So, after pressing my foot on the brake pedal, my car screeched to a sudden stop and I groaned leaning slowly forward over the dashboard to glimpse at the unwelcome surprise keeping me from my LOST. My eyes widened as the furry brown anorexic looking creature stared blankly up at me without a care in the world, before scrawling toward my tires. Not again. What a waste of my time. But I could not become a murderer.

Had this occurence not been in a residential neighborhood, it is important to note that my moment of empathy could have quickly become a moment of danger (and stupidity).

Each year in the United States 1.5 million car accidents are caused by deer, resulting in 150 human fatalities and one billion dollars in damage, according to statistics from the United States National Highway Safety Administration. I could not locate the numbers for squirrels.

I have yet to decide which is more annoying: the squirrel who boldly stares you down after you pull to a polite stop for him, or the squirrel who rabidly zig zags across the four lane two way highway as if it is playing some sort of game to see whether he can squish his head or his tail first.

Although the reason for wreckless creatures is unknown, High Country News in 2005 reported that a total of 1 million vertebrates are run over each day in the United States. That is one vertebrate every 11.5 seconds.

They may have a lot of nuts, but I don't think they have any brains.