FA+
Shop
It Happened Again... Again! 138th Journal
4 years ago
This is my head.
Wow, it happened a third time. First incident was a few months ago when a speeding car started to spin out as it blew by me and hit the concrete center divider, missing me literally by mere inches. The second occurred just over a month ago where another car spun out quite away behind me for no apparent reason. It was close enough for me to hear the tires screeching and seeing the spin action in my rear-view mirror.
Then it happened again. I was at an intersection under an overpass when the car to the left and just in front of me decided to do a left turn on an unprotected green (no green arrow, just the solid light) with a oncoming car still traveling toward us with the right-of-way. Well, the car next to me was kinda lackadaisical going about it and jumping in front of the other car. I could see it coming a mile away but could do nothing as I watched the other car hit their brakes but it was a tad too late as it clipped the rear bumper of the turning car, sending a sliver of the black trim molding flying.
The thing was that there was plent of distance behind that oncoming car and the turning one could have just waited like 3 seconds before trying to thread that needle. Even if gunned it, it would have been damn close. The oncoming car probably could have braked it earlier or try to changed lanes but the it was entirely the turning car's fault for jumping in like that.
That particular intersection been problematic anyway. Someone turned into me several years ago and I clipped the front of their car. I couldn't changed lane as I would hit the back and skidded into the other cars waiting (like they should) to take thier turn on making their turn. I couldn't keep going straight as I would have t-boned the other car and that is also as bad as a head-on crash. So I had a split second to turned right, trying to minimized the impact, which did work as it just sheared off the other car's bumper and grill. It didn't even set off our air-bags (the other options would surely had with much severe injuries for sure).
Of course it was their fault and all that but people like to take chances there. Don't make that turn unless there is plenty of space. Threading the needle is taking too much of a chance. Another bad spot is the exit ramp just beyond that intersection. The highway ramp is coming down from the bridge at the intersection, making it a bit hard to see cars making that exit. One has to keep their head on a swivel, constantly looking for stopped cars ahead and those that might be about to exit from behind from the elevated ramp. So many times people fail to yield to exiting traffic, causing many close calls. Often times I have to hit my horn so that people pay attention.
Oh well, I could tell other stories like that time one of those raised trucks started to change lanes and almost sideswipe me (We were almost dead even side-by-side). Luckily I hit my brakes hard enough so that he didn't hit my front fender but it was close. Damn idiot probably didn't bother looking at his side mirrors (probably aimed too high anyway) before making that ill advised lane change. He didn't even had the turn signal on, you know the type. They think they own the roar but eventually end up upside-down in a ditch somewhere. Yeah, one of those.
Anyhoot, the last few months had been weird as far as my driving experiences. So many close calls and people doing the crash routine around me. It is like people forgot how to drive (well, if they knew how to in the first place but I digress). Damn humans. The dumb ones are not killing themselves fast enough. *..*
Then it happened again. I was at an intersection under an overpass when the car to the left and just in front of me decided to do a left turn on an unprotected green (no green arrow, just the solid light) with a oncoming car still traveling toward us with the right-of-way. Well, the car next to me was kinda lackadaisical going about it and jumping in front of the other car. I could see it coming a mile away but could do nothing as I watched the other car hit their brakes but it was a tad too late as it clipped the rear bumper of the turning car, sending a sliver of the black trim molding flying.
The thing was that there was plent of distance behind that oncoming car and the turning one could have just waited like 3 seconds before trying to thread that needle. Even if gunned it, it would have been damn close. The oncoming car probably could have braked it earlier or try to changed lanes but the it was entirely the turning car's fault for jumping in like that.
That particular intersection been problematic anyway. Someone turned into me several years ago and I clipped the front of their car. I couldn't changed lane as I would hit the back and skidded into the other cars waiting (like they should) to take thier turn on making their turn. I couldn't keep going straight as I would have t-boned the other car and that is also as bad as a head-on crash. So I had a split second to turned right, trying to minimized the impact, which did work as it just sheared off the other car's bumper and grill. It didn't even set off our air-bags (the other options would surely had with much severe injuries for sure).
Of course it was their fault and all that but people like to take chances there. Don't make that turn unless there is plenty of space. Threading the needle is taking too much of a chance. Another bad spot is the exit ramp just beyond that intersection. The highway ramp is coming down from the bridge at the intersection, making it a bit hard to see cars making that exit. One has to keep their head on a swivel, constantly looking for stopped cars ahead and those that might be about to exit from behind from the elevated ramp. So many times people fail to yield to exiting traffic, causing many close calls. Often times I have to hit my horn so that people pay attention.
Oh well, I could tell other stories like that time one of those raised trucks started to change lanes and almost sideswipe me (We were almost dead even side-by-side). Luckily I hit my brakes hard enough so that he didn't hit my front fender but it was close. Damn idiot probably didn't bother looking at his side mirrors (probably aimed too high anyway) before making that ill advised lane change. He didn't even had the turn signal on, you know the type. They think they own the roar but eventually end up upside-down in a ditch somewhere. Yeah, one of those.
Anyhoot, the last few months had been weird as far as my driving experiences. So many close calls and people doing the crash routine around me. It is like people forgot how to drive (well, if they knew how to in the first place but I digress). Damn humans. The dumb ones are not killing themselves fast enough. *..*
That is why I try to keep an eye (or two... ot three) out but sometimes people will do wild and crazy things out of the blue. I had so many people texting-n-driving that almost hit me as they go swerving down the highway. That is a big problem in these parts. There is even a law against it but it gets rarely enforced and people still do it. Plus all the drunk drivers getting a free pass too but don't get me started on that. Oh, don't forget those "rolling coal" truckers.
But yeah, I was lucky not to get involved though I saw it coming and knew exactly what will happen. The hit was just a glancing blow too. An extra inch or two and the cars would have missed each other. The turning car should have punched it or something. I know some intersections can be confusing but this one was clearly marked as protected turn on green arrow only. Maybe having the yellow light on during unprotected turns instead of the solid green would be better but I somehow doubt it, at least not for long anyway.