May 27

You have to admire the lawless insouciance that inspires a driver who's earned a parking ticket to casually crumple it up and toss it in the gutter with his other litter.

Having earned many parking tickets in my life -- and suffered the consequences of untimely payment of same -- Careless Charlie's casual tossing aside of the ticket suggests to me that he's not from Boston. Back Bay does get a few tourists now and again, so it's quite easy for them to run afoul of the labyrinth of parking regulations and overlapping jurisdictions that hold sway over Boston's precious few on-street parking spaces.

As for the littering ... well, that's just inexcusable.

147/365 -

April 16

I normally try to space out my commute photos to every other day or so, but today's bumper sticker was so freakin' perfect, I had to use it.

I've always associated the word Masshole with Massachusetts drivers and their habit of offensive driving. I hadn't really realized that it was used in other contexts -- perhaps because I've only lived here for ten years or so. It's something people around here seem to take perverse pride in. "Masshole," is the perfect example of taking a pejorative nickname and turning it into something you're proud to be.

Thus, seeing this bumper sticker on a car en route to work today, I actually made a point of going back and getting the photo. I've never seen this particular bumper sticker before, but now, I want one for myself. To use the local slang, it's wicked pissah.

106/365 -

January 22

Here's a scene from my commute today -- the corner of the Riverway and Brookline Avenue in Boston. Note the car in front of me, which has stopped halfway into the next lane of oncoming traffic. Note that I couldn't go forward, even though I had the signal, from cross traffic blocking the intersection. All of the confusion here was accompanied by the discordant blaring of car and truck horns from drivers on both streets, pedestrians crossing the street against the lights, and other assorted mayhem.

With scenes like this, it's no wonder that Massachusetts drivers have earned -- deservedly -- the nickname "Massholes."

22/365 -