Folks,
I'm interested in your comments on an incident I had last week. What'd I do right, wrong, and how could I have done better?
I work in Kendal Sq, Cambridge. I know there's more of us here that know the area, and even if you don't, I'm interested in your opinions.
I left work around 5 on Friday, having driven in to Cambridge when I normally take the train, to retrieve my truck after an oil change. The intersection between my employer and the auto shop is a four way stop with traffic lights, about 75' between crosswalks. I was on the far side, and started across in the crosswalk a few seconds after the light went yellow. My protagonist hit the light at the other side of the intersection just about when it went red. I was almost halfway across when he passed me at about 30 mph. I displayed the palms up, wtf sign. What I got was F-bombs out the window and the middle finger. I proceeded across and up the sidewalk to settle up for the oil change. The guy was stopped at the next light up, about 150'. He started yapping again, as did I. He stepped halfway out of his vehicle, bitching about how it was yellow, and asking if I was a tough guy. This was directly at the entrance to the shop, with the office staff crowding the door. I bitched right back, about pedestrians in crosswalks etc.
The light changed and he took a hard right to the sidewalk until his tire hit the curb, jumped out and started barking again. This was right in front of the auto shop. He started to move around the back of his vehicle, I took a few steps back to drop my bag against the auto shop, then turned back to him. Maybe that was dumb, but I think I can handle hand to hand pretty well, as I've been practicing for a long time. Fortunately, for the both of us, there was a cop at other side of the intersection. Blue lights, Cambridge cops on the scene. I let the guy bark at the cop for a while, told him my story, and he said he'd handle it. I was on my way ...
Truthfully, I would have enjoyed pounding him, then watching him go to jail. There were at least a half dozen witnesses to the whole thing. By the time I settled with the shop he was just getting on his way, no more barking when I walked out of the shop.
What would you do differently?
I'm interested in your comments on an incident I had last week. What'd I do right, wrong, and how could I have done better?
I work in Kendal Sq, Cambridge. I know there's more of us here that know the area, and even if you don't, I'm interested in your opinions.
I left work around 5 on Friday, having driven in to Cambridge when I normally take the train, to retrieve my truck after an oil change. The intersection between my employer and the auto shop is a four way stop with traffic lights, about 75' between crosswalks. I was on the far side, and started across in the crosswalk a few seconds after the light went yellow. My protagonist hit the light at the other side of the intersection just about when it went red. I was almost halfway across when he passed me at about 30 mph. I displayed the palms up, wtf sign. What I got was F-bombs out the window and the middle finger. I proceeded across and up the sidewalk to settle up for the oil change. The guy was stopped at the next light up, about 150'. He started yapping again, as did I. He stepped halfway out of his vehicle, bitching about how it was yellow, and asking if I was a tough guy. This was directly at the entrance to the shop, with the office staff crowding the door. I bitched right back, about pedestrians in crosswalks etc.
The light changed and he took a hard right to the sidewalk until his tire hit the curb, jumped out and started barking again. This was right in front of the auto shop. He started to move around the back of his vehicle, I took a few steps back to drop my bag against the auto shop, then turned back to him. Maybe that was dumb, but I think I can handle hand to hand pretty well, as I've been practicing for a long time. Fortunately, for the both of us, there was a cop at other side of the intersection. Blue lights, Cambridge cops on the scene. I let the guy bark at the cop for a while, told him my story, and he said he'd handle it. I was on my way ...
Truthfully, I would have enjoyed pounding him, then watching him go to jail. There were at least a half dozen witnesses to the whole thing. By the time I settled with the shop he was just getting on his way, no more barking when I walked out of the shop.
What would you do differently?