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Blog Entry 77 of 197 From the mountains to 6th Avenue
Many Evergreeners commute. It's been described as a commuter community. Accurate. So there is an etiquette to commuting. The first rule: Leave early. Even if you depart for a 9 to five job at 6:30 a.m., you will not be alone. If you like being alone on the highway, go to Montana. The second rule: Leave early If you don't get off til 5 p.m., take a book on tape, because you will be sitting in traffic near Federal and 6th, and entertainment of any kind is helpful. There are polite drivers, like me, who let others sneak in, especially in merge lanes. I try. You probably do too. The one thing I have decided that will not happen to me is that I will not be mangled in a car wreck on 6th Avenue or I-70 in either direction. What do you do to keep this promise to yourself?

Parlo Italiano?
Contributed by: Karen Groves/YourHub.com   on 8/16/2006

I have a message for motorists who get in my way when I have the white flashing pedestrian"It's okay to cross the street now" blinking light.

And it's in Italian. gesto dell'ombrello

I have found myself using this demonstrative arm motion lately. Several times.

Notice I said arm motion, not finger.

If you don't parlo italiano, it goes something like this:
Bend arm at elbow with an upward sweeping motion, as if you are lifting the garage door and you're in a big hurry.
Be sure and have all fingers pressed together so your hand makes the shape of an arrow and slightly bend the hand at the knuckles, maybe at a 30 degree angle.

I am so sorry you are in a hurry and just have tomake that right turn on a red lightin front of me, a pedestrian, walking, with my purse, and my briefcase on my feet.

Not inside a big machine on four wheels, capable of traveling much, much faster.
The other day not only was I motioning to the woman who was in such a hurry I was talking to her too, then I spoke in Italian just to make sure she understood the situation and my thoughts on the subject.

Ever since that woman who was crossing a downtown street was hit by an RTD bus, I have been feeling a little . . . at risk. Yes, people cross against the red light when you can see for four miles there are no cars coming. I have done that. Now I am trying to be a good girl, which is always, always hard for me, and obey the signals. So what if I have to wait a minute or two.

I think mouthing out: "This is a pedestrian crossing and as you can see, I am crossing," just as someone is about to run you over is perfectly acceptable language.

Whether anyone is listening is another story. And that's why I find arm gestures to be effective, even after the fact. I didn't get run over, and I feel better having expressed myself to the rude drivers I have been encountering.

For more Italian lessons go here
http://italian.about.com/library/handgestures/blgesturesindex.htm



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Showing 1 of 1 comments
Submitted By: Bill Boucher
posted on 8/17/2006 @ 9:32:32 AM
Rated Blog Entry
So is the knuckle-biting thing real, or its that a hollywood thing?
Showing 1 of 1 comments
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