2 posts tagged “flipping the bird”

Have you ever experienced road rage?
Submitted by Question of the Day.

Suuuuurrre. Just about every time I drive.

There was this one time...
I used to do freelance work as a clown, mostly for merchant or commercial gigs. Dress up in the costume enough and it just feels like a uniform or regular clothes.
I was driving to meet my clown accomplice when some doink in a fancy bronze coloured car slides in front of me, almost taking my front end with him. He cuts me off for no reason! The traffic wasn't heavy and he did not take the  exit. Long story short I blast the horn, make a grrrr face and flip the bird. Then I catch a glimpse of myself in my rear view mirror and remember I am in full clown gear.
I look to my left and a guy in a pick up is beside me laughing his ass off.
Honk Honk!

Wow, I was tagged and I didn't even know it...sorry!

Tagged by Jake

1. If you accidentally bump into someone, do you say anything?
Yes. I do. I am very aware of my size. I try my best not to knock into people...but my ass has a mind of its' own.

Sorry 'bout that.
Excuse me.
Holy cow, did I just make you hit your head on the sidewalk?

I have noticed something about Vancouver, though. People will see you coming and even if they have more room to move over, they will keep coming at you in some weird sidewalk "chicken" game. I have had instances where I had no place to go and was either face to face with a person or slammed by them as they passed. I'm not sure you can be too conscientious, but the husband says I am when it comes to situations like this. The husband says he isn't moving out of the way anymore, that people are just going to have to run right into him and not assume he will move...you go X football playing guy!

2. When you get into a disagreement or fight, how often are you the first to apologize?

A lot. It seems like I am always sorry about something...unless I just don't give a rip anymore and I don't care which way the wind is going to blow. Sometimes it just doesn't matter whether you apologize or not.
I didn't grow up in an apologizing atmosphere. I'm not saying we didn't feel bad when we were thoughless or hateful but if something happened we usually acted like it didn't until the next thing happened to take our minds of the last thing. I have never heard my father apologize for anything, no matter how shitty it was. He just automatically assumed forgiveness and went on down the road. Now that I think about it, he might not have felt bad, he was pretty much thoughless and hateful most of the time.

3. What everyday actions do feel should warrant an apology?

I think that if you are mindful you will have to apologize less for everyday actions. You won't knock someone out of the way to get where you are going. You will step aside for a few seconds to make room for the person walking on the same sidewalk, even if it means walking behind your friend for a few steps so the stranger won't have to step into the street or mud to accomodate you. You won't take your child out in a carriage the size of a Hummer when you shop in a store with aisles that do not even have enough room for shopping carts to pass eachother. You won't drop the f-bomb or other nasty words in public places (this one is the hardest for me, because I love the f-bomb). You won't stand in a huddled group, taking up the sidewalk. You won't spit where people are walking. You won't cut people off in traffic and laugh while flipping the bird!

The people who should be apologizing for their rude and thoughtlessness are rarely the ones who do...

4. Do you apologize for things that aren't your fault?

Yeah. Like, when someone bumps in to me and keeps on going, I'll throw a "I'm sorry I was in your way" at them.
I'm so used being told that what I'm feeling is wrong that I just go ahead and take the blame many times and leave it at that.

5. When was the last time you apologized to someone?
Last night.
It was our one year anniversary of being Canadian permanent residents and the husband said:
"I want you to be happy and I don't mind doing what it takes to make you happy."
And I said:
"I'm sorry it's not an easier job."