Right now my work commute takes me through a construction zone on the tollway, and that adds an extra 5-10 minutes each way. But the bigger issue is really that a 65 MPH cruise is now occasionally slowed way down or even stopped, and the potential for an accident involving impatient commuters is much, much higher. Earlier this summer that was me, as I didn't see that traffic was completely stopped at my exit ramp one morning, and skidded into the back of another car at around (I guess) 10 MPH.
My first reaction was anger at myself for being an impatient, unobservant doofus, with some accompanying guilt at having run into someone else. It was a group of four little old Korean ladies heading up to Lake Forest to golf, in a brand-new Lexus SUV. We pulled off to the side of the construction zone and got out, and all confirmed that no one was hurt (thankfully). Their only damage was a scratched bumper cover; I had a dented hood, a bent bumper, and a pushed-in headlight.
We exchanged insurance/license info and called the police. I wasn't enthusiastic about waiting for the police, as I suspected I could get cited for "driving too fast for conditions" or something, but I was at fault, so I was ready to take my lumps. After 10 minutes or so they lost their enthusiasm too, as their tee time loomed closer, so we agreed to just let the insurance companies handle it.
The rest resolved the way it's supposed to, and I had the presence of mind to send flowers and an apology to Mrs. Kim for my doofusness. (Doofushood? Doofiosity?) And I'll be more careful, at least for a little while.
I'm thankful, I suppose, that in 20+ years of commuting I've never had a really bad accident, even if I've had my share of fender benders like my last one:
- Sliding in the snow out into an intersection, getting my front bumper clipped off by another car
- Getting rear-ended in traffic, no noticeable damage
- Getting rear-ended pretty hard, totaling my car, just because it was too old to sensibly repair (but no injuries)
- Getting rear-ended in traffic, no noticeable damage
- Backing into a light pole in a parking lot, requiring repair
- The most recent incident
I can sense that impatience sometimes, and remind myself of George Carlin's quote: "Have you ever noticed that anyone driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?" That's especially true in the snow, when the idiots putter down the highway when they should just stay home, and the maniacs zoom by me way too fast. Doesn't everyone know that I'm driving the exact correct speed? At least I think so, in between fender benders...
Pat
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4 comments:
As long as you're fessing up to doofus driving accidents, I'll toss mine in.
2 summers ago, after a sleepless night (can't remember why) I got up in the morning barely functional, dressed, ate etc. and then on my way to work. Our driveway is one car wide so I had to back my wife's car out first in order to get mine out. I got in my car and in the 10 seconds it took to go from her car to mine managed to forget hers was in the street. The crunch I heard as I rammed into her car had me as alert as I've been in years. To add insult to injury my neighbor was walking his dogs and the expression on his face said it all ("how could you possibly forget you just parked her car there?") It ended up being an over $2,000 forget.
I did the same thing! I forgot Dan's car was in the driveway because, for some reason, he didn't drive to the train station that day. I backed out of the garage and slammed into something... The kids and I were having such a nice day, and I figured "Heck -- no one but our family has damage. Onward we go!" Thank God for cool husbands.
Pat,
All I can say is I love the word doofus. Good to hear it's still in use. Thanks for your continued thoughts/stories/observances. I've thought of Rach so often this month & like the connection to the Harrigans that you offer. Carol O.
Another observation on bad road conditions very noticeable to me as a "Brit" (and therefore mostly unfamiliar with snow because when it snows in the UK we all staye home)- when it snows or even rains very very hard, traffic lights seem to become completely optional???
Gill H
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