I had just bought my morning Americano at Jacob’s Java (the one near Lewis and Clark High School). And, as usual while waiting in line, I amused myself by checking out the car in front of me.

It was a dark-colored sedan bearing a license-plate holder that said, “Warning: In case of rapture, this car will be unmanned.” I smiled, noticing the cross hanging from the rear-view mirror and the decal for a Christian radio station.

Then my smile grew as I noticed, once again, how the vagaries of bumper-sticker philosophy so often conflict with the English language. And any sense of unease I might have had disappeared.

In case of rapture, I was pretty sure that particular car wasn’t going to veer driverless into some other vehicle – even mine.

And that was because a woman was sitting behind the steering wheel.