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October 17th, 2014

10/17/2014

5 Comments

 

A Guaranteed cure for road rage

Here in Portland, we have almost as many bicyclists as drivers. They even have special streets with little metal bicycles on top of the street signs. On days when I don’t have deadlines, I admire their spunk and cheer them on as they do more than their fair share to reduce our dependence on oil. On days that I have, say, a job interview that I really need to be on time for and they’re riding three abreast all gangsta style on a narrow two-way street to protest my disgusting gas-guzzling, well, I just want them dead. 



I picture myself just plowing into them, all arms and legs akimbo as they plummet from their bicycles onto the pavement, where they’re struck repeatedly by oncoming traffic unable to stop in time. Thump, thump. Thump thump. Some good Samaritan passerby calls the police and an ambulance. From my vantage point in the back of the police car, I can see one of them being lifted onto a gurney, and after the medic checks his vitals, a white sheet pulled gently over his face before the ambulance doors close. 

My reward for writing his family unceasing letters of apology from my jail cell is that they respond by talking the warden into letting me attend the funeral. The funeral is well-attended, and I watch a short video of the young man’s accomplishments, hopes and dreams, as his pregnant wife occasionally bursts into sobs. When the video is over, his white-haired grandmother comes over to me and puts her hand, so delicate that it might be made of papier mache, on my shoulder, looks at me with tear-filled eyes and says “I forgive you”. This is what I thought I wanted to hear, but I realize that it’s meaningless, because I’ll never be able to forgive myself. That’s when I wake up. 

See? Road rage all gone. 



Copyright © 2014  by Andrea L. Walker
All rights reserved. This article or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the writer
except for the use of brief quotations.  

5 Comments
Deborah link
10/17/2014 10:28:52 am

If only we thought about those things right then, in the moments when are the most upset. <3

Reply
Andy Lee Parker link
10/18/2014 01:31:16 pm

Yes, hindsight is ever so much clearer. This is my first response to a comment, so I hope it works. Thanks for coming by and leaving a comment!

Reply
Patricia
10/18/2014 04:25:07 am

Nice blog--and a good rant.

Reply
Andy link
10/18/2014 01:32:43 pm

Thanks! I'm learning. I appreciate your coming by for a look and taking the time to leave a comment.

Reply
Vicki link
11/8/2014 08:07:15 am

Hi Andy,
Enjoyed this, and wow, you have an ambitious site here! Congratulations - it looks fairly new. Please contact me through my website. I'd like to talk about something!

Reply



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