When we lived in Florida,
every few weeks a tourist would get hit by a car on the main street through
town. I figured drunks, or people unfamiliar with the street. That is until we
moved back to Chicago. Now I know, all those tourists who stepped off the curb
into traffic in Florida were from Chicago. Seriously, I do not remember people
being so nonchalant, so disconnected from what was going on around them when I
lived in Chicago thirty years ago. Yes, pedestrians would challenge the drivers,
but they were on their toes. The people had their eyes on the cars at all
times. Not anymore. Again yesterday, some asshole wandered right out in front
of me as I was driving. He didn't look up at all. He just stared off into the
distance as two tons of steel hurtled towards him. It happens constantly. Women
pushing their precious babies in strollers out into the street without looking.
Morons looking at phones while walking. Fun and games until they twit out their
last tweet on Earth. Mark and I now have a routine when backing out of a
parking space or turning a corner. I look around first, then I say to Mark,
"Is there anybody out there trying to commit suicide?" If Mark
doesn't see anything, I step on the gas. I'm not kidding, nobody looks out for
the cars anymore. Well ha, ha. The jokes on them. Half the time I'm not looking
either.
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