Tuesday 7 September 2010

Contra Indications

I was crossing a busy road this morning, half-hoping I could jump on the bus that had just pulled up to the stop on the opposite side. Looking to my right, I noted that it was safe to cross, since both cars that were advancing from that direction were indicating to turn left at the junction, way before they got near to me.

I'd looked two or three times - clear. I took a step out, then a second step, then suddenly was startled when I heard the loud beep of a car horn from the right hand side. There was one of the aforementioned vehicles, driver gesticulating furiously, presumably wondering as to why I was stepping out in front of him.

He was still indicating left, despite having passed the junction. I gesticulated furiously back, pointing at his indicators and shouting words to the effect that they were to show where he was going, not where he wasn't (I was quietly grateful for the fact that he'd sounded his horn correctly, so as to avoid causing me serious injury or worse).

Later this afternoon, I was crossing a wide junction on a very quiet stretch of road, doubly cautious now. Just as well then that I'd spotted the car coming in the opposite direction, the driver of which decided he would show me the courtesy of using his indicators after he'd actually started turning.

Twat.

So I decided I wouldn't rush across this particular road, he would have to wait given that he hadn't made his intentions clear.

This on the same day that I got a call on my mobile purporting to be from my bank (like hell was it - they'll have to try harder than that to scam me), and, on my landline, another of those irritating, automated "free messages" from some company or another - I couldn't say who or what, since I'd slammed the receiver down long before the recorded voice could get any further.

What's even more irritating, however, is that if you pick up your handset before the message has finished, it's still there burbling away and you can't use your phone until it's reached the end.

Right, that's one or two annoyances dealt with. Time to relax, if such a thing isn't too far beyond the realms of possibility.

3 comments:

Zhoen said...

So many drivers have no empathy for pedestrians. Idiots.

Do you have a way to block numbers? I love that I can do this on my phone, gives me a warm, happy feeling. Almost as good as spam blocking and pop-up blocking.

Breathe.

Fire Byrd said...

I am sick to the back teeth of people phoning me and asking if I'm the house owner and then trying to sell me cavity wall insulation. I get about one a day. URGH!
As a driver I get pissed of with people who cross the road in sight of a crossing and wonder why drivers get irate with them.URGH!

I could go on but perhaps not right now I'll go and take a calming Valium instead of going pop with grumpieness!
xx

trousers said...

I don't know how to block numbers on my mobile, Zhoen, but if it's a number that I don't recognise - or that has a certain type of prefix - then generally I don't answer it anyway.

With my landline, the "free message" calls usually come at a certain time of day, and actually bother me quite rarely, thankfully.

FB, any of those valiums (valia?) going spare? xx