Friday morning I scooted right, off a side street, into traffic. Behind me a young, refined looking Asian woman flipped me the bird. Continued to do so for several blocks. Afraid I’d not seen her she popped her red car into the next lane. Unrelenting, now parallel to my driver side, I caught her middle finger flailing. Pointing at me. Disrupting my peripheral vision. With more determination than before! I feared she might clip the car ahead of her! She wouldn't be ignored, she needed some kind of reaction or verification that I'd seen her. I felt a fire in me. For a second I reverted back to my twenty year old self. With my head forward, eyes on the road, I quickly flashed my finger back at her. She continued to dance her middle finger vehemently with ire, one upping me, making sure I saw her! Then she stepped on the gas and sped ahead out of sight.
Oh, I am not one bit proud of my reaction. Nowadays I’m more likely to give someone the two finger peace sign, a positive thumbs up, or thank-you wave acknowledging a nice deed. I shrunk to her level. I’m not proud. It’s no longer the seventies. It’s risky business responding or initiating disdain in this manner. However I felt a bit bullied by this young woman! I don’t take chances with my new car. I’m pretty defensive and like to think I'm a courteous driver. I had safely merged into the lane. There was lots of room! My daughter affirmed I’d done nothing wrong. Believe me she is the first to point out any of my mistakes!! Not too long after we got our flowers at the produce stand we heard a siren barreling down the same street. I wondered if the angry young woman caused an accident somewhere up the road!
The next day, I drove to Costco with my daughter. Not a parking spot to be found on the busy Saturday. I wasn’t feeling my best. I didn’t have the energy to walk from the parameter of several acre parking lot, plus do a Costco Shop! So I stopped at the door, suggesting daughter start the shopping while I searched for a reasonable parking spot. I saw a car approaching behind me, so I asked daughter to get out quickly. Not wanting to hold anyone up! Daughter jumped out of the car, opened the back door to get the reusable bags. In my rear view mirror I could see the woman in an SUV behind me swearing banging her fist on the steering wheel and waving for us to hurry! Daughter saw her too. We weren’t dawdling, but daughter was annoyed that she was so impatient. Instead of waiting the woman lurched her SUV around my car yelling obscenities at me as she passed. I ignored it this time! Both daughter and I were glad there was no child crossing in front of my car when Mrs. Grumpy pants, so consumed in anger zoomed by! What is wrong with people??? Where have manners gone? It was literally seconds we were stopped.
Scares me how hostile and belligerent people can be behind the wheel. Is it cell phone withdrawal? Clearly there are people driving around mentally ill, exhausted, angry, and drug addicted, some even have weapons. None of which we can control. One should never let the fire of their youth grab hold of reason like I did with the first woman. Wished I’d flashed her a peace sign instead…. I sincerely doubt it would have helped though!
