sticker shock

as i was driving home today, cursing friday northbound traffic and giving my synchro-less 2nd gear a grinding good time, a ray of sunshine cut into my shitty commute and brightened my day.

a white dodge neon cut in front of me and, my fist poised in the air to give my signature "let me tell you what i think of your driving" gesture, i froze and burst out laughing. i looked from the beefy man arm hanging out the driver's side window, complete with hairy fur-cuffs and big manly watch, to the dude's 5 o'clock shadow and aviator shades reflecting from his side mirror, to the handmade sign taped on his trunk. in sloping block letters colored in alternating day-glo hues, it read, "so happy to be gay."

for a split second i thought the dude was just way too cheap to spring for a rainbow sticker, like the guys from new bedford who think using ace hardware mailbox lettering to spell out "COROLLA" across their rear window is a special kind of badass.

then i realized the poor schmuck had no idea what was on the back of his car, and that he had some pretty funny enemies, or even funnier friends, that taped that shit on there with care and a lot of clear packing tape (no pun intended). that guy's going to get home and be pretty pissed when he realizes why i was guffawing, slapping my steering wheel with mirth, and digging out my camera phone. someone's day was definitely worse than mine...