YOU SAW ME
DON'T DO IT: I'm the guy you got arrested with one winter. I'm the dude who wrecked my tent and pinned me down like I was Simba in our friends front yard one summer. I haven't seen you in so many years — about eight — until you and I ran into each other just a few weeks ago. You have been so stuck in an abusive relationship with a jerk who treats you so bad. All I can think is "Does she remember the rest? Every other memory of the times we had hung out in the past? Did she feel anything for me back then?" Now I've found myself back in your circle of friends. Do you see how I want you bad just like I did back then?
CHEERS
MOTORIST STOPS TO HELP: Thank you to the gentleman in the silver pickup that stopped to offer help Wednesday morning. I had a flat tire on I-90 halfway up Sunset Hill by Exit 277. AAA was on their way, but standing by the freeway waiting was stressful and your gesture of caring was greatly appreciated.
MOVIE THEATER CRIERS: Last week I saw "The Whale" at Regal in Coeur d'Alene. Some folks left immediately, but about six of us stayed and cried. We really shared a moment there! What a movie!
RETRO DONUTS CUSTOMER SERVICE: Cheers to the young ladies at Retro Donuts, great customer service, which is hard to come by nowadays! You brightened up this guy's gloomy day!!! And thanks to the owners for putting, great REAL bacon on the maples bars, and hiring people who clearly love their job!
JEERS
BIGOT IN A JEEP: Jeers is not a strong enough word for a woman who would drive by a teenage boy and pull a U-turn to go back to yell racial slurs at him. How dare you say, "You (slur) don't belong on the South Hill. Go back to your ghetto and don't go to our South Hill schools." A woman spewing such hateful speech is who doesn't belong — anywhere!!
DO BETTER, LOCAL NEWS: Jeers to the local news stations trying to sue for juicy goss in the Moscow homicides. Trying to claim it's about freedom of information is utter bull. The gag order only prohibits extrajudicial discussions on the case, but there's a whole section of court documents and case summary available to all online with the relevant info. What you're looking for is a scoop for your revenue, and you don't care about compromising the case integrity or rendering evidence inadmissible or tainting the jury pool in order to get it. Disgusting. Utterly abhorrent. The online sleuths and psychic Tik Tokers are awful enough, but you're barely any better than them. Shame on you, and stop asking why no one trusts news media anymore. This is why. We expect this from national outlets, but you'd think the local stations would care enough to make sure a fair trial can be held and justice served. Stop treating tragedies like cash cows and start doing some actual journalism for a change, maybe you'd see your numbers rise.
DOUCHE AVENUE CRIPS: Your graffiti and drug dealing will not be allowed to ruin West Cental! The cops are onto you!
MUSIC HELD HOSTAGE: Coulee Dam is a small town of numerous cultures and faiths. Our one music radio station has been replaced by Christian-only music. We thought it was for the holidays season, but it looks like it is permanent. Half the town is on a tribal reservation, and geographically it is difficult to even get an AM station. Someone with no regard for the general public has decided to monopolize our airwaves. We miss our music.
YOUR KIDS WILL LEARN: Jeers to the bigots that keep kids in the dark on trans and nonbinary issues. It's an absolute epidemic in Spokane. My child is transitioning, and the amount of hate and disgusting comments we have received from the parents at HER elementary school is enough to turn our stomachs. My daughter cannot help who she is. You people need to understand that you WILL have your children learn about the innate beauty of childhood transitioning. It starts with education. We can only hope the future breeds a more tolerant community for kids outside of your Trump-loving heteronormative fantasy.
SPOKANE TRAFFIC RULES PREFACE: I have read in these pages that all of Spokane's traffic problems are from transplanted Californians who don't know how to drive. As a transplant myself, who spent nearly 50 years driving all around California, I have never witnessed the moronic stupidity that is Spokane traffic. As far as I can tell, these are the driving rules of Spokane city streets: Whatever the posted speed limit, drive a minimum of 40 mph. At blind/uncontrolled intersections drive 40 mph. The vehicle that is larger and or going fastest has the right of way. Stop signs are just a suggestion. When you do decide to stop make sure it is at least one full car length past the sign. Which brings me to the physics-defying phenomenon that is unique to Spokane: accelerate to the stop. You've all seen it, nuff said. When exiting a driveway or side street, regardless of traffic speed, density or weather conditions, just go. You waited at least a nanosecond, and you are a VIP in a hurry. When leaving a red light, floor it! You must beat everyone else to the next red light. When you encounter pedestrians using a crosswalk to cross a multilane street, accelerate and change lanes to get around them so that they don't slow you down. Tailgate. As a transplanted Californian I await the haters to hate.
RE: CROSSWALKS: I personally haven't been on my phone crossing, and I agree that people shouldn't be. Don't cross anywhere else besides a crosswalk/designated crossing area such as a light, and pay attention. My jeer, if you read it fully, was about drivers who damn near hit anyone in their path because they can't be bothered to wait the five seconds it takes for someone to cross the street or are looking at their phones. But I agree with what you said. People need to pay attention all around, but drivers have a certain amount of responsibility. But that doesn't mean walkers shouldn't be held accountable, my jeer was strictly about drivers and some people's belief that the car always has the right of way. Don't cross in dark clothing, don't look at your phone when you are walking in a crosswalk and/or a light. But drivers, get off your phone, watch better for pedestrians. I can't tell you how many times I was almost hit because someone wasn't paying attention or they think that the meer 10 to five seconds might slow them down, so they gun it. I have had drivers look me in the eye as they almost hit me.
DRIVERS BEWARE! Jeers to whoever is responsible for the upkeep of Argonne Road. That pothole on the northbound side near Wellesley is dangerous and it's not new, it has been there a long time.
SCALLYWAG ALERT! Jeers to the ugly long-nailed, straight outta Hillyard witch, with elementary level vernacular, and a bad a** attitude serving donuts! I can't even believe you got hired at this place. I would've come back and complained about how terrible the donuts were, but by that point my IQ had already went down 5 points hearing you speak!!! Advice: Get some education, cut your nails, and clean it up, sis!!! Jeers to the owners for hiring you, and ever even thinking that PRECOOKED BACON would be good on a damn maple bacon bar!
WHY'S OLD ALBERTSONS STILL VACANT? Jeers to the Spokane "businessman" who continues to collect $25,000 in rent EACH MONTH for a vacant neighborhood grocery store building that has been empty since Albertsons closed it years ago. How about actually contributing something to the community that has created your wealth? Maybe another grocery store, a preschool/day care center, a dance studio, an exercise center, or restaurants could use the space and provide a valuable service to the community. It might reduce your $25,000 monthly income, but I'm thinking you can scrape by.
THIEF: I dropped my gloves shopping at the Rosauer's store without knowing it. I discovered they were gone and went to the Lost and Found. No gloves. Been back again and again. Clearly, some person picked up my gloves and walked out with them. No big deal, right? Wrong. Those gloves were important to me for reasons you do not need to know. All you had to do was take the gloves to the store's Lost and Found. But no, you decided to be a thief. Shame on you. ♦
