The heat was relentless; waves of hot heavy air rose from the pavement. A line of people waiting for a streetcar stretched half-way down the block. Many read books; a man held a newspaper in his ink-smudged fist. A woman in a turquoise sunhat waved a Chinese restaurant menu at her face and her little boy, his face red and sweaty, leaned on her leg. He sighed at the endless parade of cars, and the fumes of exhaust expelled into the air.

The light turned green but I stood on the opposite side of the street, weighing my options.

Walk. It would take me a good 20 minutes. It was the hottest part of the day, surely 38 Celcius. No.

Taxi. No cabs in sight. No payphones either. Not that.

Streetcar. I wouldn’t get a seat and would be standing with other overheated exhausted travellers. And it was running late anyway.

I’d be late for my call centre shift. But so would everyone else. This week’s survey topic: GLOBAL WARMING .

To my right blinked a sign: – PINK LOTUS CAFE – A/C.

I turned right.