Driving

It is the middle of summer. I am unable to drive. I have to walk or take a bus everywhere. It is miserable. WHY ON EARTH would you think this is an opportune time to honk at me and make cat calls. And really, when we get down to the very core of the problem, why is ANY time appropriate for this. Girls can't hear what you're saying- it comes out as imperceptible shrill garbage. There's no way that it can advance any farther- you're in a car. Really, honking and cat calls from cars only serve to PISS A LADY OFF. And, I can even make exceptions for "wow, that young gentleman thinks I am attractive, how nice." But like I said, I am hot and miserable. I do not even have the energy to flick you off if I want to.
Pedestrian complaint# 2? Yes, you drive a car. Yes, you've never had to walk 3 feet in your life. However, just because you don't understand crossing signals does NOT mean I am going to forfeit- my right to walk- in a crosswalk, WITH a signal. Just because you're ignorant, does not mean you can yell at me from your daddy-paid-for-it bmw you stupid bitch. (Shouldn't the fact that these girls are in college mean they're not as dumb as they apparently are?)
And lastly, thank you very, very kindly for offering me a ride, stranger. I know you mean well, and I know that you're being nice, but really? think about it. Think about how bad a suggestion that is. I have no idea who you are, I am not getting in your car. How the hell do I know I'm not going to end up in the boondocks where you'll keep me for 7 years next to your collection of stuffed dogs dressed as ballerinas? You have no idea who I am. Think twice about offering sex offender-axe murderer-unibomber in your car. duh.

I live on Barnett Shoals Rd - the bit that goes between Gaines School and Lexington Highway - where there are tons of apartments, several bus stops, sidewalks full of people walking to work during the day and others jogging in the evening. I love it; it's a great area.

So if you're one of the many (many, many) people who pretends that this strip of 35 mph road is a speedway, please just stop it. Slow down.... I promise you will still get to where you're headed, but this way you won't kill me as I cross the street to the bus stop.

I routinely run for my life when I cross the street to get groceries or just go for a walk. Once I saw a woman with a baby stroller running across the street from the bus stop (or maybe just a sidewalk stroll, I didn't see her start out) and when she was nearly across a pickup came roaring down the road and had to brake.

Why do people speed unnecessarily? Especially in (any) areas with people walking? And you can't say that you get anywhere faster because there are traffic lights everywhere! I'm no slow poke, but I've been passed by these mad dashers and when I pull up at my speed-limit-pace they are waiting at the traffic light, same as I am, until it turns green.

Stop speeding and think of the children!! Or at least, think of me! I'm pretty hot - you'd be sorry you killed me only to get to your appointment 10 seconds earlier than if you'd slowed down!

Why is that so hard to do?

You have a web site and that should be useful and sometimes it is. But even though the look of it has been updated it seems like the information on it is still only being updated twice a year. The web site should be getting updated every time something changes.

For example: Routes 21 and 22 have been running for months. Why is that route information missing from the web site? Have those routes been shut down? Is so the web site should have that information instead of just having those routes missing completely.

You still have route information up for The Link instead of a message indicating that it's been discontinued.

The web site says that there is no Saturday service to a location I have taken a bus to on a Saturday before. How do I know if that's because the site isn't accurate or not?

You need to have someone updating your web site. This is a college town; it can't be that hard to find someone to do it.

They are awful! Almost daily a cab turns in front of me and then drives 5-10 miles below the speed limit around downtown. I see them eating, talking on the phone, ANYTHING but DRIVING, which is their job! And are their cars/vans so sh*tty and old that they don't have turn signals? If all this weren't bad enough? How about that Red and Black article a few weeks back about how most of them had rap sheets as long as your arm?

So, in this past week I have almost had my car hit a number of times. Thank goodness for growing up around Boston drivers, who can narrowly avoid accidents with defensive driving on a daily basis.

So, if I am in the RIGHT LANE on a street, and you are making a LEFT TURN from an entrance on the LEFT SIDE of the street, there is NO REASON why you should enter my lane at all, let alone be trying to come into my lane in the EXACT same spot my car is already in! (thanks person in Georgia state owned pickup truck on East Campus... and I always go at or below the speed limit on that loop, were you drunk?!)

If I am in a parking lot, driving straight by a row of spots (aka right of way) and when I started going, your reverse lights were nowhere to be seen... where do you get off jamming it into reverse and peeling out all at once, all without even LOOKING BEHIND YOU (yes, you dumba**, you aren't supposed to use just a SINGLE side mirror to pull out backwards... you turn your a** around and LOOK OUT THE BACK WINDOW!!) The a** end of your stupid little hatchback just about made it's own personal imprint right into the center of the passengers side of my car... it was no thanks to you that it was avoided, as you CONTINUED backing out ALL THE WAY after I swerved and stopped my car, since I had no idea what you were doing next. Also, stupid b**** at Raceway in the middle of the day, don't you make stupid gestures at me while waiting behind me at the stoplight after almost hitting me, the only reason I could think of is because you saw my plate was from out of state and you decided that means you should be able to magically get away with anything in your car when it applies toward possibly damaging mine, whether it is illegal or not. Yes, I gave you the finger, and YES I leaned on my horn, if only to let your dumb a** know my car existed as you CONTINUED to back out after the very near hit! Get over it and go back to driving school!

HOLY CHRIST ON A CRUTCH!
Check your tire pressure!
I can not even count how many times i have seen two people on a tiny 50cc scooter and the tire pressure was so low in the tires the wheel frame is almost dragging on the concrete.
Not only are you endangering your life and mine, your friend on the back of your rice rocket is not going to fare so well either when you lose control of your bike because the tire has become virtually useless because you can not do a simple maintenance check before you ride!
Really though, please check your tire pressure! It will also help your bike preform and steer better. Steering is a very, very important function you want your soy sprocket's to possess.
Also, a bike helmet is not going to work out to well in your favor if you wreck on your scooter/moped. There is a reason they call them BIKE helmets.

Immediately before the intersection of Chase and Prince, there are three crosswalks between the medical center and the parking lot - today not a single driver blew through the crosswalks and everyone who was in que to cross could do so without fear of being hit. If only the crosswalk in front of The Grit was half as safe.

Kudos to those behind the wheel today, nice to see pedestrians actually getting the right of way.

Saw one of you again at a stoplight at broad and milledge texting away on your cellphone.
Do they teach you how to drive and text in police academy?

Dear motorcycle a**hole who screeched to a stop behind me and started to swear at me at the top of his lungs... it''s called a red light, douchenozzle. Of course I''m going to stop. Not to mention it''s the Alps/Broad St. intersection, so I''d be caught on film and get a f***ing ticket. So you''ll be two minutes late to the gym, nobody cares. Please kindly go f*** yourself.

PS. Why don''t you get a real motorcycle, not that piece of s*** crotch rocket you''ve got now.

Guess what Athen''s community? Those big red octagons you see everywhere that say stop, well they REALLY mean it! If you come to a stop sign, you stop. It is not a suggestion. And when you run the sign and nearly collide with someone else, do not have the audacity to give them the finger. YOU ran the stop sign. If there had happened to be an accident, you would be at fault. Please pay attention to stop signs. Someone is going to end up dead because people have their heads to far up their arses or too close to their cell phone keyboard. STOP RUNNING STOP SIGNS!!!!