The Sudden Stop

After leaving the daycare this morning, I was caught in bad North Richland Hills traffic. I’d sat in the turn lane once already, through a whole cycle as the light did its thing, letting just a few cars go before turning red again. I sat through all of “Ramblin’ Man” by the Allman Brothers at that light today.

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See, lights in Austin seem to be on what I always called “DAMMIT” timers. You sit there and sit there until you can’t imagine why you’re still sitting there, staring at a red. So the moment you finally yell “DAMMIT!” the light turns green.

In the DFW area, the lights are, apparently, on “Y’all C’mon” timers. That is, you sit there and sit there, and if no one is crossing in front of you—TOUGH. Because the light sees cars on the horizon, and it’ll keep you waiting while it beckons them: “Ya’ll c’mon… these turkeys can wait… your green will last as long as you need…”

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After missing the first light, I said aloud, “I’m not sitting through this b*tch again.” I went straight.

That plunged me into the school zone outside of Birdville High School. Biggest school zone I’ve ever seen, I reckon. So not only am I going the wrong way, out of frustration, but I’m doing so at 25mph. I’m also slightly panicked, because I don’t think there’s a Starbucks anywhere close.

Finally I get to Davis, which I know intersects with the freeway I need.

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You ever see cars coming to a sudden stop up ahead, and you think to yourself that you’d better start slowing down NOW so the tailgaters behind you don’t nail you?

That’s what I did. I hit the brakes and started easing in, trying to slow down everyone behind me. The SUV behind me was close, but doing fine, or so I thought.

I found it odd when she suddenly cut her wheels to the left and started coasting into the center turn lane. She wasn’t close to hitting me, I thought.

Short skidding sound and BOOM, a guy in a big Dodge truck NAILED her. She was pushed violently even farther into the turn lane. In my rear-view mirror I saw the truck, and it was in bad shape.

By going towards the turn lane like she did, she kept me from being hit as well, which I appreciate.

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A cop was directly across from us as it happened, so I knew they’d have assistance in a moment. I didn’t stop to help them, which I felt worse about as I drove.

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I feel bad for those folks. I keep replaying it in my mind though, and there’s just nothing I could/should have done differently, except perhaps to jump out of the car and ask if everyone was okay for the 10 seconds before the cop did his u-turn and got there. Somehow a wreck occurred behind the only guy on that stretch of road NOT coming to a sudden stop, aka yours truly.

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Happy Friday. Don’t tailgate.