That time I almost got run over!
Mar. 10th, 2009 09:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
slowsculptureThis whole sequence of events only takes about four seconds, and obviously, I do live through it. But it seemed worth writing down:
Out for a run, around 8:00 tonight, I hit a green light at the first intersection. There was someone inching into a left turn towards me, but I slowed down long enough to make eye contact, and the driver waved me ahead. (Still with me? I'm crossing a two-lane street now, with a walk signal, and all drivers are waiting for me to cross.) Then, a white SUV comes barreling up that same left-hand turn lane, and instead of rear-ending the driver who so graciously yeilded me the road, it jumps the median, and makes a left. As in, a high-speed turn, into THE LANE I'm standing in.
For a second, I think they've oversteered so bad that my best bet is to turn around and run back the way I came, but then, there's a big, shiny Toyota logo a few feet away from my solar plexus, and the beams of the headlights are intersecting at a spot about a foot behind me. I just freeze, and yell 'HAAY!', in a voice straight out of a Goofy cartoon. I can see the driver's eyes, and I can hear him or her shouting, too. Apparently they're as surprised as I am. There's a long moment of confusion, then I'm positive I'm about to find out what comes next. (I think I even had a moment of intense curiosity, there, really. What is it like?) But the car swerves to their right, (my left,) and screeches off into the street behind me, managing to miss me by... well, managing to miss me entirely, somehow. I'm not going to split hairs.
For some reason, I had my fists up. I guess some last-resort part of my brain is prepared to rebuke an oncoming Toyota 4Runner with physical violence, if absolutely necessary. But I put them down, blinked, and shared a baffled look with a driver in the next lane. (Who, for the record, was waiting his damned turn, like everybody else.)
I started running again, fuming at the fucking lunatic who almost just killed me. Then, about a block down the road, it struck me, that I'd just had a *very* specific, decisive moment of NOT getting run over. That's... kind of momentous, right? I mean, we don't get killed all of the time. How often is it that obvious, though? I had a great run, came home and had a great shower, had a great time flossing, and now I'm having an exceptional glass of lemonade with some outstanding rum in it. Who knows what else will turn out to be unusually perfect, tonight?
Just had to share. Hope you're all enjoying it.
Out for a run, around 8:00 tonight, I hit a green light at the first intersection. There was someone inching into a left turn towards me, but I slowed down long enough to make eye contact, and the driver waved me ahead. (Still with me? I'm crossing a two-lane street now, with a walk signal, and all drivers are waiting for me to cross.) Then, a white SUV comes barreling up that same left-hand turn lane, and instead of rear-ending the driver who so graciously yeilded me the road, it jumps the median, and makes a left. As in, a high-speed turn, into THE LANE I'm standing in.
For a second, I think they've oversteered so bad that my best bet is to turn around and run back the way I came, but then, there's a big, shiny Toyota logo a few feet away from my solar plexus, and the beams of the headlights are intersecting at a spot about a foot behind me. I just freeze, and yell 'HAAY!', in a voice straight out of a Goofy cartoon. I can see the driver's eyes, and I can hear him or her shouting, too. Apparently they're as surprised as I am. There's a long moment of confusion, then I'm positive I'm about to find out what comes next. (I think I even had a moment of intense curiosity, there, really. What is it like?) But the car swerves to their right, (my left,) and screeches off into the street behind me, managing to miss me by... well, managing to miss me entirely, somehow. I'm not going to split hairs.
For some reason, I had my fists up. I guess some last-resort part of my brain is prepared to rebuke an oncoming Toyota 4Runner with physical violence, if absolutely necessary. But I put them down, blinked, and shared a baffled look with a driver in the next lane. (Who, for the record, was waiting his damned turn, like everybody else.)
I started running again, fuming at the fucking lunatic who almost just killed me. Then, about a block down the road, it struck me, that I'd just had a *very* specific, decisive moment of NOT getting run over. That's... kind of momentous, right? I mean, we don't get killed all of the time. How often is it that obvious, though? I had a great run, came home and had a great shower, had a great time flossing, and now I'm having an exceptional glass of lemonade with some outstanding rum in it. Who knows what else will turn out to be unusually perfect, tonight?
Just had to share. Hope you're all enjoying it.
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no subject
Date: 2009-03-11 06:28 pm (UTC)*hug*
no subject
Date: 2009-03-12 12:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-12 12:19 am (UTC)I would have been so furious though, especially with the disposition i've been in for the last couple of days.. I probably would have chased the guy down and then someone would have been in a wreck for sure...
well...hearing about this is upsetting but i'm more glad you're okay than i am angry that a lunatic like that has a car and a license.....
no subject
Date: 2009-03-12 12:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-12 04:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-13 05:54 am (UTC)