Daily Blague

Did I mention how much I hate the automobile period, even though we have one? Every time I take it out during peak hours, I am astonished at how big cars have gotten, how nobody shares rides, and how insanely aggressively everyone drives. People who spend a substantial fraction of their day behind the wheel learn to believe that they are invincible, and take frequent unnecessary risks. Yesterday I was amazed to find that the 2.5 mile drive from the VW shop took 25 minutes, amid reckless infuriated SUV drivers and partially closed bridges.

I experienced pedestrian rage on behalf of someone else this morning. I was crossing Lexington Avenue on a full green light, along with a youngish woman. She moved more slowly than I, with evident difficulty, as she used a wheeled walker to propel herself forward, one stiff leg at a time. The driver of a car crossing 86th Street was extremely anxious to turn onto Lex, even though he would immediately encounter a red light once he finished. He kept edging his car closer and closer to us, in a very menacing way. I was so angry that I slowed my pace and repositioned myself between the woman and the car- then glared as nastily as I could at the driver. He didn't stop altogether, but he did slow down. What on earth did he hope to accomplish, and why trouble someone in obvious discomfort?