minimal.

The Important Ones are everywhere, sadly. :-(

Leah J. Utas said...

That is sad, Bunnygirl.