Sunday, July 20, 2008

I Didn't Hit The Guy, Due To Dumb Luck

In the "Don't Be That Guy!" department: I did something stupid this week, that could've been disasterous but wasn't, owing strictly to dumb luck. I record this in the hope that you will learn from this and don't do what I did!

I've been driving over forty years and never had an accident. So I have a pretty high opinion of my ability to avoid accidents; as the facts may show, maybe too high.

So: I want to turn right at an intersection where my road T's into a two-way. I'm stopped, signaling, etc. Look right: nothing. Look in front: going left to right on the road in front of me is a funny little vehicle, it'll clear me in a second. Look left: nothing. I roll forward and start my turn.

AAAAAAAAH! That funny little vehicle is turning very hard right in front of my car!

It turns out to be a park department vehicle, heading for a curb cut to my right to go into the park and do what-ever. It looked to me like we missed by the thickness of a coat of paint! It was probably not as bad as that, since he kept on going like nothing had happened, but from my point of view ... half-a-second the other way and I'd be explaining things to a cop, and the park department guy'd be explaining things to St. Peter.

Well, draw your own lessons. I was lucky, don't you depend on luck!

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