A couple real Assholes last month...

So, not much action here lately...  but it's not like I haven't had anything to say either.  I have a couple movies I would like to recommend at a future blog.  But for the moment, I need to let out about a couple real assholes I ran into, and one was almost literally and these guys were only separated by about 36 hours.

First off, out on a nature walk in the Claireville Conservation Area last month (August).  When suddenly out of nowhere a full grown Rottweiler came running up to me, growling and snarling away.

There were no people in sight, but the dog had a leash/collar on.  He wasn't allowing me to move even as slow and cautious as I was trying to step back from him.  Soon I did see a person come running to us from off in the distance.  He was calling the dog but of course the dog was not responding.  What seemed like forever was probably only 90 seconds before the guy reached us and grabbed his dog.  He assured me the dog was very friendly.  I commented on how the dog was with me, showing signs of aggression.  And his reply was, "oh, I guess he just doesn't like you."  And off he walked!  No apology, nothing.  Seriously, what an asshole!

Claireville is not a leash free area.  There are signs as soon as you drive into the park to keep your dog on leash as it is a wildlife sensitive area.  And I'd hate to think worst case scenario if this dog did indeed attack me, out in the middle of nowhere...  and suppose the guy just grabbed his dog and disappeared into the woods somewhere.  There was nobody else around.  I got back to my truck, which is the opposite direction they went, and there were no other vehicles.  So it's not like I could have even gotten a licence plate. 

But, good thing it ended the way it did.  Makes me wonder how much a can of pepper spray is?  I ought to start carrying it in my nature walks alone.

Next up happened a few weeks back.  I had just picked up Angie from the subway station after the Def Leppard concert, and I had just finished a shift at work.  We are on Jane Street, it's near 1am, and find ourselves sitting at a red light.  I am in the right lane, there is a car beside me waiting for the light as well.  The light turns green and I begin to accelerate, and am just about through the intersection when I hear Ang say "watch out for the guy on the bike."  Next I know, some kid is right in front of us and I am slamming on the brakes as hard as I can, wailing on the horn.  He's on a ten speed, and riding an empty bicycle along next to him.  He went white as a ghost as he saw our 4x4 right in front of him, almost on top of him.  And he made it to the curb, where he wipes out himself and both bikes.  Thankfully we did not hit him.  I did want to get out and kick his punk ass because I was so angry at his stupidity.  Who runs a red light on not one but two bicycles at one in the morning when there is traffic?  A real asshole is who!

He was heading east, while we were heading north.  It's dark out, I got a vehicle beside me, so I couldn't see him until this point in front of us.  He made it across three lanes of traffic into the fourth (my lane) as his light turned red, mine turned green and I made it across the intersection where we almost collided.  We, and a couple other vehicles stopped.  Other drivers were all saying he ran the light, they would be witnesses if anything came of this.  We asked him if he was alright, he appeared okay, other than he probably deposited his last meal in his shorts right about now.  He gathered himself up pretty quick, along with the bikes, and disappeared into the darkness of a side street.

I am a cautious driver and I don't have a lead foot at stop lights.  One would think others would have more sense at intersections, not challenging 3,000 plus pound vehicles, especially when riding a bicycle and breaking the laws of the road...  you will always lose.

I guess the plague of being an asshole shows no discrimination when it comes to age is what I just had to say...