Dark Commute, Plumbing Issues, And A Hit And Almost Run

This morning's commute was uneventful and dark. I notice a huge difference in daylight just from last week. I ride in darkness pretty much the entire way now. Between riding in dusk and dark, I prefer the latter because it makes me more visible. I've ditched my beloved vest because it didn't add anything now that I have disco lights on my bike making me visible from outer space. I'll probably wear it if I ever go jogging.

  

Not very likely though... All though, I have considered the act of completely obliterating the ligaments in my knees by bouncing on a hard surface for hours on end. I chalk that up to temporary insanity but never say never. If it's one thing I've learned so far in life is that there's no such thing as an absolute. Using words like "never" and "always" will most likely be followed by lies.

Having my commute start out while it's still dark out allows me to witness some pretty spectacular sunrises, like the one today.

  

As I arrived at Whole Foods, the sun lit up the surrounding buildings, making them sparkle like diamonds. This picture doesn't do it justice at all. Paired with a mediocre phone and my lacking skills in the area, the picture just serves as a general idea of the beauty.

For a while now, we've had this issue at our office. Clogged toilets. The building management told us it was because we use two-ply paper, but that just sounded ridiculous. A couple of days ago we discovered why. The first time the plumber had to be called, he just snaked the pipes and couldn't really say why it had clogged. Then it happened again.

The second time the plumber had to be called he discovered why our toilets kept clogging: Masses of feminine products were stuck in the drain. Not your average tampon, but pads. Loads of pads. Why on earth anyone would flush a sanitary pad down the toilet is beyond me. Turns out the clogging wasn't caused by our indulgence in two-ply paper but by a patient who spends 20+ minutes in the bathroom - and I was going to write, doing lord knows what - but now I know what she's doing: Apparently stuffing the toilets with sanitary pads.

 

Change of subject

I had a thought last night that I put into action this morning. I brought the old badge with me. It no longer carries any real power, but I might be able to chuck it at someone if the situation calls for it. While I wouldn't want that life, it feels like having an old friend back and it makes me feel safer.

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On the topic of feeling safer; I went out for a walk during lunch today with coworkers when we spotted a woman sitting on the sidewalk with a man standing over her. There were two cars parked nearby and at first I thought she'd had an episode in one of the cars and that the man was helping her. Turns out the guy had run over her with his car.

To say that he wasn't pleased to see us would be the understatement of the year, as he had almost convinced the woman that it was her fault that he hit her - while she was walking on the sidewalk. What a charming guy. The woman had just moved to this country and didn't know the laws, nor did she speak English well, so she was an easy victim for his con. I thought, "hell no!" and asked to see his driver's license. He took out his wallet and I snapped a picture of it. I also took a picture of his car.

While my coworkers tended to the woman, I asked him what had happened. He said, "well, she's probably going to tell you that I had stopped to let her cross on the sidewalk in front of me, but I hadn't." Eh, excuse me? How is it her fault that you ran her over on the sidewalk? His explanation made it seem worse not better. Not yielding for pedestrians on sidewalks is never their fault. No matter what. Ok, if they are riding recumbents - maybe.

Then the guy proceeded to get into his car to drive off. Not caring how the pedestrian was doing. Then my coworker asked me if I got his insurance info, which I hadn't. I motioned for him that I needed to ask him a question and he rolled down his window. When I asked him for proof of insurance, he told me to call him. Call him by dialing the phone number he hadn't given us? I said, "ok, I guess I'll just call the police then." Funny how those words made the insurance card magically appear. Then he took off. I wasn't about to prevent him from leaving given his track record when it comes to pedestrians, so off he went. My coworkers and I ended up taking the woman to the ER, called the police, and then I left.

Craziness.