Vibes

So here I am the other day (Thursday, October 16, 2008) calmly driving eastbound in the Bathtub toward Bloomfield village on Routes 5&20.
I’m taking our dog to the so-called elitist country-club via the drop-box at the Bloomfield post-office.
Good old 5&20. So far, no accidents; but every once-in-a-while the old bus-driver Jones has to kick in to save my butt.
One morning some Granny nearly crossed my path at a cross-intersection in her giant Chevy cruiser-van on my way to the mighty Mezz.
Another time a rusty Ford pickup forced a Chevy van onto a lawn, but that wasn’t me.
We’re approaching Bloomfield, the infamous intersection of State Route 64 on the west side of town from the north.
The onliest traffic protection is a stop-sign.
GrandPop is sitting at the stop-sign in his silver Pontiac Vibe station-wagon.
“Uh-ohh......” I think to myself. Transfer right foot to brake.
GrandPop waits until an oncoming sheriff’s dippity passes, then charges right out in front of me.
Nothing new; stab brake. Did he even look at all?
He sees me in his rearview: “Where did he come from?”
No Dubya-sticker.
Dubya-stickers are outta date; it’s 2008, not 2004.
And Dubya is so unpopular even McCain is running away from him.

“The Bathtub” is our 2005 Toyota Sienna van; called that because it’s white and like sitting in a bathtub.

“5&20” is the main east-west road through our area; State Route 5 and U.S. Route 20, both on the same road. 5&20 is just south of where we live.

“The so-called elitist country-club” is nearby Boughton (“BOW-tin” as in “OW”) Park, where I run and we walk our dog. It was called that long ago by an editor at the Canandaigua Daily-Messenger newspaper, where I once worked, because it will only allow taxpayers of the three towns that own it to use it. We are residents of one of those towns.

RE: “Old bus-driver Jones...........” —For 16&1/2 years (1977-1993) I drove transit bus for Regional Transit Service, the transit-bus operator in Rochester, N.Y. My stroke October 26, 1993 ended that. To be successful at bus-driving, you drove defensively.

The “mighty Mezz” is the Canandaigua Daily-Messenger newspaper, from where I retired over two years ago. Best job I ever had.

“Dubya-sticker” is a Bush-Cheney 2004 bumper-sticker. All insane traffic-moves seem to involve Bush-supporters. They seem to think they have the right.