This is a Public Service Announcement...

...for all you drivers out there that don't run....listen up. or should I say, read up...

This morning, I got a glimpse of what my future will be as a runner. It's 7:05 a.m. I am running a few minutes late on my morning commute. Thinking to myself oh geez I need to get going..wait, it's rideshare Thursdays I don't really have to rush that much. (Who knows what "rideshare Thursdays" is anyways? I mean, can't every day be a "rideshare day"?)

Anyhoodle, I get in my car and head down Indian Hill Blvd, I pass the school, stop at the light on Foothill, head down my favorite part of the street, towards Memorial Park, and then, it that instant, I see myself in about 30+ years. Waiting at the light, there is a woman, I would say in her late 50's maybe early 60's...she looks great by the way. She is doing that little running dance you do if you are a runner, waiting at the light..This light is a somewhat pointless light on Indian Hill, one that I hardly ever stop at, and when I do it's one of those lights that pisses me off, because I am almost home, or I am in a hurry to get to work, and it just makes me wait there for a minute or so. So I have yet to mention the Mercedes C Class in front of me, this is where I start my rant. Are you ready for it?

So, you have the fabulous looking runner lady doing the running dance, impatiently looking at her watch, the signal, the watch, the cars, and so on. Then you have the fancy Mercedes C Class in front of me, then you have the yellow light. I notice the yellow light, I also notice that the Mercedes C Class begins to speed up not slow down. Then I see my future. Right there in front of me, and I begin to laugh and cheer on the fabulously in shape lady runner to my left. The Mercedes C Class zooms by the runner, and the runner stares the car down and throws her arms up, I can't really read her lips because my eye sight isn't the best, but I pretty much know what she is saying. I think you do too.

Ok drivers, here you go. This has been building up in my heart for yeeeaaarrrrssss. SLOW DOWN, PAY ATTENTION TO RUNNERS, WHEN YOU ARE AT A SIGNAL, A STOP SIGN, A CROSSWALK, LOOK BOTH WAYS. WE ARE OUT THERE, WE KNOW YOU DON'T PAY ATTENTION, WE LOOK OVER OUR SHOULDER, STARE YOU DOWN IN THE CROSSWALKS, WE KNOW THAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO RUN US OVER BECAUSE YOU AS THE DRIVER THINK THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT AWAY....

I live in Claremont, I have several routes that I take, depending on time and my mood, I switch it up quite a bit. My favorite 6 mile run happens to have many intersections, on average, I am at about 10 lights a/o stop signs.

I am that woman...I throw my arms up at people who don't wait for me, I point my fingers at them, I yell, and tell them to slow down. I can't tell you how many times I have almost been hit because the driver makes a left turn without looking at me. I do occasionally get those drivers who roll down their window and say sorry. Those people make me happy. They acknowledge their mistake, which in turn, I forgive them.

My point is, I want to run for the rest of my life, and I also want to live a long life. I don't want to run in fear that at any moment, I could get hit by a car. I have read countless stories about runners who get hit, like this one:
http://rwdaily.runnersworld.com/2008/09/i-almost-hit-a-runner.html.

Please read this, understand my frustration, and be more careful.

Thank you :)