Today I was struck with a case of urban rage.

I'm taking a walk around the pier in Hoboken, which is a giant pier that's been revamped into a park, when some guy walking towards me asks if I want to try a free membership at New York Sports Club. As I often do when presented with unwanted solicitations, I ignore him and keep walking. Then he starts yelling at me: THAT'S OK! NEVER MIND! I'M STILL HERE! HAVE A GOOD ONE! He's yelling at me on the pier! I was so pissed off, I immediately went back to my desk and sent an email to NYSC explaining what happened and that I shouldn't be harrassed for ignoring an unwanted solicitation! The manager wrote back almost immediately and apologized and said he was having a staff meeting tomorrow to discuss it. So there, you big douchebag.

Part of living in the city is that you are bombarded with people shoving flyers and postcards and CDs in your face, pasty-faced teenagers asking you if you have "a minute for Greenpeace?" and any number of random people with a clipboard scanning the sidewalks looking for their next survey victim. It just gets overwhelming. Today was my breaking point. Every morning as I head into the PATH I have to traverse two thugs who look like they are on work release waving the dueling free dailies in my face: AM New York! Metro! AM New York! Metro. "No thanks," I say politely. Every. Single. Morning. Is it too much to ask to go about one's daily business without somebody getting in your face about something?! Huh?!

Sometimes cool things happen when people get in your face, like getting to be in that Avril Lavinge video. But that's a total fluke. For the most part it's intrusive bullshit that makes me yearn for the days of shutting myself up in my car anytime I had to go anywhere.