A B C D Oops!

I'm quite used to hearing the sound of sirens from my office. We have a police department and fire department not too far from where I work. I guess that's a good thing, because most of the time they stop to sort out a traffic accident right outside my office. I'd say the intersection gets an accident about once a week (seriously). I work on the 5th floor, so that's usually about the only thing I can hear. Imagine my surprise when today I heard a screech and a slam. The whole office got up and immediately went to the window to determine how the accident happened, and whether or not everyone involved survived.

You'll be happy to hear that all 4 drivers in today's accident were protected enough to be able to get out and inspect their cars. But it was a lot harder than usual to figure out exactly how it happened. I'm still not sure how it happened. Maybe you can help. I've used my incredible artistic abilities to recreate the scene for your own benefit. To protect the identities of those involved (thereby avoiding much embarassment), I've drawn their vehicles in a generic color, so as to prevent them from being recognized.


The red arrows indicate which direction the car was facing at the end of the accident. It's a 4-way intersection, but should be treated as a 3-way intersection, as cars entering and exiting the west side are extremely rare. I don't believe I've seen an accident in that intersection involving a car from the west. To the east is a huge shopping area, and lots of traffic is generated there. There is a light almost immediately south of the intersection (as well as another large shopping area), causing southbound traffic to back up through this intersection quite often. The intersection directly north of this intersection runs through a cycle that takes about 2 minutes instead of 1 to run through. This tends to cause impatient drivers to put the pedal to the metal.

There was some question at first as to whether or not vehicle A was even involved in the accident. However, after the cops showed up, it became apparent that vehicle A ran into vehicle B. The glass on the road most likely came from the driver's side of vehicle D, unless driver D just had those windows rolled down. I didn't see any other broken glass on any of the vehicles. In fact, the only other damage visible from my office was on the front end of car D (hood was sticking up). I'll give you 4 possible scenarios, and you can let me know how you think it happened by voting in my poll:

Scenario A: Car C was making a left turn to head east as the light changed. Car D, heading north, sped through the intersection in hopes of catching the light. Realizing he would run into C, D slammed on the breaks, causing the skid marks. Since the light had turned green, A and B had started moving forward. C had been pushed over by D, and B ran into C, after which D wasn't able to stop soon enough.

Scenario B: It was car D that was making the left turn to head east. C came flying through the intersection northbound and when they hit each other, they spun into their final positions.

Scenario C: C was heading from the west side of the intersection to the east while B was pulling forward for a left turn. D didn't realize there was a stop light until too late. Came skidding in, hit the south side of C, which had tried moving out of the way, but instead ran head on into B.

Scenario D: D was suicidal, drunk, or just not paying attention and ran into a pole at the southeast corner of the intersection. C, watching the whole thing, slammed on his breaks and just happened to run into B. A went into a fit of rage and hit the gas pedal to blow off some steam, running into B.

Well, which is it?

Lousy Thanksgiving Ingrates Did It Again

That's it! I've had enough! Don't expect me to be holly OR jolly this Christmas. Too many people have started Christmas
WAY too early this year, and they've driven me mad!

Imagine a bunch of kids taking a class picture. When the snapshot is taken, Christmas is the disrespectful kid who is pushing over the kids to his right and left and hogging all of the attention. Thanksgiving is so timid by nature that you barely even see her behind Christmas's arm. New Years has his back to Christmas, but has still been knocked over a little bit. He'd be knocked over if he didn't have his resolutions crutch to lean on. This year Christmas smashed Halloween's jack-o-lantern--before October was over! And for me, Christmas even cast his shadow over September (no joke).

I know some of you are thinking "why do you go to rehearsals for 2 months for a Christmas show?" The funny thing is, those rehearsals don't bother me at all. My mind can distinguish the difference between a needed rehearsal and a blatant attempt to make Christmas last half a year long. I'm talking about people who set up their Christmas lights in October--and insist on turning them on every night. I'm talking about people who constantly talk about the upcoming Christmas, and plan their Christmas gifts months in advance. I'm talking about stores that gear up for Christmas WAY too early. And most especially, I'm talking about those people who sing or play Christmas songs unabashedly out of season.

To those who are guilty of any of these things, you claim it's because Christmas is the Season of Giving, which always brings out the best in people. If it truly was about giving, you would understand that it doesn't need to be Christmas in order to give and serve others. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the point of Thanksgiving based on the pilgrims and indians breaking race barriers, coming together, and sharing with each other? No, you're not excited about the Season of Giving. You're excited about the season of Santa: the Season of Getting. I'll be fair and show you the same appreciation toward Christmas that you've shown toward my favorite season. Looks like you've made a scrooge out of me this year. Maybe next December I'll have avoided all of you so that I can enjoy Christmas (I doubt it). But until then, Bah Humbug!!!

High Hopes Let Down

At this moment, I can't think of anything more disappointing than biting into a donut only to find out that the center of the donut doesn't have any of the jelly advertised by the deceptively luring exterior. I think I'm gonna cry.

Will You Take Me Out?

So, I'm just gonna throw this out there...

When is it okay to ask someone out on a date, set the date, time, activity, etc., and then ask them to pay? This just happened to me, and I feel like I got suckered into taking someone out.

Too Tired to Get Dressed Properly

Do you ever get through most of your day before you look down and realize that your sock is inside out?

Wanna Play? Or Are You Afraid of the Commitment?

I spend several lunch breaks walking through the gully where I used to grow up. It feels like I spent half my life in the gully. Every time I go there, I'm reminded of some new memory that took place down there. Today as I looked up at the homes of some of my earliest friends, I was surprised at how many memories popped into my head at once.

Then I started thinking about how back then we never planned any activities. We just called each other up and asked "Wanna play?" It wasn't until we got together that we talked about what we were actually going to do. And even on days when we couldn't think of something to do, we still had more fun than we would have had we stayed at our own homes.

Why is it different now? It seems like most friends want to know exactly what we're doing before we get together. And even when you have a plan, it can be hard to get people to commit to anything. I think the problems may have started when it became politically incorrect to say "play." I realize that "playing" sounds childish, but doesn't "hanging out" sound like you're gonna sit in a room and be boring? Go ahead and get rid of the term "playing," but replace it with something that at least sounds enticing. Next, why do you always need to know exactly what we're gonna do before committing? Are you holding out for a better offer? And if you do get a better offer, I'm I uninvited? Because to me, that sounds more childish than offering to "play." Why not help me come up with something fun to do? We might actually come up with something that you'd enjoy if you contribute some ideas.

I always seem to have more fun when I'm around people I like than on my own--even if the activity isn't anything I care about doing. I think that's why there are so many childhood memories I love. I don't understand the need to prescreen all "hang outs" for optimum entertainment.

Morning Blues

I'm not sure which I don't like more--the fact that I have to wake up in the morning, or the fact that I have to work in the office when--now that I'm awake--I could be enjoying the beautiful morning outside. To make matters worse, my desk faces away from all the windows.