Nearly run over and yelled at

When I first started to drive a car, my dad told me that avoiding accidents not only depended on my safe driving, but also on keeping my wits about me and foreseeing mistakes other drivers were about to make.

As it turns out, it’s not only important for a driver of a car to stay alert, the same goes for a pedestrian. Take Saturday morning for instance, when I was nearly knocked down by a car not once but three times and yelled at in the process.

The first time was in parking lot, where a car reversed out of a parking bay. I guess a Mercedes doesn’t come equipped with a rearview mirror, or those driving a Mercedes think they are lord and master of the road. 

Not only did the driver not apologize for nearly bumping me out of the way, she had the nerve to yell at me that I should watch out where I was going.

A short distance further an SUV was blocking the pedestrian path by a gas station. While he waited to slip into traffic, I went around the car to continue my walk. At the very moment that I was behind the SUV, the driver decided to reverse. Once again I was able to jump out of his way. This driver too yelled at me for being careless.

A little further still, I waited for the traffic lights to turn green before crossed the street. When it did, and I stepped off the curb, a car nearly ran me over and I got yelled at for a third time.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but shouldn’t drivers be on the lookout for pedestrians? Isn’t that why all cars come equipped with rearview and side mirrors? And since when is it no longer safe for pedestrians to cross the street when the traffic light is green?

I guess it’s true what they say about traffic lights and their meaning: red … stop, green … go, orange … go like hell.

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The homeless urinate in chairs at Timothy's

Toronto residents, or those visiting Toronto, might want to think twice before taking a seat at Timothy’s coffee shop at 40 Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario.

For the longest time, Timothy’s was my regular lunchtime spot. I would order a coffee or tea and then settle down in one of the comfy armchairs to read my book. That routine changed when I visited Timothy’s on February 25th.
As soon as I sat down in one of the armchairs I felt a distinct wetness. When I got up I noticed a huge stain in the chair, with the distinct smell of urine. OMG someone had peed in this chair!

When I approached the lady serving coffee at the time and pointed out the soiled chair, she was not particularly concerned. “A homeless man was sitting there earlier,” she said. “Maybe he had an accident.”
Maybe he had an accident? That was it? She wasn’t going to do anything!
Well if she wasn’t, I was.
Not yelling, but not keeping my voice down either, I informed her that it is unsanitary to have a soiled chair standing around for people to sit in. How many people before me had sat in that chair, and how many would take a seat in it after me?

“What do you want me to do?” the waitress asked. “I can’t turn the homeless away. It’s cold outside”
While I am most sympathetic with the homeless, I draw the line where they think they can relieve themselves anywhere it is convenient.
The building houses a huge food court at basement level, offering coffee, tea and all kinds of breakfast. What’s wrong with the homeless sitting there?
Why do they have to sit in coffee shops? And since when is peeing in chairs permitted?

I flew out of the coffee shop and went straight to Giliani, a ladies clothing boutique.
I couldn’t wait to get out of my soiled pants and into a fresh one.
I was going to buy new pants and Timothy’s was going to pay for it.

To cut a long story short … first Timothy’s management offered me a free cup of coffee.
They upgraded that suggestion with the offer to have my soiled pants dry cleaned.
I didn’t budge though, I had been ‘forced’ to buy a new pants, and I wanted them to reimburse me for that.
Nothing more, nothing less.

And I got it. After contacting Timothy’s head office with an official complaint, they offered to pay for my new pants.
There that took care of that.
While I am satisfied with the outcome of this incident, I am dissatisfied and concerned with how Timothy’s treated my complaint.
The soiled chair remained standing in the coffee shop, and is still there.

If you happen to visit Timothy’s coffee shop at 40 Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario, and you take a seat in one of their chairs, you might just be sitting in the urine chair. Could there be more than one?