Cars, Rebar, and Other Neighborhood Hazards

I just got back from taking something to a friend's house. She lives about seven or eight blocks away. As I was walking there I realized that this is a dangerous neighborhood! Why? Here's what I encountered.

I saw a small Kia that had gobbled up nine people. Nine. No joke! The driver plus someone in the passenger seat, but also two kids up front. One was on the passenger's lap and one was squatting above the gear shift. The back had three grown ups and two school aged children (whose necks were crooked as their heads were pushed against the ceiling). "Phew!" I thought to myself, as the car was obviously satiated and wouldn't be trying to gobble me up as well!

Next I came across three bars of rebar sticking up, vertically, out of the middle of the sidewalk. Each piece was several inches tall and someone had put large rocks in the midst in hopes that passerbies wouldn't be seriously injured. Being early evening there was still enough light to notice the peril before I was paralyzed.

In the block before my destination there was a car starting out of a building's garage. They were waiting to back onto the street. The building's concierge was on the street to stop traffic, once it had moved enough to create a gap. (Friday night traffic in Hamra is horrible!) The driver had just made eye contact with me as I was about to step behind his car, as he was blocking the sidewalk. I had taken two steps after his looking away when he began to back up into me! I slammed my hand down on his trunk, shaking my head and rolling my eyes as I kept walking.

This is place keeps you on your toes!