Friday, December 22, 2006

Do you worry?

While out shopping in Houston, I was leaving a parking lot of a big box store. I had to enter a Christmas-busy four-lane road. I stopped at the edge of the parking lot and decided to wait for a bigger break in the on-coming traffic. Hoonnnnnnkkkkk, Hooonnnk from the big black SUV behind me. I looked in the rearview mirror. The woman in the SUV was shaking one fist at me and with the other hand she was giving me a one finger salute. Honk, Honk. I shrugged my shoulders and saw that I had room to enter the road. She gunned her car around me and accelerated to about 50 MPH within the 4 blocks before she had to slam on her breaks to screach to a halt at the light. I pulled up to the light beside her and she was still shaking her fist at me. The light changed and she whipped around the corner accelerating into a residential neighorhood. The thought went through my mind, "At least she only gave me the finger. She didn't pull a gun."

I was talking with my doctor. He asked me about living in Mexico and wanted to know if I worried about my safety there. Later our conversation turned to Houston. He said that the increase in crime in Houston since Katrina was very bad. He told me to be careful because of car jackings and he related a tale of someone at a major intersection near the Galleria who had been carjacked and attacked.

Maybe I should worry while I'm here in Houston.

4 comments:

Heather said...

I never understand why people have to be so rude when driving. And I do also think sometimes, "At least they didn't pull a gun."

Stay safe, Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year

Anonymous said...

Mexico is SAFER - no question about it. Get home soon.

Juan

1st Mate said...

What's really astonishing is that she was probably Christmas shopping! Oh, that holiday spirit, amazing how it transforms us all. Or not.

Brenda Maas said...

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours.
Brenda