The other day... I was walking.
I was pushing a double stroller. My son sitting in the front and my daughter standing in the back. We were waiting to cross the street at the base of a bridge. There were signs posted which tell drivers to stop for pedestrians. No one was stopping.
Two people, a man and a woman, ride up beside me on their bikes. They wait with me. Finally we just commit to the road and hope cars will stop. The bikers ride slowly along side me. The man explains he's protecting me from traffic. I laugh. One car doesn't stop, but tries to drive slowly around our group. And my hero yells, "Watch the babies!" He's stops, dismounts, and puts up his hands and shouts "Watch the babies!"
Triumph. I'm not the only one shaking my fist at intersections.
Street Fighter I
So the other day... I was walking.
Our destination was the park. The neighbourhood was rural. My son was in a stroller and my daughter and her friend were walking in a loose formation around me. We were crossing the road at a sort of Y intersection. Because the road is 3 car lanes wide, and because pushing a stroller* often involves navigating along a less direct route, we were in the middle of the road for a long time.
Now here is were my tale begins.
An old sports car rolls slowly past the stop sign and proceeds drive by me and my children. Yes it's a huge road and the car is moving slowly, but we're still in the middle of the road and we're pretty spread out and three of us are under the age of 5 (read small and fast and irrational). Naturally I morph into mama bear. So I stop, face the car, and hold out my hands.
I shout, "Stop your car."
The driver shouts, "Yes I see there are children."
Incredulous, I shout again. "So stop your car!"
"What are you doing in the middle of the road!" he accuses me.
"Just stop your car, we're crossing the street." I shout, while he glides past me.
"What are you? The babysitter?" He demands, like he's going to find my employer and squeal on me for ... overprotectiveness. Is he trying to add insult to injury?
"These are my children." I reply, mentally anexing my daughter's friend; they could pass for twins. "Stop your car when people are in the street!" I shout one last time. But he's gone and doesn't hear. And I have to explain to three wide eyed children why I lost my temper. The rule is no yelling or fighting unless a bigger person is hurting you, or scaring you. I think this qualifies.
After I've smoothed my wild hair, taken a deep breath, and smiled reassuringly at my children I start to wonder if maybe I overreacted. Maybe I should read How to Win Friends and Influence People. Or maybe that guy should have come to a full stop and waited. What was his rush anyway?
Our destination was the park. The neighbourhood was rural. My son was in a stroller and my daughter and her friend were walking in a loose formation around me. We were crossing the road at a sort of Y intersection. Because the road is 3 car lanes wide, and because pushing a stroller* often involves navigating along a less direct route, we were in the middle of the road for a long time.
Now here is were my tale begins.
An old sports car rolls slowly past the stop sign and proceeds drive by me and my children. Yes it's a huge road and the car is moving slowly, but we're still in the middle of the road and we're pretty spread out and three of us are under the age of 5 (read small and fast and irrational). Naturally I morph into mama bear. So I stop, face the car, and hold out my hands.
I shout, "Stop your car."
The driver shouts, "Yes I see there are children."
Incredulous, I shout again. "So stop your car!"
"What are you doing in the middle of the road!" he accuses me.
"Just stop your car, we're crossing the street." I shout, while he glides past me.
"What are you? The babysitter?" He demands, like he's going to find my employer and squeal on me for ... overprotectiveness. Is he trying to add insult to injury?
"These are my children." I reply, mentally anexing my daughter's friend; they could pass for twins. "Stop your car when people are in the street!" I shout one last time. But he's gone and doesn't hear. And I have to explain to three wide eyed children why I lost my temper. The rule is no yelling or fighting unless a bigger person is hurting you, or scaring you. I think this qualifies.
After I've smoothed my wild hair, taken a deep breath, and smiled reassuringly at my children I start to wonder if maybe I overreacted. Maybe I should read How to Win Friends and Influence People. Or maybe that guy should have come to a full stop and waited. What was his rush anyway?
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