What was I thinking? I mean, I KNOW that the last couple of people in the queue always speed up once the lights go amber. There has never been a time where the traffic has actually stopped when the lights are red, so many near misses, so many idiots who can't wait the extra few seconds.
So it comes as no surprise when there is a screech of brakes behind me as I come to a stop at the junction. I mean, the lights are amber, but there's no way I would make it across before the cross traffic went green. I turn and give him the look, you know the one, the one that says if this was America..., the one that should make him get out of his car and grovel for being such an impatient fool.
Of course he looks the other way and resolutely refuses to meet my angry eye (just the one), as so many car drivers do when they know they're in the wrong. Like they all do when they're running red lights, pretending to look worried, it was an accident officer, honestly, I thought the cyclist ahead of me could accelerate to 30mph suddenly and survive...
We talk about my future at work, in March my secondment will be up and I face the prospect of being demoted back to a Grade 3. Someone else in the office is going on maternity leave in February and I'd quite like to do her job, but she's a manager and I suspect they want to keep me in a timetabling capacity, which I wouldn't be able to do. My boss said she'd like me to do it, so there's a small glimmer of hope, if the Big Boss doesn't fight too hard.
I am assured there will be something at least, which is about the best I'm going to get at the moment - they won't seriously think about this until mid January, by which time I will be deep into next year's timetable and I'm sure they will hope I have forgotten. I won't forget.
Today we will be celebrating Christmas, thus far I have resisted the blackmail and peer pressure to put up the horrific decorations in my little corner. The worst offender is the most overtly Christian woman in the office, who never fails to tell me how drab and miserable I am because I haven't pinned some shiny plastic to the ceiling.
My Christmas lunch will be steak.
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I stood on the side of the road by the zebra crossing outside work the other day about to cross, and the car that was clearly coming well over the speed limit towards me started started braking to let me cross. I was about to go when I thought, "Mmm, you aren't actually gonna stop in time, are you?" So I waited.
Sure enough, he skidded on the icy road at the last minute and ended up stopped, more than half way across the zebra crossing, with a sheepish look that said "Yeah, that could have been bad."
Goddamn car drivers!
Awesome picture, BTW.
Idiots! Especially now that winter is upon us. Expect more of the same! Of course I won't be like that when I'm driving again, I'll be kind and considerate and well-behaved in my shiney box deathtank.