I know how you feel, Amos. I'm really not trying to pick on you.

We have a guy around here who's pretty insane. It's a small community, he's lived here all his life, everyone knows him. He doesn't much like all us newcomers who have been moving into the area, but he tries to be openminded, and give everyone a chance. He walks with his bike all day up and down a 10 mile stretch of highway, so he knows all the vehicles that 'belong' in the area. If he waves to you, you better smile and wave back. If you don't, he gives you just one more chance - he corners you when he catches you in town and demands that you give him a ride. If you don't give him a ride where he wants to go, you better watch out - he keeps his pockets full of rocks, and he'll throw them at your car whenever he sees you drive past.

I was lucky, 'cause someone warned me about him, so I passed the smile-and-wave test, and didn't have to take the give-me-a-ride test (which wouldn't have killed me but would have smelled like hell and alarmed the children.) Others have not been so lucky!   A few people have tried to mount campaigns against him, and Complain to the Authorities, but they never do away with him for long.

I don't know if this is funny or not. To me there's something kind of heartwarming about it all - sure he's barking mad, but he's OUR barking mad guy, and we tolerate him, and if he throws rocks at people who've offended him, well, he's just doing something we all sometimes harbour a secret wish to do.