I hate cars so much it's unreal

Posted 2022-03-01.

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It's Tuesday evening, so a great time for a rant.

There are a million reasons to dislike cars, such as pollution, noise, having to depend on them to get anywhere, the fact that they facilitate mindless expansion of the suburbs, etc. But no, today I won't talk to you about anything as high and lofty as any of that. I want to complain about something much more personal.

I recently got my puppy one of those nifty retractable leashes so I could give her more freedom to roam around when we go on walks together. It's three or five meters long; I don't remember exactly. For the most part, it's been a relief. The old leash was way shorter in comparison, so I'm sure we're both very glad that I don't have to pull on the leash anymore (not that I ever liked that). She seems much more relaxed, and, having more freedom now, she seldom pulls on the leash herself.

However, there's a caveat: cars. I live in a typical suburb in which houses are connected by pedestrian-friendly alleys that are regretfully open to slow traffic, even if they're only wide enough to fit one car. Of course, when I go on walks with my dogs, I do so on these alleys, as there is nowhere else to walk. Usually when you walk on these streets and a car wants to pass you, they can't go around you, so you're forced to move to the side like an idiot and let the machine through, as if they somehow had a divine right of way.

This presents an issue when I'm walking my dog. Dogs, being dogs, are like little curious (and very agile) children and you have to keep close to you when a car is near. So when I'm minding my own business enjoying a nice stroll with my pet and a car wants to pass me, I have to pull on the dog or run to it to keep it safe (telling it to stay wouldn't even work in the unfortunate case you're on a corner and the car wants to turn), making my new rectractile leash useless and my walks a complete pain in the ass, as cars present their horrible existence to me every couple minutes.

Why do I have to worry so much about cars running over my dog? Why can't I walk my dog in peace? I'd love to let her run free in the nearest park so she can exercise, but I can't because the park is surrounded by streets (with cars!) and I never know when my dog might disobey my calls, run off to the street, and get run over by a killer machine that shouldn't even be there in the first place.

These walkways are supposed to be for pedestrians first, but car owners love to believe they own the place by speeding and not looking at what's on the fucking street. Cars are a mistake. Their existence made the stupid suburb in which I live seem like a good idea, and as long as I'm here, I'll always have to keep an eye out so nobody in my house gets run over. Good God.