There are many a time I am the one on the giving end of a horn blowing in traffic when someone does an injustice in the driving world. Well low and behold, I am capable of making driving errors myself. Years ago I told my sister I had cut someone off completely by accident due to the fact that she was in my blind spot. That would not hold up in court, but it was the truth. That is when she said, "Don't you feel like flipping yourself off for being so stupid?", and my answer was yes.
Well yesterday I was coming home from grocery shopping and my son was with me. We were sitting at the green arrow to make our left turn to come home. Well the green arrow, turned to a regular green arrow, which meant that I now had to wait for the oncoming traffic before I made my left turn.
Well, my mind began to wander and wonder about the items I had just purchased and why the bill was so expensive for such a select few items. I had put two and two together and realized that they were higher ticket items, but that did not stop me from letting my brain cells roam. I was right behind a vehicle that took the left turn and I assumed it was safe to turn as well. Whoa there lassie, it was not safe.
There was a vehicle coming head on as I was making my turn and they were totally in the right of way. Had we gotten into an accident, it would have been my fault 100%. My son was ready to give that person a verbal lashing. But I quickly came to that persons defense and told my son the truth and said I was not concentrating and if we had collided we/I would have been at fault.
That is when I reiterated to my son just how important it was to keep your head in the driving game and not to wander. I was shaking at the prospect of what could have been and was relieved to know that person had the reflexes to slow down and let an idiot pass, for that is exactly how I felt. My son then asked me straight out what had I been thinking that got me so distracted. And I told him the truth.
So the next time you lay the horn on someone, remember, it may be just someone who has let their mind goes of course just enough to forget where they are and what they are doing. Be kind, for that someone you are blowing the horn at, could be you.
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2 comments:
Good post and good point!
I am often guilty of being a bit impatient and intolerant of other drivers, but I was put in my place the other day as I too was put in the situation of being the one at fault while my mind was wandering!
At first I was convinced it had to be the other losers fault that I almost hit him, until I thought about it and realized I took my turn out of place(I was at a two way stop on a busy highway with a steady flow of traffic in the other two directions) boy was I glad I didn't resort to my usual name calling and sign lanuage before I realized I was the big loser who screwed up!
Humbling isn't it??
I've done similar things. And I have a mind that often wanders. It amazes me sometimes that there are not many, many more road accidents than there are because we're only human.
One of my kids is terrified of the idea of flying and I remind him, "Driving is actually far more dangerous with a road full of people like me, but you're not scared to get in the car."
About your comment, you were one of the multiple bloggers I had in mind when I was thinking how successfully people manage it. I think I might begin my new one.
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