I Almost Hit A Dog On Friday
This dog, specifically, after he was allowed to trot, untethered, into the street, ahead of the woman walking him.
Only the fact that I drive with an eagle-eye out for ignoranuses like her stopped me from hitting her dog. I laid on the horn and screeched to a stop just as he was about to cross diagonally in front of my car.
When I rolled down my window and yelled at the woman for having him off-leash and in the street, she said the sidewalk (a few paces back) was out of commission -- as if that explained her dog being allowed to wander off into traffic.
It became apparent that she wasn't exactly the brightest lightbulb in the package when she complained that I'd probably awakened the neighbors with my honk (I should have avoided honking and let her dog run in front of my car?), and then called me "stupid" repeatedly.
It's bad enough this woman is allowed to have a dog, but three words for her, should you happen to know her or see her around Venice or Santa Monica:
I feel sorry for the dog for having such an idiot for an owner. I hope she (the owner) is spayed.
The owner belongs in the same category of a-holes like this one woman I encountered with her litter of two small children. I took Scout for a walk, saw this rambunctious bunch, and crossed the street. My dog dislikes small, screaming children with flailing arms more than I do. Anyhow, she asked me if her kids could pet my dog. I replied, "No, we're working on obedience", which was true. She then proceeded to yell, calling me "Bitch", in front of her children.
Jessica at May 12, 2007 5:59 AM
Amazing how cause and effect elude some people.
What do you call a blonde who colors his/her hair brown? Artificial Intelligence.
Dave at May 12, 2007 6:32 AM
Sounds suspiciously like over-horning to me. If, because of your exceptional alertness, you were able to screech to a stop in time, what purpose did the horn serve?
Stu "El Inglés" Harris at May 12, 2007 8:53 AM
Well, redheads, you know...
This is slightly beyond the situation pictured, but do you know what happens to loose dogs like the one in the picture, with no obvious collar, out here in the sticks of SC?
They get shot.
Feral animals are a real problem. No ecology lab on the planet will ever advise you to let your animal run loose, no matter how "nice" they might be at the house.
Radwaste at May 12, 2007 9:02 AM
I have often wished for a Sterility Ray to use on the general public. I don't let my dog ever walk offleash. Even a good, well trained dog is gonna go nuts for a saucy squirrel on the other side of the street once in a while.
She does seem to have a dog doo bag though, so you gotta give her props for that.
Spam Gardenia at May 12, 2007 9:20 AM
If, because of your exceptional alertness, you were able to screech to a stop in time, what purpose did the horn serve?
I honked the horn and screeched to a stop at the same time. When a dog is on a direct trajectory in front of my car, I'm not really thinking about the neighbors. Besides, it wasn't exactly 4am (I think it was about 7:20...photo says 8:20am, but I think that's because my camera time wasn't changed for daylight savings time).
P.S. If somebody has to wake me up to keep a dog from getting run over, they hereby have my permission.
Amy Alkon at May 12, 2007 9:25 AM
P.S. If somebody has to wake me up to keep a dog from getting run over, they hereby have my permission.
Amy,
You say this now, however when someone is actualy honking in your neighborhood you will probably write some blog entry about how some rude person was honking incessantly in front of your house.
I have never known (or heard of) anyone who has had as many altercations with other people than you appeared to have had. You ever think you bring these things upon yourself.
Bruce at May 13, 2007 12:37 AM
Bruce writes:
Amy,
You say this now, however when someone is actualy honking in your neighborhood you will probably write some blog entry about how some rude person was honking incessantly in front of your house.
I have never known (or heard of) anyone who has had as many altercations with other people than you appeared to have had. You ever think you bring these things upon yourself.
Where there is a difference between honking as you come to a screeching stop, which seems to be pretty common practice to me, and "honking incessantly."
As for her "altercations," I don't view her commentaries as complaining about them, so much as sharing witty insights into human nature. While I doubt Amy is imposed upon so much more than the average person, I think the difference is the way she chooses to deal with it. Most people simply flip off the careless driver (or dog owner), perhaps yell an obscenity or two and then let it go at that. Amy, however, chooses to confront those who impose upon her. And who knows, perhaps those people will think twice, next time. Perhaps this dog-owner will think, "Better put Maximillian on a leash. I certainly don't want to get yelled at by some crazy redhead after she almost plows into him on the street."
I'll say one thing for her style. It's probably very therapeutic. Seems more healthy to me to vent at the idiot who deserves to be vented at than just bottling it all up, cursing all about it on the way home.
Patrick at May 13, 2007 1:24 AM
I absolutely do. Another person would have driven on and said nothing to the woman. I live an engaged life. When you sit at a coffee shop undisturbed by a would-be abusive cell phoner who is deterred, not because he or she has good manners, but out of fear of being exposed to the world because he or she has read about what I did to the woman who shouted next to me at the Rose in the Wall Street journal, blow me a kiss.
The other day, I saw the neighbor whose window is directly across from where the woman parked with her car doors open and the music booming from her radio. He didn't come outside. But, he thanked me for speaking out.
Just a couple of examples, no need to list them all.
P.S. If only more people spoke out I wouldn't have to do all the speaking out myself. But, I find that I do influence people to speak out. Recently, Kate Coe called me up and told me I'd inspired her to say something to a woman in a bank who was annoying everyone while shouting into her cell phone. The woman started yammering on about "a silent auction." Kate being Kate, she turned around and said, "emphasis on silent," and the woman piped down.
What do you speak out about, Bruce? Or do you just take it when you see people litter up your neighborhood, when you nearly hit a dog because somebody has let it trot, leashless, in front of your car, or when they ruin your ability to read the paper and enjoy your breakfast because they're shouting into their cell phone. Are you really that big of a pussy?
Amy Alkon at May 13, 2007 1:28 AM
Thank you, Patrick. You get it. I'm a straight-up kind of girl. If something somebody does something that conflicts with my sense of justice, or just my sense of decency, I'm going to say something, not let it fester within.
P.S. At least some people I say stuff to have the manners and mindfulness to consider what I'm saying and respond like a woman did recently. I go to a cafe where lots of writers and students sit and work on their computers. They welcome that there. What they don't welcome (and there's even a sign about it) are cell phones used in the cafe and/or people bringing in their own food from the outside. Well, that didn't stop a woman from sneaking in some lunch, including a big bottle of juice drink like they sell at the cafe. I turned to her and said, "You know, I really like it here, and if people all bring their own food and drink instead of buying food and drink here they'll go out of business."
She said, best I can recall, "Thank you, you're right, I should have thought of that."
Amy Alkon at May 13, 2007 1:41 AM
"Better put Maximillian on a leash. I certainly don't want to get yelled at by some crazy redhead after she almost plows into him on the street." lmao, good one patrick.
now i know it's not just me. i'm constantly confronting people like this--- like the idiot on the 'quiet' patio in lake tahoe who just had to complete his real estate transaction on his cell phone. What are they thinking? I've even thought of joining that group that grabs people's cell phones and smashes them to the ground as they run off. The other day i had the audacity to tell a man in a wheel chair 'excuse me"? as he ran his wheel chair in to me at the auto parts store because I apparently was standing in the space he wanted to occupy. It goes on and on. My wife thinks i have an anger problem. Ok, so i have a small anger problem. But it's Justice I'm really after! I always identified with the actress in 'Garbo Lives' (I also have a memory problem) when she says she sees something that isn't right and just needs to make it right! (ahh, Anne Bancroft).
mack at May 17, 2007 3:52 PM
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