The Road Less Treacherous
Outside my office, there is a large four lane road. You must cross this road in order to get to the mall so I guess it's your penance for shopping.
I say large because in Northern Ireland, they don't really get much bigger than four lanes. The most confusing part of driving would be the roundabouts and even once you get the hang of those, you're all right.
Every morning, I must also cross this road to get to work as the bus drops me off near the mall. I feel I take my life in my hands before I've even checked my email.
I have had trouble with this since we moved to the UK - this whole other-side-of-the-road thing.
I have trained myself to "look right", under the instruction on the pavement at many of the busy streets in Leeds. These written word - in white spray paint - we obviously for us dumb tourists. The last thing they need is us wandering out on the road getting killed. Bad for business.
And so, I usually wait until there are ZERO CARS before I will begin to cross. This makes me feel safe.
And yet sometimes, when I hear cars off in the distance, I panic, look the wrong and am petrified I have been transported back to Canada, checking the wrong way and the Mac truck will roll over me in about 2.3 seconds.
I panic, jump, yelp, then scurry to the other side of the road.
They, give out a nervous giggle and shake my head at myself - almost happy to have made it across.
I must look like an absolute twit.
Outside my office, there is a large four lane road. You must cross this road in order to get to the mall so I guess it's your penance for shopping.
I say large because in Northern Ireland, they don't really get much bigger than four lanes. The most confusing part of driving would be the roundabouts and even once you get the hang of those, you're all right.
Every morning, I must also cross this road to get to work as the bus drops me off near the mall. I feel I take my life in my hands before I've even checked my email.
I have had trouble with this since we moved to the UK - this whole other-side-of-the-road thing.
I have trained myself to "look right", under the instruction on the pavement at many of the busy streets in Leeds. These written word - in white spray paint - we obviously for us dumb tourists. The last thing they need is us wandering out on the road getting killed. Bad for business.
And so, I usually wait until there are ZERO CARS before I will begin to cross. This makes me feel safe.
And yet sometimes, when I hear cars off in the distance, I panic, look the wrong and am petrified I have been transported back to Canada, checking the wrong way and the Mac truck will roll over me in about 2.3 seconds.
I panic, jump, yelp, then scurry to the other side of the road.
They, give out a nervous giggle and shake my head at myself - almost happy to have made it across.
I must look like an absolute twit.