I was rude for nothing today. What a waste.
I like to save up all my anger and aggression for people who really deserve it, like the burly men who bump into my daughter, Cal (petite and easy to miss), and continue to walk away without apologizing or even slowing down. And the mailman who stuffed my fashion magazine carelessly into my mailbox, leaving pages 18-34 crinkled and torn? Stink eye…a really menacing stink eye. Not to his face, unfortunately, since I’ve never bumped into him, but you can bet that when I did it in the privacy and security of my own home, it was still just as scary.
Even after living in Los Angeles for eight years, I’m still surprised when I encounter traffic and I rarely plan for extra driving time to accommodate the pockets of congestion. Like today. I wanted to get home quickly. I needed to get home quickly. Stuck on a tiny road near the Skirball, I exercised my adroit driving skills and switched into a less populous lane. A less populous, closed lane. With no other choice but to inch back into the space that I just left, I signaled and moved back to claim my spot.
It’s a shame the Honda didn’t think that spot belonged to me anymore. I waved bashfully, hoping to catch his attention, praying I wouldn’t hit the cones in the closed lane. The Honda driver clearly intended to ignore me. I waved again. No luck. Frustrated, I lost my patience. Of course, he chose that very moment to notice me. It’s a special day when you’re zoning out on your drive home from work and you catch a woman waving her fists at you and calling you an “asshole,” with an ugly scowl on her face.
I could tell from his startled expression that he had no idea I had been trying to edge into his lane. He graciously slowed down and let me switch. I smiled brightly and waved as I drove off.
Classy.
