The Plague to the World that is a 4 Way Intersection

Living close to campus in a college town means that there are going to be a lot of pedestrians. Now, this is not normally an issue due to my tendency to pick up my husband a little late from class. Most students are already in class, and if not, they are almost to their building as they dash across campus trying to make it to a destination 5 minutes away in -2 minutes. Unfortunately, my timing is not always keen, and sometimes I'm actually on time. This is when a normal intersection becomes a gateway to the inferno.

There is one particular intersection which always seems to be bogged down with pedestrian traffic. Sitting on the West end of campus, it is the closest intersection to some of the main buildings. This intersection also leads to a round-about drop off/pick up area as well as other roads intersecting the campus. Thus, it receives quite a bit of foot and road traffic. To top off this wonderful sundae, there is also construction being done off and on to nearby roads, further causing backups and delays. Many times drivers will become a tad confused as to who should go next because of where the pedestrians are crossing and who can actually go. Sometimes the pedestrians will wait long enough to allow a car to pull forward before deciding that they need to cross right at that moment. Overall, it is a place of confusion and frustration.

In order to avoid these emotions, I try to practice my patience while observing those around me. Those who are walking are often the easiest to observe since they're most of the reason for the wait, and I need to watch them to avoid any traffic accidents. Sometimes this watching pays off and my day is brightened by some oddity or kindness shown by another. Sometimes there are uni-cyclists riding around, and that often puts a smile on my face. Sometimes it's how happy a couple of people become when they see one another.

Today's was a little bit odder than that.

Upon dropping my husband off I was driving back to our apartment. Upon reaching the intersection I looked at the vehicle in front of me. It was some sort of dirt bike, and the rider had a cat perched (clinging for dear life) on their shoulders. While this left me quite perplexed, I will admit that it left me laughing for quite awhile. I hope that cat made it home safely.

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