Messy Manger: Pregnant Woman Crossing

I was pregnant with Gizmo. I looked a bit like a pasty whale. It was not a pretty sight but a sight to behold. One summer day I and my gigantic belly were pushing Li'l Bit along in her stroller. It was so hot; my ankles felt like they were going to burst forth with the second great flood. I came to the crosswalk right in front of our house and waited...and waited...and waited. Car--zoom, car----zoom, car---zoom...

Winthrop is a very busy street and our house was right on it. We benefited from the Blessed 96 that ran from our doorstep to Harvard Square. But in order to get to the bus we'd have to take our lives in our own hands just to cross Winthrop. There is actually a crosswalk there, but nobody pays attention to it. Nor do they pay attention to pedestrians waiting to cross. You simply have to wait until there are no cars in sight and then Run For Your Life!

So I'm standing there for a good three minutes waiting to cross. Finally a minivan approaches and appears to be slowing down for me. Boy was I wrong! I start to push the stroller forward and am startled back by the sound of honking and revving engine. As the woman speeds by she screams through her open window, "WHAT THE F*** DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!"

I was stunned. Nay, I was in shock.

Here I am, so pregnant I can hardly breathe, my 22 month old daughter nearly barreled over, and a woman in a minivan drops the F-bomb on me? Seriously?

Hands shaking, heart pounding, I finally got Li'l Bit and myself inside. I locked every door and window. I shut the blinds AND the curtains. I stayed there for three days. Unrestrained rage has a bad effect on me. And I was pregnant, so, you know.

I finally emerged but kept most of my foot traffic on my side of Winthrop. We had the better park anyway. BUT, some dear friends of ours still live there and they are trying to do something about it. They are petitioning the city to install a raised crosswalk. It really is the only way to get people to slow down on a street like that. So if you appreciate the fact that my children and I were never killed at that crosswalk: Click here to sign the petition. (Just a small twinge of guilt, right?) ;) Really. Go sign it. You can sign it first and skip the donation page that comes after. SIGN IT!