Clear Thinking
Accosted, again, this morning by a construction
site worker who I correctly addressed as "idiot", to which he took
offence; but I was right.
Lest you think that I go out of my way to
antagonize street folk, be assured that at 66 I've had experience
crossing the street in the UK, Australia, France, Singapore, USA and
Canada - all places where I have resided and worked for extended
periods. I'm not counting vacation spots such as Cuba, Germany, Spain
and so on.
So to this morning: I walk up St Luke's Lane with a
car slowly catching up to me. A construction-lorry blocks the end of
the lane, so I know the car will elect to turn right, east, towards
Yonge Street and an escape.
I elect to turn left, west, towards my home, and
catch the eye of the truck driver, but he is now busy reversing because a
truck-trailer ahead of him is reversing; I'm certain neither of them
can see me.
So I duck between the construction fence and the
row of 30-inch high concrete traffic barriers. Well-protected, me, from
the two drivers.
But not from the local construction tin-god who berates me soundly for putting my own life in danger.
Huh?
He, of course, is operating on a minimal set of facts: I am walking where he thinks I shouldn't.
I am operating on a larger base of data: The car, truck, and trailer combination are all focused on their own paths.
I have placed myself into the protective security of a significant traffic barrier of concrete.
Who is the idiot?
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