I’m an animal lover. I adore animals, even rodents like rats and mice. And squirrels. We had squirrels on my college campus that were like dogs - they’d follow us around for peanuts and there was one (Spot) who even let us pet him (Yes, I realize now that it was stupid to pet a squirrel, but he was very sweet and never bit anyone that I know). I have always been saddened at the sight of a dead squirrel or chipmunk. I once hit a deer in high school while on a back road, and I was very traumatized by the experience, bawled my eyes out and wanted to go find the deer to make sure he was all right even though I really needed to go to the hospital and not traipsing around the woods.
That said…the little fuckers need to stop running in front of my car! Even an animal-lover can’t avoid them if they run right under my wheels! Case in point - on my way out to my boyfriend’s several weeks ago, I was driving on the Pennsylvania Turnpike at the speed limit - 65. The next thing I know, I see a squirrel dart out from the concrete BARRIER in the middle of the highway and right under my wheels. I couldn’t avoid him without causing an accident (there was a semi next to me) and I felt his little body hit my wheels, then saw him roll across the highway to the shoulder. I cried for half an hour, called my boyfriend and sobbed “I just hit a squirrel!” Since it was the first time I’d hit a small animal driving, I was very upset.
So I figure since I’ve been driving for 12 years and this is the first small animal I’ve hit, I should be okay for another 12 years, right? Wishful thinking. I left for work this morning and not half a mile from my house, a chipmunk darts right in front of my car - I’m talking inches in front of my wheels. I swerved, being the only one on the road, and felt a bump under my wheels. But when I slowed down and looked, I saw nothing on the road - so I’m guessing he got away. Then again, he may have been hurt. Again, I felt terrible over it.
On the way home, a squirrel AGAIN darted out in front of me, but this time, I was able to avoid him. Thank goodness. I don’t know that my psyche could have taken hitting two animals in one day.
Okay, little animals - I don’t WANT to hit you! But if you keep running out in front of my car when I have no time to stop, I can’t avoid it! I like animals. I used to be a vegan. I used to belong to PETA. I have shelters cats and I dog-sit for my brother a lot. I want to get a pet rat. I do NOT want to run over any more of you little guys! So stop it! Stay out of the darn road!
(Now, if only they would hear me and listen…)
Ava
