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a little perspective is sometimes needed
Mar. 8th, 2013 11:39 amToday was not trending well. It was looking like another one of those days when you knock over everything you reach for, you hit the wrong keys, repeatedly, on the keyboard, and every strap or hook on everything you touch finds some improbable way to get looped around some protrusion, either dragging it out of your hand or forcing you into a comic Roadrunner/Coyote style sudden deceleration. This on top of being stood up for a date last night (*not* by the SCAdian), getting the wrong drink, *twice*, with the fast -food meal I ordered on the way home, and getting ferocious indigestion at 2am (lesson learned: don't eat fast food late in the evening when you're already upset).
But coming to work, I got a dose of perspective. As I was driving along on the Beltway at about 60mph, a vehicle in the right-hand lane pulled out in front of me suddenly and with no warning. He was remarkably close in front, maybe a car-length or less. It felt just like any of the "far too realistic" collisions I've seen on film
I had time to think, "Oh, crap, this is goign to be bad," to start to break and realise that was not going to keep us from colliding, and to swerve around him jsut enough to avoid hitting him while not hitting anyone in the lane to the left (I really don't recall if I knew that it was clear or not). I retained control the whole time, did not fishtail, and did not lose a tremendous amount of speed. So I think it would have been a pass even in a protective driving course.
I located and kept an eye on the vehicle, which proceeded to pursue me. The driver sped through traffic and pulled up level with me, rolled his window down, and pointed at me, saying something that I assume was his attempt to blame me for the near-collision. I suggested, with words and gestures, that he get lost. He looked disgusted, rolled his window up, and sped off through traffic. I moved over several lanes and continued to monitor his location until we were no longer on the same stretch of highway.
But, you know, after that, I would be OK if I dropped a stack of papers or got the wrong drink with my meal. You can't drop things or be pissed off by bad service if you're a smear on the road.
But coming to work, I got a dose of perspective. As I was driving along on the Beltway at about 60mph, a vehicle in the right-hand lane pulled out in front of me suddenly and with no warning. He was remarkably close in front, maybe a car-length or less. It felt just like any of the "far too realistic" collisions I've seen on film
I had time to think, "Oh, crap, this is goign to be bad," to start to break and realise that was not going to keep us from colliding, and to swerve around him jsut enough to avoid hitting him while not hitting anyone in the lane to the left (I really don't recall if I knew that it was clear or not). I retained control the whole time, did not fishtail, and did not lose a tremendous amount of speed. So I think it would have been a pass even in a protective driving course.
I located and kept an eye on the vehicle, which proceeded to pursue me. The driver sped through traffic and pulled up level with me, rolled his window down, and pointed at me, saying something that I assume was his attempt to blame me for the near-collision. I suggested, with words and gestures, that he get lost. He looked disgusted, rolled his window up, and sped off through traffic. I moved over several lanes and continued to monitor his location until we were no longer on the same stretch of highway.
But, you know, after that, I would be OK if I dropped a stack of papers or got the wrong drink with my meal. You can't drop things or be pissed off by bad service if you're a smear on the road.
