Please, just get back in your car.....

So I have received a request to share a very embarrassing moment in my life. I am not proud of this moment, but it is fun to re- tell it every once in a while, only because it usually has people laughing. I must warn you, that it is probably a better story in person, but if you don't live in NYC, then you will just have to read it or ask me to tell you next time I visit Utah. Anyway, this "incident" is probably the only time I have truly lost control of my emotions. Something flipped on in me and normal/rational thinking went out the window. I don't know what was going on in my life at the time, maybe I was stressed?? In any case, this is probably my most embarrassing moment......

Winter 2002 - it's snowing outside and there is almost a foot of snow on the roads. I can't even remember why I was driving, because I try to avoid driving when there is that much snow on the roads and the plow hasn't cleared the streets yet. In any case, I was driving out of my neighborhood and am at a stop light, waiting to turn right on a very, very busy highway. I'm waiting for an opening in the traffic flow to make a right hand turn. I think to myself " I should just probably wait until I get a green light, and not even try to risk turning on a red in these conditions".

A Jeep Cherokee rolls up behind me. "Great- I guess I should keep my eye out on traffic now that I have someone waiting behind me. Wow, there are a lot of cars coming from Hill AFB...yup, 5:10 p.m. - everyone is leaving for home. Man, this red light is taking...."

**HONK***

My trail of thought is interrupted. The Jeep is honking at me. I look at my rear view mirror. The Jeep is filled with a bunch of adolescent boys waving their arms in the air, trying to signal for me to turn. The honking continues. I roll my eyes and think how rude they are being, but I just keep looking at the cars coming from my left, trying to see where I could scoot out to join the flow.

The Jeep revs it's engine and jolts forward, trying to urge me forward. The Abercrombie rugby shirt wearing driver sticks his arm out "shooing" me forward as the other hand is still honking. His face turns to the passengers as he starts to make a lewd gesture.

This is when I lost it.

I put my little 1991 Honda Accord in park, unbuckle my seatbelt, and open my door. Well, I try to open my door, but it is stopped by the snow build- up, and I have to push my door open.

I get out of the car, stepping into a small snow pile that almost hits my knees. I trudge through the snow, marching to the Jeep. The roars of laughter and smirks start to fade as I near. The driver pushes the button to automatically roll up his window. The little button wasn't fast enough. There was about five more inches to go before I reached the window. I shoved my mittened hands to the top of the window and I force the window back down ( while he was still pushing the button to raise it). It was slow, and it used all my might, but I did it.

"HOLY SH*&%!!!" came from the back ( there were two boys in the back and one in the passenger seat. )" DUDE!!"

The driver looked scared now.

"What in the HELL is your problem!!" I slowly said to him.

"Woah!!, Woah!! What is your problem?" he stuttered

" My problem is that you are being ridiculously rude"

" Are you a crazy biatch or something?" the passenger whispered ( He said the real thing too). His back was to the window. All the little boys were leaning as far away from me as possible.

Passenger made a foolish mistake for calling me that.

I guess this is the point where I actually really lost it.

At that moment, I had "belly-ed" up through the driver window and was halfway inside the car. My toes were lifted from the ground. My elbow was in the driver's face, as I pointed at the passenger and said " You have no idea you freaking wussy!!". I did NOT say the real F word- never have, never will. But I did not say wussy.....

That is when I let loose on them, telling them that they were sad excuses of little boys and that if they are not able to share the road with other people and understand traffic laws and safety then they should return their Daddy's Jeep and stay home. Also, that they are disgusting to be laughing at vulgar gestures and participate in harrassing a woman. I also asked them to let me know when they actually saw an opening in the traffic that I had missed, and I would gladly apologize. They couldn't say anything. The largest one in the back just said.

"Please miss, can you please just get back in your car. We are sorry, really..."

"Yeah, I'm really sorry", the driver echoed.

I hopped back down to the ground and looked to my left. The light had just turned from green to red...again. I snapped my head back to look at the boys and I said. " Look , see, now you made us miss the green light. Looks like you have a chance to prove to me that you can wait patiently now."

I marched back to my car. Luckily, there was only about thirty seconds to wait before I could turn right. I kept my eye on the rear view mirror the whole time I was waiting though. The boys didn't even talk to each other. The driver looked like he was about to throw up.

I'm sure they retell this story as the time that some crazy biznatch flipped out on them. Oh well.