So if you are from New York Fucking City [like I am] then you will be able to relate to the following statement: "How long should I wait before I run this red light?"
If you happen to be from a part of America where mailboxes do not close with lock and key but rather by a small metal flag switching from a vertical to horizontal position this may or may not be a concept you grasp right away. I will explain: As a city that ever sleeps the social atmosphere of New York is alive and teeming at any given moment. It is very likely at 3 o'clock in the morning to be walking down a Manhattan Ave and see a stretched luxury car with a celebrity in the back seat on the same mission for late night pizza that you are.
Usually when the viral injection of the New York club scene has left your body, you climb into your car to make the big escape from the island.
Now at 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning the streets of most cities in America are deserted. In the dirty veins of the rotten apple you can very well run into bumper to bumper traffic, sit for 45 mins and miss your exit to go home after the midnight hour. Then there is the dilemma;
What happens when you pull up to a red light, no cars for at least half a mile in any direction and the light has been red for at least 3 minutes?
[Ed Note: New york is probably the most impatient lot of people on the planet. We move at the speed of people here. Ironically trains and buses are never on time, which is probably part of the reason so many New Yorkers always seem highly agitated. So waiting 3 minutes for a light to change, outside of bumper to bumper traffic is the equivalent to a whole game of golf on TV....you kind of want it to hurry along]
What do you do? Do you run it? Do you wait for your turn? Do you wait for the green light, the proverbial signal that it is the right time to go? You can get home that much faster and quicker. You need to sleep and rest. You need to get home and out of these streets. You have liquor in your system and you are hungry and this red light is a hindrance. The thing is your moral code dictates to you that running a red light is wrong, against the law [because it is].
But then you rationalize it in your head and you think no one is even around, i can get away with it; and you do it. You run the red light and catch the other green in the distance, making your way home. However when you look in your rear view mirror the flash of red lights interrupts your train of thought. Wait.....no! Yup, there was a patrol car waiting at that corner for you. At that corner with the delayed traffic light that they know impatient New Yorkers will try to run after midnight. You take one last glance in your rear view only to see a small sphere of green floating above the street. If you had just waited a little while longer you would have been fine! You were just a little impatient. You just had to wait it out a little bit longer. Now your 45 seconds of impatience will cost you points on your license, a ticket and possibly jail time if this cop decides to check for the 2 or 3 corona hiding on your palette. Was it worth it?
Ah! Here in lies the question and the meat (pause) of today's blog. No it wasn't worth it. An although most times you probably would have made it home safe beating the red light. The fact remains that bad behavior leads to bad habits; the precursors for bad character or judgements there off. Just because the effects of something you did don't show up right then and there doesn't mean that they will never show up. I know sometimes you want to smash someone's head in, because they just disrespected you at work or home. Your girlfriend just said "you act like a little bitch" after an argument daring you to say/do something by not moving out of your way to the bedroom.
You can't run the red light....don't take the risk. Wait another minute or two before you react. We men are NOT conditioned to deal in emotions. When men get their buttons pushed we just lash out. It is simple, doesn't require much thinking or planning and gives instant gratification. We all love the quick pay off.
But again you never know what those actions will do in the long run. Don't run the red light. Wait another minute. I know it is difficult, you have to sit on your hands a lot. But this is the thing about being a man.....being a better man.....it isn't easy. It is HARD. (pause). Your character will be tested constantly by people you feel are less than you. The minute you break the law they win. If Will Smith met me and I called him a faggot and he punched me........ well I'd sue and try to date Jada (Sorry Will!). My life would probably continue pretty ok. He on the other hand would have to deal with negative press, accusations that he is a mean person not to mention the law suit I would win for assault. He felt good for that 45 secs he saw my nose bleeding, but was it all worth it?
What would it have been for him to look at me and smile and say "Well you look like one to and I still wouldn't date you..."? and walk away? Hmmm.....? Wouldn't I still be an asshole and he a megastar with over 40 million dollars in the bank? So who is really stupid?
Don't run the red light. Wait.
Again there are always exceptions to the rule. If you are bleeding and this stop at the light might cause you to die by all mean, no one will question that. If your child is hurt or something is wrong with them burn them muth@#$@* lights!!!!
But other than that, think about it. Really think about it. Is it worth it is a deicision you will always have to live with......
Once you get through that light and you look up you realize you are out of sync with all the other lights now....there will be 6 more lights ahead of you before you get home.....good luck.
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