Dear Poor Lucky Me,
When people in the city use those huge golf umbrellas to protect themselves from the rain, are they aware of how annoying and dangerous their behavior is?
Do they even care that they could poke my eyes out?
Best to You,
Cold, Wet and Angry
Dear C.W.A.,
I think that in urban settings a lot of social niceties are set aside because people are just trying to get from one point to another. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, I guess that depends on what side of the umbrella you’re on.
A golf umbrella does seem excessive, unless the motorcycle twins were walking down the street. And if Bill and Benny were walking down the street in the rain in Chicago with golf umbrellas, I would applaud them.
I would say that most people don’t think of their umbrella habits as either annoying or dangerous. They just think they’re maximizing their chances of staying dry. It’s not about you, remember that. It’s like when people smash into you trying to rush to the train, or when tourists stop in the middle of the sidewalk to stare at a map…it’s never about you. In fact, enjoying the city requires a delicate balance of intensity and easy going-ness.
Besides, if you do get your eye poked out by some one’s golf umbrella you can probably sue them and not have to work for a while. That’s a huge bonus in my book. In fact, it just started hailing….I think I’ll go for a walk down Michigan Ave and hope for the best. I have TWO eyes after all.
Sincerely,
Poor Lucky Me
