I never understood why blind people wore sunglasses. When I was a little kid, I assumed they were super-strong prescriptions that didn't let any light through (luckily, my mother corrected me before I shared my theory with anyone). Someone told me that they wear dark lenses because their eyes wander. Since blind people don't actually look at anything, their eyes wander around completely unfocused on anything. They wear dark sunglasses to hide their wandering eyes so no one stares at them.

My question is: how do blind people know we're staring at their wandering eyes?

---

A few weeks ago I got hit by a bus. I know you're thinking what kinda genius gets hit by a bus--but as my friends would tell you, I am that kind of genius. Making me look even better, I wasn't even aware I got hit by a bus. It wasn't until I looked at my car a few hours later and discovered bus damage. I guess that just shows you how stealthy buses can be.

I was stopped at a driveway, waiting for traffic to clear enough for me to get through. Look left; look right--look left again. Traffic was bustling--and giving me a stern reminder why I don't like to go to work in the morning.

I saw a bus coming from my left on the street in front of me. There was nothing unusual to register about that (even though I'll never ride one, buses are common in Orange County). In retrospect, I should have realized the bus was coming awfully close to the driveway I was about to pull out of--a perfectly legal maneuver since there was a bus stop immediately past it. As the bus charged down the street, I looked to my right--the direction the bus was going--to anticipate how the traffic would be once the bus passed me.

All of the sudden my car shook--but I thought nothing of it. I drive a tiny, Honda Civic hatchback. The car weighs no more than 2000 pounds: it doesn't take much to get the car to shake. When I sit at traffic lights, the car violently shakes every time a big rig, school bus, or junebug passes it. The sudden rush of wind is enough to make my car shake like a LA earthquake. Why would I be alarm when my car shakes from a passing bus: it happens all the time.

When I got to work, I noticed the giant gray scuff mark on the bummer. At first I didn't know what it was--but eventually I put two and two together: that bus must've clipped me. The damage isn't severe--just a scuff mark--but it's enough to be seen...and confirm I got hit by a bus.

You'd think I'd be more upset by it than I am (after all, I'm the guy who declared I would never shop again at Toys-R-Us ten years ago...and can't remember why). But the damage isn't bad (my car now looks like it belongs in San Francisco). Still it is kinda annoying. It's not everyday you get hit by a bus and live to tell about it.

© 2007 siknerd.com