Friday, April 16, 2010

My Road Rage

I was going to pick up my son from school today when I hit a traffic jam in our neighborhood. We live by an elementary school, and at the end of the day, we get quite a bit of traffic from people picking up their kids. Normally it's not too bad, but today the traffic was at a stand still. I sat there in my car wondering why we weren't moving at all. I have to admit that the road rage started to creep in a little. After a few minutes of sitting still, I noticed a car ahead of me go around another car. The next two cars followed suit. There was a car double parked, blocking our lane. I guess that person decided that everyone else could wait until his child came to the car. Maybe I'm a little too ornery, but I couldn't believe that none of the cars going around him were honking. When it came my turn to go around him, I had to wait for a school bus to come up the other side of the street before I could go. I honked at the man and when he looked in his side view mirror, I motioned for him to move. He just glared at me. I drove around him, but pulled up next to him and said, "You are blocking ALL of the traffic!" I wasn't rude, and I wasn't nasty, I just let him know what I thought. Then I started pulling away. And then, this man, who happened to be black, yelled a racial slur after me. Why does everything have to be about race?

I went and picked up my son, then headed back up the street. As I was driving up the street, I passed this same man. I glanced at him, and he looked at me. He looked a little sheepish. I think he had to wait in traffic himself, because if not, he wouldn't have still been there. I honestly think that if this happens again, I might call the police. That was ridiculous.

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