OK, so I'm on the way home tonight, life is normal. I'm used to seeing idiot drivers, and I can avoid them like nobody's business. I can tell, way before I get near them, that they aren't driving smart, and I take measures to stay way back, or get past them quickly. But, today was another matter:
I was in the left lane, and going the speed of the vehicle in front of me, and that of the person behind me. It wasn't quite the speed limit, but it wasn't 90, either. Here we go, down the fast lane, getting along famously.
We began going past someone in the right lane, who was going WAY below the posted limit, about the time that my lane of traffic slowed to about the posted limit. No problem, who cares? Right? As I drew up beside this car, I noticed that the dome light was on....WTH?
About the time I was directly beside them, I saw that the passenger was reading a road map, and the driver was leaning over, assessing the situation. Holy SHIT! As he gazed at the map, he started moving toward the left...toward ME! Crap!
I couldn't go faster, there was a car in front of me. I couldn't go slower, or I'd get plowed by the truck behind me. All I could do was drive, and watch this little car moving slowly into my lane. I was pretty sure I was going to die, or at LEAST be maimed.
I saw the car to my right, and the evil ditch to the left, and I made my decision: I braced both hands firmly on the wheel, and used my thumbs to press HARD on the horn. I drove like this for 2 hours (it was probably 10 seconds) without reaction from the map-reading driver. He finally shifted slowly back to his own lane.
I stopped shaking about 15 minutes later. I knew I was going to die...or at least wreck, or at least be freaked out. I was freaked out. I had to tell all to Kevin when I got home (although he would have been better off not knowing) so I could ditch the feeling.
I drive in Kansas City rush hour traffic every day. Who knew that I'd be this close to a TOTAL mess(or death or dismemberment), over 20 miles from downtown. Yeah, it freaked me. I have until tomorrow morning (early) to get over it, and get behind the wheel again.
Wish me luck.
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8 comments:
Glad you didn't get hurt!
Pam
Man, can I relate. They should invent some kind of siren that goes off when people veer into other lanes or something. (I don't know....it sounds good in theory.)
::hug hug hug::
~Amy
Scary stuff! That's a close call you KNOW about; if we were only aware of how close we come to accidents and death, and how often, throughout our lives, we'd crawl into the nearest hole and never come out.
Glad you are alive! I saw some scarey stuff in KC yesterday too!
Scary! In situations, I often wonder if honking will alert the person that there is a problem, or cause them to veer and kill me quicker ;p Glad your O.K.
Glad you're okay. -Dawn-
I am so sorry.
I'm sorry you had this experience. I have to drive to "Crashville" as the truckers call Nashville...every day. Idiots everywhere...lots of close calls. I changed my route up now to avoid some traffic tie ups but it can still be scary.
Glad it all worked out.
Sonya
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