Cell-Phone Bravery

Cell-Phone Bravery
Those of you who know me know that I get very angry when someone is talking on their cell phone and not paying attention. When I lived elsewhere and drove to and from places, this anger was because people were too busy with their conversations to realize that they were not paying attention. Now that I no longer drive and spend my transportation time on foot, I always get angry when someone is talking loudly on the phone, walking slow while on the phone, or just not watching where they are going because they are talking on the phone. However, there are many people who do seem to talk on their phone and walk at the same time (very similar to drummers who can chew gum and march at the same time - really it can be done).

Drivers in New York are horrid! Those of you who have experienced it can attest that no matter what a walker is doing, the driver always thinks they have the right away. This usually takes on the form of the typical driver who honks. Why do they honk? When someone honks at me, it startles me, slows me down, and it takes longer for a car to make a turn. But the real question is why do drivers think that they have the right away to make a turn when the walk light says that the pedestrian can walk?

Case in point: Last week I was walking from my apartment in Astoria to the local Blockbuster a few blocks away. During my trip I was talking on my cell phone, trying to get caught up on last minute conference details, when I came upon Broadway. The light was green, which meant that I did not have the go ahead to walk. I waited until the walk signal changed (still talking on the phone). Then the light changed and I started to walk. While I was walking a woman in a van began making a left turn into me. I was not walking slow, just a normal pace. The woman was a foot from my legs when I turned to her and looked at her. Then I kept walking across the street. She proceeded to roll down her window and yell at me: "Maybe if you got off your g-damn phone you could walk." So, I responded, as any person in the right would, "Maybe if you lost some weight you could walk." Well this did not make her happy - she started yelling further words out her window: "You should come over here and I will show you who is fat you a**hole." My response, of course, "Whatever bi*ch." Now keep in mind that this all took place over the course of 30 seconds. I had not idea what came over me, and neither did the 50 or so people standing around.

I kept walking, and talking, and then went into Blockbuster - where they did not have the game I was looking for - left and went back home (all the time continuing to talk on my phone).

So I ask you, why is the sky blue?