Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Labor Day Top Five List

5. Coming in third place in the Pirate Bike Olympics. My first ever Alley Cat race! Not bad at all.

4. Going on a "canoe trip" that secretly morphed into a rain barrel reconnaissance mission involving twine and a rock-filled anchor dragging behind our vessel. Anything to reduce river litter and thwart water from our foundation!

3. Walnut-dip and pita picnic in Point Park with my husband on Sunday.

2. Having a super fabulous vegetarian birthday feast with friends last night

1. The accident. I'll set the scene: Corey, Michelle and I were riding our bikes to the Pirate Bike Olympics. As we neared Negley and Black, we heard a crash and women on the sidewalks yelling, "She just ain't right!" (Apparently the woman ran a red light and crashed into a car head-on) As we got there, she put the car in reverse and floored it, evidently in an attempt to turn up Black Street and escape. It might have worked, only the 71A was behind her. So when she floored it in reverse, she plowed into the 71A. Going backwards. At like 20mph.

It gets better. There are by now 15 people standing around shocked that this is happening. She got out of the car, still running, and started yelling something weird. Then she took off at a jog on foot while people hollered at her to get back in the car. She tried to flee! On FOOT! I had these vague visions of grandeur that I would leap off my bike and tackle her as my coach did to apprehend a criminal in Baltimore. But then Michelle reminded me that she might be on crack and that we don't know what she was running to GET. Best to stay uninvolved, as the 71A driver has protocol and there was, after all, a whole bus full of witnesses. Can you imagine sitting in the driver seat of a bus and seeing a car coming at you full speed in reverse?

I have decided that the reason I can't let go of this accident, that I keep dwelling on it, is because I am a writer and I need to understand her character. What would possess her to do such things? If I created a fictional character who did that, I'd be sensationalizing, over-dramatic, laughed at. What motivates this woman? I have to know!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh, this one is easy. she had one or more outstanding warrants on her.

(clearly, i have watched too much Law & Order)

JL said...

is it Law and Order SVU? SVUUUUUUUUUUU!


ah, i love svu.


i'd also like to throw narcotics ans irrational anger into the scenario.

kk said...

Maybe she had to go to the bathroom.