Culture shock
After having dinner, my father and I were walking to the car (so I could go to the bookstore and fill up on my passion for blank books and logic puzzles), and we came to an intersection. The light was against us, but cars were only coming in one direction, so we walked halfway through the street and waited, like any normal person would. Either traffic would lighten up or the light would change, whatever. But then, as we’re waiting, one of the cars driving through just . . . stops. All the way at the other side of the intersection. There was no traffic or anything, and her flicker wasn’t on to turn. We had no clue what she was doing.
As it turns out, she was stopping to let us cross.
August 17th, 2006 at 11:38 pm
Places like that are just lovely. Or like when a lane is closed up ahead and cars just automatically take turns passing through - one from one lane, one from the other. I love what that says about the people in the area. It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes, “I’ve always depended upon the kindness of strangers.” Too many places you can’t do that anymore.
August 18th, 2006 at 12:28 am
Wait. But you’re in Maine, and that’s just so… Canadian.
August 18th, 2006 at 9:27 am
New Hampshire, Sheepy dude. Actually, lots of other places in Canada stop for pedestrians, just not Montreal.
Rebecca, the problem with places like this is that only the tourists get to jaywalk.
August 18th, 2006 at 11:40 am
We do that where I live — but only in the northwest part of Massachusetts. In the rest of the state they’ll run you over. The law is the same everywhere but some places choose not to enforce it.
August 18th, 2006 at 12:22 pm
Oh, right. Well, I hope you’re living free, considering the alternative. Did you go through Franconia Notch? Just wondering if they are doing anything about the face guy, like reconstructing him.
August 19th, 2006 at 10:43 am
Boston jaywalkers do not jaywalk the same way as Montreal ones.
We don’t go near the Old Man of the Mountain. I think they’re intending to do something, eventually.