(no subject)

[rivka]

I carefully chose a car rental place that was three blocks from the body shop. My plan was to walk over to pick up my new car after I dropped off the old one.

I had not run my plan past the people at the body shop.

"You're getting a rental car?" the owner asked me, as we walked around and around my car.

"From the Thrifty down the street," I agreed.

"Are they going to pick you up?"

"Nah, it's just a couple of blocks. I'm going to walk."

He scanned the street, and then looked at me. "Have them pick you up."

I looked around at the boarded-up houses and vacant lots. "I shouldn't walk in this neighborhood?"

"Just have them pick you up."

His receptionist stepped into the conversation. "Thrifty won't pick her up. Is your car an automatic, ma'am? I'll drive you down and bring your car back. You really don't want to walk."

*shrug* So she drove me three blocks to the rental agency. I was a little surprised by the whole thing. There are neighborhoods in Baltimore where I wouldn't walk three blocks in broad daylight, but none of them are on busy major streets like that one. It was awfully nice of her to give me a ride, though.

Comments

[fairoriana.livejournal.com]

I've noticed that some people are horrified by the concept of anyone walking anywhere when roads go there.

[wcg.livejournal.com]

The Thrifty car rental place on Howard Street? Yeah, I can think of places within three blocks of that where I'd be a little concerned about you walking too.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

It would just have been along Howard Street! Not on any of the side streets, which I probably wouldn't have wanted to do either.

[wcg.livejournal.com]

Oh... Hmmm, that is a bit strange. I think I know which body shop your car is at now too. I've walked along that stretch of road a time or two. There are gaggles of idle folk at the corners sometimes, and I suppose the guy at the shop thought some of them might offer you harm.

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

How very weird. And there was a sidewalk and everything?

-J

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure they were worried about me getting mugged, not me getting hit by a car.

[fourgates.livejournal.com]

Would this body shop happen to be on Belair Road?

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Nope, it was on North Howard.

[edschweppe.livejournal.com]

I don't remember that part of Baltimore to be particularly skanky - but then again, it's been almost twenty-five years since I went to JHU, and I didn't hang around much south of 25th (unless I was heading down to Penn Station, that is).

Oh, well. I'm glad that they took good care of you, Rivka.