Shoes, Ships, and Sealing Wax

I'm really cranky

I got stuck in a traffic jam on the way home tonight. The fire department caused it. Not because they were responding to a fire, or clearing an accident, but because they were out in the middle of one of the busiest intersections in the county hitting people up for money.

Now, I have nothing against fundraising (obviously...that's the primary content of my blog at the moment). And I have nothing against the fine cause for which they were working. But I have a huge problem with people weaving in and out of cars at a multiple-lane intersection at rush hour, slowing traffic down (because they're never back on the curb when the light turns green) and risking an accident. The fact that it's the fire department, the guys who respond to the accidents at this intersection on practically a weekly basis, makes this even worse.

Call me during dinner, get in my way on the sidewalk in front of the supermarket, but for the love of God get out of the street before somebody gets hurt.

And since I'm bitching anyway...while stuck in traffic I was listening to the news. I heard a quote from the president: "Americans should be prudent in their use of energy during the course of the next few weeks. Don't buy gas if you don't need it."

I figured they'd edited the quote poorly, leaving out the rest of the prudent measures we might take: carpooling, public transportation...emergency personnel not needlessly blocking the freaking intersection so that it takes two extra cycles to get through the light so I sit here wasting gas...

So when I got home, I actually looked up the text of Bush's remarks. Nah, that was it. Don't buy gas if you don't need it.

Well, what can I say: as a kid, I was actually inspired to wear a sweater and badger my parents to make sure the thermostat didn't go over 68 degrees, because I wanted to do my part. I can't really think of anybody else who'd be impressed to hear Bush quoting Carter, though.

Posted by Nic at September 1, 2005 07:56 PM | TrackBack