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Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Well It’s Just a Good Thing I’m Here, That’s All I’m Saying

I hate to brag – despite being the possessor of an “innie”, all my own toes, and a bank account numbering in the tens – but I recently saved the life of a stranger.

Or at least a leg. 

Look at him.  He is staring, this young man, into the face of a device.  You know the device.  Everyone’s talking about them.  You can stare at them and walk into traffic and not miss an update or an invitation to a Happy Hour.

It’s the end of the day, and I am stopped at the cross walk, waiting for the light.  I look – as is my wont – in both directions several times.  The Nicollet Mall is closed to all but buses and taxis.  Because of this, many pedestrians lose their natural-born fear of things much faster than themselves.

But not this gal.  Not ol’ Pearl. 

The young man across the street, however, seems to have been born without this fear. 

I watch from the curb as he approaches from the other side.   Brain-deep in his phone, I can see that in the next five, six steps, he’s going to be in the street.

I look up the street in time to see a hard-pedaling bike bearing down.

A bike messenger. 

Holy Hannah.

BIKE MESSENGER!

Bike Messenger has the light.  There’s no reason for him to stop. 

I look forward as Mr. Distracted steps onto Nicollet.

“LOOK OUT!”   It’s the loudest I’ve been this year.

The man with the phone looks up.  “What?”

Bike man swerves, just a bit, and speeds on.  “DUDE!”  And then, a moment later, “THANKS, LADY!”

Mr. Distracted says nothing.

But I smile anyway.  Because I didn’t do it for the thanks.


I did it because I didn’t want to witness the crash.

25 comments:

vanilla said...

It is a good thing you are here. Thanks.

Silliyak said...

You may have foiled Natural Selection THIS time, but it's always lurking, waiting....

raydenzel1 said...

next you will be helping me across the street...whether I want to cross it or not!

Pearl said...

I'm here to protect and distract. :-)

Mac n' Janet said...

Seeing as it was just a bike I think I'd have let him hit him, maybe that would get his face out of his phone.
But then I'm a cantankerous old lady.

Shelly said...

What is this younger generation (and all the generations after) going to do when us old 'uns, infused with caution, die out? I shudder to think.

Should Fish More said...

Kudo's for being a good samaritan, I should point out you missed an opportunity to hone your first-responder skills, stopping the bleeding, stabilizing fractures, etc. I would have done the same thing, probably....unless I had time to kill.

joeh said...

You probably get tired of hearing this, but you always make me laugh!

Naw no one could get tired of hearing that.

Joanne Noragon said...

That would have been spectacular, that crash. Then a lawsuit because DUDE would have remembered he had the green. Then it would just have been settled by insurance companies.
Yea, you saved a lot of grief.

Dawn@Lighten Up! said...

What a jerk - can't believe he didn't say anything.
Oh wait. Yes I can.

Geo. said...

I know you will use this super power to see what's in front of you only for the forces of goodness. World needs more Lerts!

Unknown said...

watch out - Mother Theresa will be sneaking about keying the side of your car and posting dung through your letterbox -- she gets very competitive, I'm told

jenny_o said...

I'm with Geo. - and after all, you WERE raised to be a Lert, weren't you? Job well done.

Anonymous said...

Yep...those bike/pedestrian crashes can be unsettling to watch.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Bike v pedo? That could have been ugly. Well saved m'girl. Brag all you like. (A little quieter about those amounts of tens though... just for your safety y'unnerstand...) YAM xx

Buttons Thoughts said...

Witnessing crashes takes up so much time so I understand:) Hug B

Moving with Mitchell said...

Good for you. Good for Bike Man. Shame on Mr. Distracted. And, since he didn't also say it, I will: Thanks, Lady!

Friko said...

You wanted to save the device, right?
You might have caught it flying your way, though.

Catalyst said...

Yet another reason to worship at the Cathedral of Pearl.

River said...

You're good people, Pearl.

fmcgmccllc said...

You cannot push a button and erase the visuals the brain sees. Good Call, I try to avoid anything I do not want to remain in the memory.

Leenie said...

Yes, and if you hadn't yelled there would have been hours of your time eaten up cleaning up the mess and talking to first responders. Good thing not everyone is left to their own devices (har har).

Anonymous said...

I say that every day to myself. It's a good thing Pearl is here. There, really, but "here" in my mind. That sounded a little stalkerish, didn't it? I meant it in a totally friendly way. Even though I will not be ignored.

Connie said...

You're a guardian angel on earth, Pearl. :-)

Linda O'Connell said...

Can you come to our town and yell at the young drivers who steer with their knees so they can text with both hands?