You’re not going to believe this, Internet, but I VERY narrowly escaped having yet another car accident today. The main thoroughfare in my part of town is a nasty, congested, winding road with not enough traffic signals or turn lanes. It is a VERY dangerous road with lots of accidents and casualties every year. I hate driving on it, but I really don’t have any choice, as it’s the main road in and out of everyplace I go: the grocery store, the piano studio, the kids’ school, the dry cleaners, hair salon…you get the idea. I can’t even leave my neighborhood without driving on it. This is also the road where I had my accident yesterday.
Well, today, I was on this road again (in Hubby’s MONGO truck, since my baby is out of commission), making a quick grocery run between dropping Boy off at a piano lesson and picking Girl up from volleyball camp, when I had my close call. This road is lined with businesses and also many residential areas, so there are lots of places where people would like to turn OFF this road and onto a side street or into a parking lot, etc. Not unusual, really, but the issue is that the traffic has increased on this road exponentially in recent years (I’ve lived in this area, off and on, for 30 years) so that making a LEFT turn off this road has become increasingly difficult, due to the increased traffic coming the other direction (not being able to find a break in traffic, etc.). Lots of folks will block up traffic for over a mile because they’re trying to turn left from this road where there is no signal. Obviously, turning RIGHT is no problem (assuming that you’re in the correct lane, but that’s a whole other topic of discussion for another day). I will frequently plan my trip, even if it means a more circuitous route, so that I am able to make a right turn rather than a left off of this darned road. Anyway, some jerk was turning left; the car behind him was frustrated at being stuck behind him and tried to pull into the right lane to avoid a delay. Small problem: I happened to be in the right lane at the time. This JACKA$$ pulled right in front of me without even looking! I was able to stop (just barely!), thank God, and all is well (after the tire squealing, horn honking and I’ll admit to a few words and gestures that I would have felt bad about had there been children in the car), but it has me rattled beyond belief. I am terrified of living in this area when Boy and Girl are old enough to drive.
So, then, later, I’m recounting this story to my mother when some jerk does something unbelievably rude to her AT THAT VERY MOMENT (while I’m on the phone with her). She was waiting for a break in traffic to leave my grandparents’ new home (trying to turn right onto this same accursed road), when this idiot pulled out in front of her (by going into the oncoming lane) and turned right onto THE BAD ROAD in front of her.
So, I’m not a suspicious person, but I must admit that I find it intriguing that there just HAPPENS to be a full moon today. Bee Cave-ful out there, kiddies. Ooops, I meant be careful…