Near Misses

Twice on his morning walk today, Your Boulevardier was nearly struck by cars while in a crosswalk. Both episodes happened when drivers were making right turns on red lights; both rolled through the crosswalks and were looking left for cross traffic, not seeing the pedestrian -- yours truly -- approaching from the right. In both circumstances, the drivers did not seem to acknowledge the fact that they endangered a person. And in both circumstances, law enforcement was nowhere nearby.

After the second incident, which was frighteningly close and in which the car was traveling at very high speed, Your Boulevardier started to imagine elaborate revenge fantasies. If only he had had a few pieces of very ripe fruit at the ready to lob at the cars! Better: if only he had had a squirt bottle of garish nail polish to squirt on the passing car! (Best case scenario in this version would be that the driver would not notice the polish until later in the day, when the enamel had hardened to an industrial-strength sheen.) Or maybe this: one could roll a watermelon under the car as it passed, then quickly sit on the ground; the driver would feel a bump, look in his rearview, see a red splat and a person, and have a heart attack.

A deep breath is called for. Two wrongs don't make a right.

Motorists, please remember California Vehicle Code section 21453(b), which includes this language: "A driver making [a right turn on a red light] shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk".

Exercises in Transitions

Your Boulevardier, accompanied by the Trusty BoulevarDog, walked the Main Drag this morning from Castro Valley Boulevard's West End to Midtown. Some random observations, cleverly strung together:

Canine and human noses were pressed to the glass at Le Saigon Bistro, which by appearances is soon to open. The new restaurant, across from Pete's Hardware, features high-backed leather chairs, a dramatic red back wall with a pass-through to a gleaming kitchen, and a feng-shui friendly fountain just inside the door.

Speaking of fountains, the water feature outside of El Rancho Steak House has once again been soaped by bubbly vandals.

Speaking of ranches (ah, now one sees how this transition business works), a cowboy in full Western regalia -- broad-brimmed hat, slim jeans, knee-high snakeskin boots, and, for goodness sake, spurs -- was noted at the Post Office this morning.

Speaking of the Post Office, Your Boulevardier notes belatedly that the coin-operated stamp machine has been removed. With it goes the last place in town to get shiny gold dollar coins for gifts, not to mention postage for personal communications.

Speaking of personal communications, an Alameda County Sheriff's officer (I don't believe she was a deputy sheriff, because she was driving a dark blue department pickup truck and not a cruiser) was seen talking on a cell phone without a hands-free device as she drove down The Boulevard this morning. Grabbing that one final opportunity before the laws change, one supposes.

Speaking of final opportunities, this is the last tortured transition for today. Your Boulevardier thanks you for reading!

And Speaking Of Things On The Move

Here's a startling bit of video of the aftermath of a car crashing into a dentist's office on Redwood Road. Video is from the Castro Valley Forum.