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jaunthieSo I almost became a statistic this morning in the course of getting to work. I was dropped off by the vanpool as usual, and a fellow vanpooler and I walked over to the big crosswalk to wait for the light. Another woman had pressed the button just before we got there, and the light dutifully cycled. When the crosswalk signaled us across, I looked around - no cars - and walked out across the street with my two fellow pedestrians. I have long legs, so I wound up in front of the other two by the time I was halfway across - not unusual. I was more than halfway across. I started thinking about what I was going to do today...
...and then the woman behind me yelled "Look out!"
I looked over to my left to see a car barreling through the intersection, clearly running the light, and quite clearly about to run into me. Fortunately my reflexes are still pretty good (although this wouldn't have mattered if the woman hadn't have yelled a warning). I managed to jump out of the way just as the car came zipping through where I had been. All three of us pedestrians scurried to the curb, looking around for more kamikazes. The car managed to come to a stop about 20 feet beyond the crosswalk - which gives me a pretty good idea of just how much road pizza I would have been if I hadn't gotten myself out of the way - and the elderly lady who'd run the light got out, at least as shaken as we pedestrians were, and started apologizing. Apparently she'd been confused by the green turn arrow light to get into the transit center, and missed the RED LIGHTS controlling the intersection.
Of the four of us, I was probably the calmest. I hadn't had to almost watch someone almost get run over while trying not to get run over myself and/or almost run someone over while driving; I was the person who looked up at that shout, saw a car, and got the heck out of the way. Which isn't to say I wasn't shaken up, but I do tend to be calm when things are actually happening. After we all reassured ourselves that we were in fact okay, we all went on our way. And I never did get the name of the woman who was my guardian angel this morning.
But I don't really need my morning cuppa to wake up today.
...and then the woman behind me yelled "Look out!"
I looked over to my left to see a car barreling through the intersection, clearly running the light, and quite clearly about to run into me. Fortunately my reflexes are still pretty good (although this wouldn't have mattered if the woman hadn't have yelled a warning). I managed to jump out of the way just as the car came zipping through where I had been. All three of us pedestrians scurried to the curb, looking around for more kamikazes. The car managed to come to a stop about 20 feet beyond the crosswalk - which gives me a pretty good idea of just how much road pizza I would have been if I hadn't gotten myself out of the way - and the elderly lady who'd run the light got out, at least as shaken as we pedestrians were, and started apologizing. Apparently she'd been confused by the green turn arrow light to get into the transit center, and missed the RED LIGHTS controlling the intersection.
Of the four of us, I was probably the calmest. I hadn't had to almost watch someone almost get run over while trying not to get run over myself and/or almost run someone over while driving; I was the person who looked up at that shout, saw a car, and got the heck out of the way. Which isn't to say I wasn't shaken up, but I do tend to be calm when things are actually happening. After we all reassured ourselves that we were in fact okay, we all went on our way. And I never did get the name of the woman who was my guardian angel this morning.
But I don't really need my morning cuppa to wake up today.
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HOLY FRICKIN' COW!!!
Date: 2007-01-29 08:57 pm (UTC)*sends thank yous into the atmosphere to J's guardian angel*
Re: HOLY FRICKIN' COW!!!
Date: 2007-01-30 08:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-31 05:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-31 03:55 pm (UTC)YOW!
Date: 2007-02-01 07:06 pm (UTC)More glad that you're fast on your feet.
Bloody astonished that you actually found the one person in King County who was concerned enough about running a red light to actually stop and apologize for creating mayhem.
Walk carefully out there!
--Jake