Angry Little Asian Girl

Today I remembered why I love to run - stress relief.  The traffic situation has been insane lately due to construction, so what used to be a busy but doable commute is pretty much unbearable.  There's construction happening on one of the main arteries into town, so all the traffic that used to go that route is now being diverted to the main highway into town from up-island.  That's about 12,000 cars apparently...and our little Highway 1 can't handle the extra load, esp. with all the people that are now living out in the Westshore.  Victoria is an incredibly expensive place to live, so lots of people live out in the Westshore as it's much cheaper to buy a house.  When we moved out there six years ago, we could have bought the same 50's bungalow that we already lived in but on a quiet street in Victoria or a brand new three level house in the Westshore.   My rant isn't about the traffic though...it's the fact some people in Victoria do not know how to drive...in particular, the concept of merging.  It ain't that hard people!  I was trying to merge today and no one, NO ONE...would let me in.  I signalled and people actually moved up to tighten the space.  Grrr!

I was all hepped up but thought OK, I'll relax now and proceeded into work.  I made my way into town and was at a red light, but wanted to turn right so I was looking at the traffic to my left for an opportunity to turn.  I looked up at the light and noticed it had just changed green so as I started to move, the guy behind me leeeeaaanns on his horn.  Not just a tap, a full out blast.  As he drives by me, he gives me the finger...and then makes a racist motion at me.  The horn, whatever.  The finger, meh.  The racist taunt?  Oh no,  you didn't.  I'm not proud of this and it wasn't one of my finest moments, but I rolled down the window and let the expletives fly at this guy.   I used every word in the book that I could come up with, and maybe even came up with a few new creative combinations.  You can call me stupid.  You can tell me I'm ugly.  You throw an ethnic slur in my direction?  It's go time, the gloves are off.  I was absolutely seething.  It's been years since I've had something racist happen to me and I don't take lightly to it.  It was odd timing too because I had just told my MIL that I hadn't experienced any racism in years and I felt accepted and no different than anyone else...she currently lives in the U.K. and she gets it all the time unfortunately.  Yes, yes...I should have turned the other cheek and not let it get to me...I know that.  But that kind of ignorance is unacceptable in this day and age and I just couldn't be "the better person" today...sorry. 

So tonight?  I'm getting on that treadmill AND the exercise bike to work off some steam.  Hope I don't burn out the motors!