Gauntlet of Death

Although, some may call this “Racist, Sexist Pig”, but you can’t please everyone.

It’s been a super busy day today, with over 4 hours of driving, hundreds of photographs, and lots of sunshine and colour, and a lunch out by the river.

Today, being Sunday, and a lovely day at that, we hopped in the car pretty early and drove out to see the Tulip Festival in the Skagit Valley, Mt Vernon area.

There was literally millions of tulips, and almost as many people, most of whom were trying to walk through the tulip fields, despite the signs clearly asking them not to, to take photographs.  It amused me to watch the farm employees wearing brightly coloured jackets waving orange plastic batons and asking people to leave the fields.

Thank the gods for zoom photography, you can make it look like you’re in the middle, just by standing at the edge.  Which is what I did, such a good boy.

Now to destroy that image, and replace it with a less than politically correct one…

Once we’d returned from the Tulips, we decided to head back to the Bird store where we bought all the components for our newly assembled bird feeder.  Why?  Because this morning when I drew back the curtains, I was greeted with the view of a very happy squirrel perched on the feeder, tucking into a hearty breakfast of bird seed.  Silly me!  I had the option of purchasing a “Squirrel Baffle”, a collar that goes around the pole of the stand stopping Squirrels from climbing it, because I have two dogs.  Two dogs who I had stupidly assumed would chase the Squirrels away.

The dogs in question?  Curled up, sound asleep in their kennel less than 3 metres from the feeder.

Grrr!

Anyway, I bought a baffle, problem solved…  Then the fun started.

As we were leaving the car park, a minivan (on my left) reversed out of it’s parking space without looking, causing me to angrily hit the horn (I wish it was louder, and had a laser attachment, or a canon….), the driver, an Indian woman, looked surprised that there’d be anyone else on the road at the same time as her…

Less than 30 seconds later, another car pulled out (on my right) and had to hit the brakes suddenly so as not to run into me.  An Asian woman…

Now, I’m driving a small 4WD, it’s white, the sun was out, and I can assure you, it’s not a stealth vehicle, it’s actually VERY visible…

By this stage I’m simmering on the good side of unleashing some road rage, not really, but I did have whole pile of profanity just itching to be released into the ether.  Thinking it was over, we continued on our way to the exit, only to have yet another car come around the corner, faster than it should, nearly hitting us.  Another female driver, this time race unknown.

It was literally “The Gauntlet of Death”.

Now, I know some VERY good female drivers, and drivers of all Nationalities, but why is it that the two main offenders today insist on reinforcing a stereotype?

Shoot me down for being unfair, but we’ve been joking for a long time when something adverse happens on the road, to the point it’s almost “Driving Bingo”.  It’s an Asian/Indian Woman, or it’s a Lexus driver…

Ok, I’d better go hide before the abuse starts… 😉

Hooroo!