Tuesday, September 9, 2008

taxis

So I had a very hard day yesterday. It didn't help my Monday work-self that i'd gone to sleep at around 12:30 on Sunday. Well, actually Monday. And of course, Mondays are hard in their own right.... But, anyway, work, whatever - you kind of expect to be exhausted (at least mentally) on the way home.

I've taken to walking home from Leidseplein instead of taking the tram. It's a good way to unwind (that is, a way to unwind that is not vegging out in front of the tv) and it's healthy. I could use some extra health, so what if my muscles don't know it yet.

Anyways, so there I was, almost home, at the crossing of Marnixstraat and Rozengracht, waiting for the light to go green for me. I think I've mentioned the Dutch manners of crossing the road and how I'm all used to Estonian kamikaze-nuclear-bomber-style traffic so I always actually wait for the green. But then when the green light is on, it's MY f'ing TURN to cross the road. That's what the green light means. Right?

Wrong!

The traffic light is going (red)tick--tock--tick--tock--tick--tock (green)tick-tick-tick-tick-tick and as always I'm looking first for bikers, 'cause they go whenever. all of a sudden though, a cab veers in from the left (doing a right turn from his POV) !!! fine, fine, it's my turn now, yes? NO! another taxi! and another! and another! a pause, I make a step onto the pavement... and another! I'm getting angry and indignant. I'ts blazing green for me and the green onthe other side of the road is blinking already meaning that I'll be stuck on the traffic island if I don't hurry.... and another cab.... and another, but this last one stops so I can cross the damn road.

*sigh* how is it that after a mind-numbing day when I'm mentally in a point where I don't really care about anything except alleviating my hurting muscles by sitting down the cab drivers of Amsterdam manage to piss me off so wonderfully fast? it was a matter of seconds! See: apathy:swish-swish-swish->blazing mad.

The worst of it was though that you kind of expect people to behave stupidly in traffic. You expect bikers to never pay attention, you know that some jerk-offs never signal when they want to turn etc. etc... But driving (safely) is the taxidriver's bread and butter, it's their goddamn JOB! The fact that taxidrivers all over the world are like this is absolutely no excuse either. It just isn't!

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

I want to cry

EU is as limp as a washed-ashore squid.

I wish countries would just make up their damned minds and stop all that yammering about "neutrality". Unless they're Switzerland or willing to go ALL the way into neutrality (like Switzerland) and give up all international interests, they should just pick a side.

I don't mind countries like Germany or the Netherlands who want to get along with Russia. I don't agree with them, but I get where they're coming from and I can respect them for their views and the consequential (world) politics. But countries like Ireland (or, actually, the Irish people I have come across lately) ought to be honest with themselves and everyone else. Look at the situation, look at what they want and stop with the goddamned hypocrisy of "neutrality". There is no such thing within the EU and they should just pucker up and smell the steaming pile of shit that it is.

But they're not gonna. Because they're safely far enough away that it doesn't concern them... or so they think.

and that's why I want to cry...