Chicago, IL – Day 6 – An Accidental Cold Shoulder

I felt completely refreshed leaving Saint Louis and heading up to one of my favorite cities in America, Chicago!  Given that it is about a 4-5 hour drive, depending on traffic and construction, I left early.  There are 2 full days to spend in this toddlin’ town, and my hotel is on Michigan Avenue smack in the middle of the miracle mile.

I wasn’t in town more than 5 minutes before being rear ended by a hurried and abrupt soccer Mom driving a minivan, one block from my hotel.  Why not?  The woman who hit me was not in the mood to take responsibility for hitting me, and told me that I should have pulled my car further forward into the right turn where the pedestrians were crossing.  I just smiled and let her vent.  I could just picture this one in court.

Attorney for the Insurance Company:  “So please tell me again why, when you rear side swiped this car, it wasn’t your fault?”

Frustrated and Hurried Soccer Mom:  “He should have pulled further forward around the turn into the oncoming pedestrians so that I had room to get around him.  Or at the very least so I didn’t have to wait 3 more seconds to get to where I was going.”

Attorney for the Insurance Company, flummoxed:  “I see.”

I had written earlier on this trip when I was cited for speeding that there is a difference between being in a hurry and driving fast.  Being in a hurry is a state of mind, almost a panic, where accidents can happen.  I stand by this analysis and both correct and prophetic.

“Money make a pimp, pimp hoes, hustlas sell dope, thugs gun smoke
What [echo]
Money make the world go round, as the world turns
Money make the world go round, as the world turns
Nigga I need money to main-tainn
Hustalin aint a gamee
Nigga go and gets the grainn
Gon' get tore out the framee
T.Vs in the Rangee
I'm in ta nice thanggs I slang weed (snort)
Coc-ainee and Herio-anee
50 Cent
Thats my namee
Nigga I bring the painn
You thought shit stay the samee
Nigga shit gon' change
Put a bullet in your brain”

-50 Cent-

This is what I was listening to when rear ended.  Of course the woman had no way of knowing that I was a gangsta going to later ride the el to Cellular One Field in the South Side, home of the Chicago White Sox, and that this was how I rolled.  She did, however, immediately give me her insurance information.  So far as I am concerned this is now between the rental car company and her insurance agency and if she don’t like it that way, I can arrange to have one of my homies pop a cap in her ass.

The home of the ChiSox is indeed in the ghetto.  I counted 14 police officers between the metro station and the stadium that weren’t there to manage traffic or to help people cross the street.  It was a 2 block walk.  The wind was blowing and while the sun was still up, it was going to get cold, and I was not dressed appropriately, nor did I even bring a jacket.  Not only did I not bring a jacket to the game, I did not bring one on the trip.  It is summer right?

I was sitting a row off the field in the right field corner, and there were maybe 10,000 people at the game.  The Oakland A’s ended up winning 5-4 late in the game and they hit 4 solo home runs in the process.  Adam Dunn made the last out of the game on a loud fly ball to the warning track.  Some fan remarked that was progress for a .169 hitter with a propensity to strike out 3 times a game.  The ballpark was not that memorable, but as with all the new ballparks, it is very nice.  Looking forward to old school baseball tomorrow at Wrigley on the North Side.  I am hoping that the weather improves and I don’t freeze my ass off like I did tonight.