On Monday afternoon, I’d walked our dog to the groomers for a procedure.
The reason we were walking is because he is large and his arthritic joints prevent him from getting into any of our vehicles. It was a challenging outing for him.
On the way home, we waited a full cycle of the traffic lights at Gaetz Avenue and Bennett Street, then set out into the crosswalk. I’d heard a honking horn, and before we could get started, a red truck and then an SUV sailed through while turning left.
About halfway across the street, my poor old dog’s hips buckled, and I was urging him to get up.
The driver of the vehicle waiting for us rolled down her window and yelled, “the light actually says that you shouldn’t walk,” to which I replied, “we’re moving as fast as we can.”
She further informed me that “when traffic is this busy, you shouldn’t be here.”
I can’t begin to articulate the hurt and dismay that I felt. Of course, we made it to the other side of the street before the light changed, and certainly didn’t hold up any more traffic.
Am I mistaken to feel like this? What would be such an emergency that you couldn’t wait 20 seconds for an old dog to cross the street safely?
Would this lady be as abrupt with an elderly person, someone managing young children, or a person with mobility issues?
This behaviour did shock me, and it’s not what I expect in Red Deer.
Laura Rumohr, Red Deer