I try to treat people as I, myself, would like to be treated.  

That’s why what happened to me this morning was so disturbing, and I’m still a little shaken.  I was a victim of racism, and I’m just lucky that myself, and my passengers (Adam & Blake), are safe.  You never know what can happen when a hate crime is (nearly) committed.

The situation: I was getting ready to make a right at a stop sign on our way to work this morning; I saw a large 18 wheeler (give or take) a few blocks away, at an appropriate speed, so I decided to wait until they passed to make the right.  Cautious, considerate, SAFE.

Then came the HORN.  Then the flashing lights.  Seems the gentleman behind the ‘Vo (who happened to be of a different ethnic background than me) was in a rush to get to the unemployment office (or work, to be fair) and wanted me to know it.

To him, it looked clear, and that I was just sitting on it.  Well, I was not.  Finally, he pulled up aside me (WITHOUT SIGNALING), rolled down his passenger window, and said (to paraphrase) “Why you sittin’ on the stop sign?  Huh?  Huh?  Answer me, you WHITE BITCH!”

I was dumbfounded, and he took the opportunity to speed past me (cutting off the 18 wheeler by a good block and a half) and flip me the bird.  Adam and Blake could tell I was rattled, and didn’t say anything, but… I thought, as a society, we were past things like this.

Just going to take a few minutes with my coffee, try to calm down.  I know I was in the right, and that’s important here.

(UPDATE: reading this over my shoulder, Adam says he’s pretty sure the guy called me a “WIDE Bitch”, since I was spread wide across the intersection, which could be true)