It seems everyone is happy the weather is warm and they are taking advantage of it by finally crawling out of a long hibernation. It is obvious kids in my neighborhood are.
    Children are out and about on bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards and on foot. They throw footballs back and forth and climb trees in yards all around where I live. I see teenagers walking in pairs to the ice cream shop down the road from my apartment and while this is all nice, I ask one thing – please stay out of the road.
    I must be getting older if my biggest pet peeve is kids failing to get out of the way of moving vehicles. I know sometimes this can’t be helped due to lack of sidewalks, and maybe a glimmer of road rage is coming out in me, but sometimes I think they do it on purpose.
    Recently, and on multiple occasions, kids  see me approaching and move to the side of the road (thank you!), but then, as if they’re testing my reflexes, one darts across the road on his scooter like a squirrel across Route 1.
    I just continue through, shaking my head.
    Teens seem to be the worst. I could attribute it to angst and attitude or simple carelessness, but I swear, at least where I live, they walk almost in the middle of the road with no attempt to move when they see me coming.
    They always turn around and look when they hear the humming of my car engine coming up behind them – and then they do nothing, as if taunting me.
    I feel my blood become hot and I pull to the other side of the road, desperately wanting to squeal my tires, honk my horn and yell at them to be careful. I keep my cool, though, remembering an incident several years ago.
    I was working near Portland High School and of course needed to be at work the same time students needed to be at school. Every day we competed for space on one particularly narrow street. The students, however, had a sidewalk.
    On one especially hairy, winter morning they were, once again, walking on the street, avoiding the shoveled sidewalk.
    That was it, I had it, so with both hands gripping the wheel, knuckles probably white, I continued on, refusing to budge as a group of teenage boys approached.
    It was a game of chicken and I won when I clipped one of them. He lifted his arms as if asking, ‘What’s going on?’ I continued on my way. I had momentarily lost my mind and after snapping back into reality I feared he would take down my license plate number, but apparently he didn’t.
    I’m not proud of myself. I’m an adult and should exert more control but I had been pushed to my limit and a part of me felt a tinge of victory.
    Every time I pass such a teen in my neighborhood I think of that incident with shame, knowing I will never do it again.
    It’s such a simple concept to move out the way when a vehicle is coming, but please, please remind your children for both their safety and motorists safety – and peace of mind.
— Molly Lovell