Dear Driver of Black BMW:

(the one who nearly hit me this morning turning left while I was crossing an intersection)

Hey, listen, I totally understand: you are important! Your car alone tells me just how important you are. Your perfectly colored hair, your sunglasses, and that watch do, too.

I know: you have places to get to. Your places are way more important than where ever it is I was slogging my chubby self to this morning in my running shoes and very bright pink running clothes. You know. The color I picked out because how many times have I almost been run over by similar drivers? I thought the very bright pink might be more noticeable.

And I get it: my presence in the intersection really was annoying. I mean, come on. A pedestrian crossing the street totally deserves the finger and the f word! And a nice long shove on your horn, too!

But here's the deal: when the light is green, and there's no turning light, and even if you desperately need to turn left, guess what? Just then, at that moment? It's my turn to cross the street.

I'm entitled.

Comments

[Ingunn]

I was hit by a car in January while I was out for a run. I was crossing the street (in my bright pink jacket!) at a crosswalk (right outside an elementary school, no less, and two little kids had just crossed right ahead of me) and there was a line of cars stopped in one direction to let me cross.

Then schwoooom! from the other side comes a car speeding around the corner, heading straight for me. I manage to pull back at the last second so I "only" hit the front with my arms and roll back, taking the side mirror off. Then the driver has the nerve to roll down her window and YELL AT ME for being "being in the middle of the road".

Luckily some of the other drivers who were stopped came to my defense (I was totally out of it) and finally got her to realize that it was 100% her fault. They hand out driver's licences way too freely in this country.

Sorry for that long comment; reading your post just brought all that frustration back to the surface. I'm glad it was only a close call and that you're ok, I bet the adrenaline was pumping pretty hard for the rest of your run.

[heidikins]

Ohmygoodness, Ingunn, that is a HORRIBLE story! Wow, I am raging at this woman FOR you!

Amy, I shall scowl at all BMW drivers for 7 days in your defense.

Jerks.

xox

[Becky]

Oh, maybe my dream car isn't a BMW anymore. Well, I want a blue one, so does that count?

And I am laughing at Heidikin's comment and shuddering over Ingunns. People are terrible. Especially driving people. I always look at the people trying to turn by me while I'm running. And when I say "look" I mean stare them down until they stop. But every now and then they scare me. So glad you were ok.

[Janssen]

I love it! I wish she'd see this letter. . .

I am totally scared of crossing the street because people are such poor drivers.

[Judy]

Good post. I don't often run, but occasionally I walk Cowboy. I've got him trained to stop at all crosswalks when I holler, "Waaiittt" ... but the drivers still scare me to death. A BMW huh? So you probably weren't in our neighborhood, eh?