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There are some days I really hate this city's streets. They're ridiculously narrow, to the point where some streets are one-way by necessity. On top of that, most streets have parallel parking on at least one side, making them even narrower. Buses and delivery vehicles have trouble going down the streets on good days, and heaven forbid there be snow drifts from plowing (as there are right now). And yet people still speed despite the speed limit being 25 throughout the entire city.
Then of course the aforementioned delivery vehicles have to stop somewhere when they're delivering to buildings on these ridiculously narrow streets. This usually means blocking one driving lane, forcing both directions of traffic to go through the other lane. Fair enough. The driveways are even tighter than the streets, so it's virtually impossible to fit a moving truck or UPS/FedEx truck in them without taking out a telephone pole or building corner. At least these drivers put on their emergency flashers to let people know the vehicle isn't going anywhere for a while.
Not so these geniuses today.
On the way to pick up Oldest Daughter from school, I have to drive down a short stretch of road where there is one lane in either direction and street parking on the oncoming side (from the direction I was driving). My side was exactly one car wide. So nowhere to park, except in a driveway.
As I approached the light, it turned red as it always does (I never make the green for some reason). I got in line behind this monstrous pickup truck with a ladder on top, which had its brake lights on. And I watch as the light turns green, a car goes through the intersection, and the truck just sits there. Finally, as the light turns red, some guy gets out of the passenger side and, as the driver honks, motions for me to drive around. The driver then gestures out the window for me to go too. Which I can't, because there are cars coming the opposite way. Thanks a million, guys.
When I went back that way after picking up Oldest, the truck was gone. Seriously, they could have fit into a driveway, or at the very least put on their flashers instead of just sitting there like your standard stopped-at-the-light vehicle.
Then of course the aforementioned delivery vehicles have to stop somewhere when they're delivering to buildings on these ridiculously narrow streets. This usually means blocking one driving lane, forcing both directions of traffic to go through the other lane. Fair enough. The driveways are even tighter than the streets, so it's virtually impossible to fit a moving truck or UPS/FedEx truck in them without taking out a telephone pole or building corner. At least these drivers put on their emergency flashers to let people know the vehicle isn't going anywhere for a while.
Not so these geniuses today.
On the way to pick up Oldest Daughter from school, I have to drive down a short stretch of road where there is one lane in either direction and street parking on the oncoming side (from the direction I was driving). My side was exactly one car wide. So nowhere to park, except in a driveway.
As I approached the light, it turned red as it always does (I never make the green for some reason). I got in line behind this monstrous pickup truck with a ladder on top, which had its brake lights on. And I watch as the light turns green, a car goes through the intersection, and the truck just sits there. Finally, as the light turns red, some guy gets out of the passenger side and, as the driver honks, motions for me to drive around. The driver then gestures out the window for me to go too. Which I can't, because there are cars coming the opposite way. Thanks a million, guys.
When I went back that way after picking up Oldest, the truck was gone. Seriously, they could have fit into a driveway, or at the very least put on their flashers instead of just sitting there like your standard stopped-at-the-light vehicle.