Narrow escape

[cjsmith]

I scared the crap out of myself on the road today. Stopped at a red light, I saw that I was in the wrong lane (of two); the street name was poorly marked, and too late I realized I wanted to make a left. I was on the right-hand side. So I did, illegally I'm sure, the same thing many drivers would do: I backed up so that I could pull into the left lane. I think, but am not sure, that I even made a slight pause after putting the car in reverse so that anyone approaching could see the lights for a moment before I moved.

I totally DID NOT SEE the car that was sneaking very closely along my right side in order to try to make a right on red. (Think of where a "blind spot" might be, on the right, then make it within inches of the back corner of your car).

I did look behind me, but over the wrong shoulder. (Some drivers never turn around at all....)

That could have been BAD. It wouldn't have meant injuries, but it would have been expensive and avoidable and stupid.

Comments

[rampling.livejournal.com]

Phew!!! So glad you did escape that near-accident!! *hugs*

This is a good reminder to be extra careful during those occasional odd little questionable maneuvers.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

There's a reason questionable maneuvers are questionable, after all!

[rampling.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the trick is to differentiate the technically illegal but basically safe from the truly poor judgment. Preferably not in retrospect. Your li'l anecdote reminds us that we aren't always capable of considering all the consequences!

[rfrench.livejournal.com]

I did something similar at SQL last year. There's a large telephone pole in the middle of the parking lot, and when I pulled out of the parking space, in reverse and turning, the pole was in my blind spot. I whacked into it with the rear bumper.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Ow. I think I remember you mentioning that at the time, actually.

If I'm in reverse and turning, I'll be twisted toward the "correct" shoulder so I can see where I'm going. But just reverse alone, I'll turn toward one shoulder and call it good. It's not good. I can't see to one side of my path that way.

[rfrench.livejournal.com]

Yea, and my car has a really large blind spot, of course. I don't think I would have seen it no matter where I was looking. That's why I've started relying on the right-hand mirror more.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

The only accident I was ever in (and which was my fault, as I was moving, and he'd slammed on his brakes) happened as I was baking up in a parking lot, on a curve in the lot, into a parking spot. I had to look over my right shoulder to see the spot, and swung from the room to the right of the "lane" a bit out into what would be the oncoming traffic lane, had they been separated by a line, to get into the spot. A guy coming fast around the corner (which had a hedge in its little spot of dirt, so he couldn't see, and I couldn't see him because I was looking over the wrong shoulder), in the left side of that lane, slammed on his brakes right before I whammed into him.

The insurance company split it, which pissed him off no end, as he lost most of that corner -- bumper, headlight, etc. -- and I had no damage, and he had a thousand dollar deductible. But legally, it was my fault. I don't feel sorry for him.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Those stupid little hedges should all be burned to the ground. They're everywhere: in parking lots, in and around busy intersections, at corners where drivers could otherwise see. They're awful. Signs low to the ground should be planned with a little more brain, too. There's one gas station (Homestead by 85) I won't go to any more because they've filled up the sidewalk with crap to the point you can't see to exit the place.

I don't get why you don't feel sorry for him. It cost him $1000 and he was on his own side of the lane. Do you believe he too was at fault?

[hitchhiker.livejournal.com]

wow, lucky escape!!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

No kidding. O.o I hope I learned something. I'd rather not learn it by denting somebody's car.

[jupiter29.livejournal.com]

Sometimes we get out of a situation like that for no reason other than pure luck. Today after filling up with gas, the woman at the next pump over pulled out and turned left, so I pulled out and followed. And then she stopped, so I stopped, about ten feet behind her. And all of a sudden she started backing up. Turns out she wasn't leaving, she was trying to turn around to face the other way. Luckily, her car curved enough that she missed me by about six inches, and that's with me managing to back up about 12 inches. :) And when she finally saw me, the look on her face made it clear she had just realized she never looked. Ooops.

Once my heart got back under control, all I could do was be thankful that it turned out the way it did. I am likewise happy that you learned your lesson it a relatively easy and cheap way. :)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, some days pure luck is what saves us. I don't exactly aspire to be that kind of driver in general, of course :), so whenever it happens I try to pay attention to what I could have done differently.

[mbumby.livejournal.com]

Yipes. Congrats on squeaking by on that one.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks. If I had been sloppy going back, instead of straight as an arrow, crunch.