Rob could set his clock by Grimacing Woman. Every day he comes to the bus stop, he can measure how early or late he is by her distance from the corner. She must plod by, every day, at a perfectly constant speed.

Today when he gets to the stop, two trolleys cross in the intersection, parallel to each other and perpendicular to him. They cross so perfectly that they have to be significant of something, like curtains, like the opening of an Austin Powers musical number.

There’s only Grimacing Woman on the other side, though, when they clear. He’s early today.