Traffic MAYHEM!!!!

I will be the first to point out that traffic in Edmonton is the worst in North America. Not because there is a large volume of it, but generally because the majority of driver believe they are the center of the universe and everyone must bow to their will. Either that or they are all just dumb.

Regular readers of this blog will note that I often rant about Edmonton traffic, but since I am a Christian and can't technically blast the finger everywhere I go I save it all up for a passive-agressive vent via electronic communication.

Today really wasn't that bad. Until about five blocks from my house when I saw two small children nearly have an early exit from live. Why? Due to one of the afore mentioned lord's of the driving universe who was hurtling down the road and neglected to think, "Gee, there is a line of cars stopping at an intersection with a cross walk. Could that possibly mean that someone is trying to cross?"

Instead he thought, "Cars have stopped. If I push the gas pedal all the way down I can race in front of them and save myself 3.2 seconds of my precious time."

As he pressed his gas pedal, he quickly decided that he would rather press his car horn just as hard and tap the brakes a little. Those poor little kids were freaked right out, and so was I as I prayed that these children would run as fast as their little legs would carry them.

A little while later I drove past St. Albert's City Hall. Complete with three stop lights in less then one block. Yes. This makes perfect sense. Of course, when you put 90,000 stop lights all within 20 feet of each other drivers are going to get a little annoyed. Especially during rush hour and the lights are going green for about 2 seconds as people wait to cross. I made it through and laughed pretty hard as a good line of drivers just ignored the red lights and kept going.

They should put those red light camera's on those lights. They'd make over $1500 per car because they have to cross three red lights in less then a block and all the red lights are over a cross walk!

About five minutes later I made it onto 184th Street. This is a good one and flows quite well. Until the dump truck and it's trailor runs over a squirrel or something and it actually get's lodged in the trailor's tires causing them to lock. There was massive skid mark down the road and the smell of burning rubber. And half a squished squirrel body to start it all. Yuck. But strangely hilarious.

I'm now on Anthony Henday behind a long line of semi-trucks that are not going all that fast. I was going over the bridge, so there is only one lane. What does the zippy Honda Civic do behind me? Ride my bumper so close that she could have driven straight into my truck bed. This makes a lot of sense. Ride my bumper so I can go where, exactly?

I finally reach Whitemud and that goes relatively well. Until I look in opposing traffic and notice the semi with the exploding engine. Yikes. Un-fun. Massive amounts of white smoke was billowing out of the front end and the trucker was running around. I was glad I was not that man right then.

I made it to the church and the prayer thing and thanked Jesus for the safe trip and that I was still alive.

Prayed for a while and talked for a while. There was this pastor from Chile who just happened to show up and he was a crazy revival man. Not one of those psycho annoying ones, but a man who when he opens his mouth you listen because suddenly the presence of God is THERE. It was amazing what this man shared. I prayed earnestly that I would really hear what he had to share and that these pastors would too. I went to shake his hand after, just cause I wanted to meet him and he gave me the biggest hug ever. I was honored. He didn't speak a word of english, but you can just tell when someone honestly walks with the Lord. I'm kicking myself now because I wanted him to pray for me so bad, but I didn't ask him for some strange reason. I hope he is there next week and I will tell him to put his hands on my head and unleash.

Now I have to drive home. This is a scary prospect. Back on the streets of Edmonton. It all went pretty well until Anthony Henday again. This one confuses me. There was a car that flipped right into it's hood and was perpendicular to the flow of traffic. How does this happen? I'm thinking you'd really have to try to flip your car over and spin it around to face a direction that traffic doesn't even go. You could side-swipe the guy, but still, how does that flip him over? It just happened before I got there so the emergency vehicles were arriving and I was just scratching my head on that.

Then to top it all off, as I drove back into St. Albert a man runs by. A man with only those skimpy running shorts on runs by. A man who was likely trying to burn off his winter fat and tan his winter skin. But still... probably shouldn't be doing that along a major roadway. I was thinking... if ladies have to wear shirts in public, maybe the men should too... especially if said men have breasts the same size or larger then the ladies. It's just not right.

Anyway... I'll stop venting now. I have to prepare to drive across the city again, this time to Whyte Ave. I'm meeting up with a group of college aged kids to talk about Jesus and how cool He is. Should be fun!