Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Don't Tread On Me

You should watch the evening news tonight. There will be a story about a raging pick-up driver who ran down a bicyclist at the intersection of National and Woodland. The Ford pickup, turning West onto Woodland (from National) side swiped the bicyclist who was headed North in the Southbound lane.

The Ford battering ram sent the man flying into the light pole. Purple-headed as he was, the hillbilly driver came out of the pickup and preceded to pound the head of the bicyclist-turned-rag-doll into the curb. Apparently, the goal was to further punish the idiot bicyclist by beating him stupid.

Or so I fantasized, while watching this scene at 4:30 pm this afternoon. The bicyclist wasn’t really hit by the Ford, but he damn near was and the pick-up driver was pissed off to no end. I really expected him to hit the bicyclist, who was obviously not following any laws of the road.

It occurred to me, though, that the pick-up, while in the right, never stopped or swerved to try to avoid the bicyclist. In fact, he sped up on him as if he was trying to punish the idiotic bicyclist, who did, admittedly need a lesson in road etiquette.

As I witnessed the event, I wondered if there would be an altercation over the event. It amazes me that we are so inconsiderate of others that we seem to delight in the pain and punishment of others, assuming that they really deserved it. Then I realize that I am not exempt. I am exempt this time, because I wasn’t involved. Had it happened many years ago, in my more aggressive youth… I don’t know. I might just have invited an altercation to somehow prove that I was in the right. I’m glad I’m older and wiser and more patient. By the way, these two men appeared to be in their 30’s or 40’s.

We are entirely too pissed off for our own good. Bastards. I should have run them both down (the pick-up first, because you can always catch up to a bicycle) and learned them both a lesson in common sense and consideration of others.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

All I can say is "Chill". Everyone "Chill". Deep breaths. Now everyone can deal with things in civilized manor. Like just beating each other with your fists and not with vehicles.

admin said...

Hey Tulsa Jay, I was attempting to conveniently forget such thing. Way to spoil my fun, Geesh. Fat Jack

Unknown said...

Hmmmn. I think I have seen that side of Fat Jack also. And funny, I have also seen it going to Silver Dollar City. Hmmmn.

admin said...

Oh, hush up, both of you or I'll come over there and ... never mind.

Breath: 1,2,3,4,5, I'm getting hungry.

Bryan said...

Well, Jack, I can honestly say that I have never seen you in a rage before....

Granted, that I haven't known you that long, but I'll vouch for your placidity in these days and times....

Oh, and I used to work at SDC, and those damned Iowegians would never get off the road and out of the way! The act like they've never seen a tree before. (uhhhhh... did I type that out loud?)