A Few Firsts

Yesterday the girls and I decided to pick Dugald up from work since we were already out and about. The trick of course was finding a parking space near his office so I could see Katie and Josie get in the elevator to go tell him we were there (he had forgotten his phone at home so I couldn't just text him to come down). Anyhoo - lucky for us, or so I thought, there was a spot just across the street from his office. It was a parallel park, which I hate, but it was all that was available so I eased on in and sent the girls up to get him while Meggie, Ellie and I waited in the car. 

As we were sitting there for about five minutes several cars came and went from the spot in front of us. There were white lines marking the spaces and everything so I had absolutely no cause for concern. However, just as Dugald, Josie and Katie were walking towards us a big ole city bus came up the street and went right in front of me, hitting my car in the process. My parked car. With us in it. 

Thankfully it wasn't a big deal but since Dugald saw it all I decided to let him handle it. But he didn't do anything. As the bus was being loaded I thought for sure it was going to hit us again as it left, but it didn't. Once it was out of the way Dugald and the girls got in the car and Dugald informed me I was parked in a bus stop. SO THEY JUST HIT ME??? So very rude!

It turns out that the spot I was in is a bus stop between 4 and 6 pm and the dotted yellow line outside of the white parking space line was supposed to indicate that fact. However, I want you to know that even though I was parked there between 4 and 6pm I was actually hit at 6:02pm. 

So I've learned a little more about parking and lanes and whatnot. Presumably I had read that somewhere when I studied for my driving test, but I was going with the fact that other cars were parked there too so it didn't even register. Here's the car:

My second "first" happened immediately following the collision with the bus (see if we ever go downtown to pick Dugald up from work again). This time I witnessed a taxi running into a biker, both of whom were trying to pass me on a one lane road (plus a bus lane which you just know I was staying out of). The taxi was pulling off the curb from the left to get in front of me to turn right (he so could have waited) while the biker was coming up on the right to pass. Dugald, still explaining the bus stop situation was reminding me that they had changed the speed limit to 30K's on Lambton Quay (which is unbelievably slow, slow enough that bikers do indeed whiz by you). So the taxi driver hit the biker, right in front of me, and we sat there and watched them get in a big ole fight because we couldn't pass. The biker wasn't hurt so Dugald told me to stay out of it. It was the second time in 5 minutes that I had totally wanted to tell someone off. 

What's happening in your world???