Welcome to the ATL

For the second night in a row there's been an accident at the intersection of Marietta Street and Northside Drive shortly before I've left work. So only a trickle at a time makes it through the intersection; the rest are lined up for a mile or two, keeping me from turning onto Marietta and heading home. Last night I was surprised when someone was kind enough to let me in, and all things considered the accident didn't delay me too much from making it through the intersection. But when I reached I-20 it was slammed all the way to 285. So yeah, what a nice sight tonight: an endless sea of red brake lights - again.

This time no one would let me out. I sat there at the corner in the pink and purple glow of the strip club on the corner for a while before giving up and turning in the opposite direction of the way I needed to go, so I could work my way around the intersection. It's more a feeling of "EW" that makes me uncomfortable around the club than it is fear for my safety, though I probably shouldn't take that for granted, either. We've found shell casings in the parking lot out front a few times.

I wound up on the opposite side of the intersection a few minutes later, after a series of turns. You can't exactly go around the block here, you know? There was still a backup, but at least it was moving and at least I was IN it instead of being trapped. So I sat there and watched a homeless lady - she had a big trash bag so maybe that makes her a bag lady - ask people for money, I'm guessing. The lights went out in the apartment leasing office, so I guess they were closing up. Then the homeless bag lady walked over to the "Now Leasing" sign, untied the bouquet of balloons, and strolled off down the street, trash bag in one hand and balloons in the other.