Toby

I had just passed the turn around for my regular 5K run when Toby came running. Toby, a golden Labrador retriever-looking dog, lives in his own world most of the time. On occasion, like last Friday, he acknowledges my presence by joining me during the last half of my run.
Toby is not a threat to me, but he is a definite threat to himself. He lopes alongside for a spell, stops to mark his spot or drop a load, and then, without warning, runs across the road to check out the other side -- totally oblivious to any oncoming cars.
I have tried calling to him, but he ignores me. His owners, sometimes, will call as he escapes his property; he doesn't listen to them either.
The regulars who drive by seem familiar with Toby's escapades as they slow down immensely when they see him. Some even drive in the wrong lane to avoid hitting him. They give him a wider berth than they do me, the regular runner. I guess they know that I live by the rules of the road.
Besides the ever-present fear that an unknown would drive by and hit Toby, he irritated me in another way Friday. No matter how many times he stopped or detoured, he still managed to stay ahead of me or easily catch up to me. How can a four-legged dog playing rabbit beat me the turtle? Doing so defies the moral of the fairy tale. That he survives in spite of his avoidance of the rules of the road amazes me.
I guess there are always those who are just lucky -- those who can do their own thing and seemingly get by anyway.