Trying to drop Traci off at work this morning and I ran into stupidity. I’ll admit that with this variety of stupidity I’m not so good at dealing. Others seemed to have figured out the puzzle with less problems than I did.

I needed to get to the Battelle for Kids parking lot which is accessed ONLY via Urlin Ave. Usually I turn on to Urlin from Dublin Rd. However this morning there are signs that say ROAD CLOSED. But only on the right side, the side LAW ABIDING citizens drive on. The left side, the side with traffic pulling out of Urlin onto Dublin road is open. There is a sign that says DETOUR and I figure that’s probably the “right” thing to do versus driving up the wrong side of the road. I’ve been stopped for going over the sacred double yellow lines to get around a car that was stopped on the side of the road, I’ve been pulled over for making a left hand turn to sharp so as to cross barely into the oncoming and EMPTY lane, so I can only imagine driving entirely left of center is a big no-no.

The detour takes us to Grandview Ave, then turn on Goodale to see a sign that says “Road Closed except for local traffic”. Okay, I figure dropping someone at work constitutes ‘local traffic’ so I proceed. Right at the intersection of Goodale Blvd and Urlin Ave however is where the construction is taking place. Not in the intersection but just up the Urlin Ave side leading away from where I need to go. Plenty of room to get around the construction. So I do so. Now Urlin Ave goes over railroad tracks before getting to Battelle for Kids and there is ANOTHER “Road Closed” sign and this time with a whole row of cones.

Okay, so at this point I’ve tried to be good. I’ve tried to follow the signs and do the detour, but the reality is simple: THERE IS NO WAY TO GET TO BATTELLE FOR KIDS WITHOUT DRIVING ON A CLOSED ROAD. I’m annoyed. I’m frustrated. My choices are drive around again and do the “drive up the wrong side of the road over the double yellow” or just mow down a stupid cone. I figure the cone is the lesser crime.

So I drive over the cone. Or rather push the cone since my car is low enough not to go over the cone. Once in the parking lot I back up and the cone stays put and I drive around it.

I drop Traci off and as I’m leaving in walks a construction guy to fetch the cone. I roll down my window to ask him how anyone is supposed to get into the parking lot. Before I can say anything he yells at me “if you can’t read a road closed sign you don’t deserve a license”. I ask him how I’m supposed to get to the parking lot and his answer is “just run over a cone like you did”. Umm…does this make any sense?? Then he goes on about how he called the police and I shouldn’t fuck with him. So at that point it degenerated into a yelling match and I drove off.

Nice huh? As far as I can tell there was no legal way to get to that building. And I think that should be illegal. Do your damn construction other than rush hour on business days. Or at least let local traffic through to the businesses. Idiots.