And more fun neighbours

If I had children, I would not let them go outside to play. Not on my street. Charles Manson and the Cigarette Stalker are strange enough to worry any parent. But the cast of characters doesn't stop there.

Over the summer, a fat woman had a habit of falling flat on her face on the pavement near my place. Each time she was within one hundred feet of my window. Four times! And those were the times I was home to see it. I don't stare out my window waiting for misfortune to strike. But I do notice when emergency vehicles come up the street with their sirens blaring.

Each time she fell an ambulance came for her. I thought she was in her forties and could see that her fat could cause heart problems. I overheard she was actually twenty two or something. I felt bad for her. I called the ambulance once myself and went to check on her. I got the impression she maybe had Down's Syndrome. I could never say for sure though because her face was always planted in the concrete.

She would scream whenever the attendants would touch her. I learned that they all knew her by name and I began to think that maybe she liked the attention but was too slow to realize how obvious it all must look.

I wanted it to happen once more. I was going to take a picture of her and put it up here. It's tacky I know but I wanted to share it with everyone. But I haven't seen her in a few weeks. I hope she's OK.

There is also a man who curses and barks as he walks down the street. Flatlinegirl and I live just a few blocks from each other and I know she has seen him too. I don't think it's Tourette's syndrome. I think he's schizophrenic and I don't think he's taking his prescription. He scares me.