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You stupid, f*(king cow! (Read 975 times)

zoom-zoom


rectumdamnnearkilledem

    My running career and possibly my life just about ended a mere 5 minutes ago. Just as I was nearing the end of my run a stupid old broad who should have her license revoked came thisclose to hitting me. I was running on the primary road and she came to a T with a stop sign. She stopped and then went (turning right onto the main street)...looked right at me and can't have not seen me...it's sunny, clear, and I was wearing a BRIGHT YELLOW windbreaker. I think the asshat figured that since she was in a car that her rights trumped mine, even though SHE is the one who had the stop sign, not I. *I* had to swerve into the middle of the street with my arm outstretched towards her car (both in a 'stop' gesture as well as a way to sheild the rest of my body from the impact) to avoid being hit and only THEN did she stop after she nearly plowed into me. I yelled at her to watch where she's going, but I'm sure she didn't hear with the windows rolled-up. I just called my hubby...he has had similar issues while on his bike. He suggested that I should have jumped on her hood. Had my wits been more about me I think I would have. If this should ever happen again I will. I hope I leave a big-ass dent, too. They wouldn't have much of a case against me if I were to damage their car. People really suck. I think we're too litigious a society, but I honestly would sue the pants off of anyone who caused me even minor injuries by driving like an idiot when they are sharing the roads with runners, bicyclists, walkers and others who don't have the protection of sheet metal and airbags. If for no other reason than to prove a point and serve as a reminder to them and all those that they associate with that their driver's license is a priviledge and that they need to be more conscious of everyone else on the roadways. k

    Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

    remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

         ~ Sarah Kay

    Scout7


      Well, glad to hear that you're alright at least. People are dumb.
        As a runner, I think you have to abide by the pedestrian rules. There are of course rules for drivers being mindful of pedestrians, but you may find that where you live it turns out that you do not have right of way. Are you sure you can share the road with cars? Consult a local legally informed person rather than your husband.


        You'll ruin your knees!

          olethros, you might be right, but might also want to DUCK! K, I had this happen to me once, exactly the same, I was running on a SIDEWALK, approaching a side street that had a stop sign. The street my sidewalk was on did not stop. The driver approached the stop sign, slowing, made eye contact with me (my mistake was thinking that meant...I see you and I have a stop sign, which really meant, you are a worthless pedestrian and must yield to this superior piece of crap I'm driving and I'm gonna roll through this stop sign since there's no CARS coming, only a runner...) ... Anyway, I ended up nose to nose whith her, me on her hood with my nose 2 inches from her windshield and she on the otherside, whiteknuckling the steering wheel! Scared the mess outta both of us, but her 4,000 pounds trumps my 180! Glad you're only mad, not injured! Lynn B

          ""...the truth that someday, you will go for your last run. But not today—today you got to run." - Matt Crownover (after Western States)

            olethros, you might be right, but might also want to Lynn B
            Ducking! In any case, where I live, cars are virtually guaranteed to stop if they see you about to cross a zebra crossing, and are quite likely to stop if you're just crossing at an arbitrary point. I cannot guarantee that they have really seen me though and since a runner moves faster than a walker.. I am extra careful when running or skating in the town.
            jEfFgObLuE


            I've got a fever...

              Zoom, Glad you're okay. This forum would be a whole lot quieter without you on it. Smile Based on what you described, it certainly sounds like you had the right-of-way, so that's not the issue. What I've learned after more close calls than I care to think about is to always assume they don't see you. When I approach an intersection in the fashion you describe, I usually swerve and go behind the car, unless they actually wave me on. It's annoying as hell, since a pedestrian has the right-of-way at a cross-walk (painted or not), but I've had too many jackasses do exactly what you describe. Cheers, Jeff

              On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office.  But you will wish that you'd spent more time running.  Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.

              derek


                When I approach an intersection in the fashion you describe, I usually swerve and go behind the car, unless they actually wave me on.
                I actually do the same thing too. If I'm at an intersection, I'll run behind the car at the front.

                Derek

                zoom-zoom


                rectumdamnnearkilledem

                  As a runner, I think you have to abide by the pedestrian rules. There are of course rules for drivers being mindful of pedestrians, but you may find that where you live it turns out that you do not have right of way. Are you sure you can share the road with cars? Consult a local legally informed person rather than your husband.
                  I would hope I can share the road...it's a residential neighborhood that I was running in. As for the runners being faster than walkers--there are definitely walkers who move faster than my easy running pace! Wink There's no way she didn't see me, as there are no trees or other obstructions (I will try to post a map of the spot this evening when I get back). She looked right at me and I at her. I have no clue WTF she was thinking (maybe that's the problem--I don't think she was thinking. I'm almost wondering if there were meds or alcohol involved). Even after she started moving from behind the stop sign she kept coming at me, even as I was directly in front of her car with my arm extended in a stop gesture. Lynn, what you described is EXACTLY the scenario, except for sidewalks. There isn't much in the way of sidewalks in our town. k

                  Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                  remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                       ~ Sarah Kay

                  zoom-zoom


                  rectumdamnnearkilledem

                    Zoom, Glad you're okay. This forum would be a whole lot quieter without you on it. Smile Based on what you described, it certainly sounds like you had the right-of-way, so that's not the issue. What I've learned after more close calls than I care to think about is to always assume they don't see you. When I approach an intersection in the fashion you describe, I usually swerve and go behind the car, unless they actually wave me on. It's annoying as hell, since a pedestrian has the right-of-way at a cross-walk (painted or not), but I've had too many jackasses do exactly what you describe. Cheers, Jeff
                    Big grin I usually do go behind cars when at all possible (because it makes for a safer crossing)...this is another factor that make the whole thing so odd. She stopped WAY behind the stop sign, which really made me think that she was giving me extra room and being very considerate. The whole thing is just really puzzling. It's almost like she's never encountered a runner before...

                    Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                    remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                         ~ Sarah Kay

                      Glad you are ok! Next time jump on her hood, that would be hilarious! Big grin
                      ---- Cynthia
                        Glad you're ok! I just heard about an elderly woman who was hit by a drunk in the middle of the day Sunday (3:30 pm) He had had 3 25 ounce beers and hit her on the sidewalk. He says he thought it was a bird. His rearview mirror ripped off from impact. Some bird. She ended up dead. The restaurant was in my hometown, and the accident in the town next door. I guess the point is, whether you have the right of way or not, sometimes it's just better to be overly cautious. I pay no attention to street lights as Boston drivers run red lights all the time. It's worth a few seconds on my running time to not get hit by the guy fiddling with his radio, whether I'd be in the right or not.
                          My temper would have been flaring! It sounds like she was giving you the look of 'okay - I see you and I'll wait'. I'm glad to hear you are okay!! I am very very chicken about running outside. I have two routes that I use and I picked them according to how much traffic there is, or isn't. I also made sure that 90% of my running is in housing developments. I only cross one main street and one medium traveled street. I don't trust drivers, while I'm running. All that it would take would be for someone to be on the phone, or changing radio stations or something...and if they don't see me, odds are it's going to hurt!! This is why most of my running is done on the boring treadmill. *lol* - Of course the irony for me is with how careful I try to be about running, here I am gimping around thanks to my own two feet on the soccer field.

                          Michelle



                            I There's no way she didn't see me, as there are no trees or other obstructions (I will try to post a map of the spot this evening when I get back). She looked right at me and I at her. I have no clue WTF she was thinking (maybe that's the problem--I don't think she was thinking. I'm almost wondering if there were meds or alcohol involved). Even after she started moving from behind the stop sign she kept coming at me, even as I was directly in front of her car with my arm extended in a stop gesture. k
                            That sounds as though she was mentally or visually impaired in some way. I don't trust drivers. I am one of them and I did crash twice while not paying attention. Fortunately no-one was hurt.
                              That was close! I want to believe she was just distracted (not a good thing when driving but happens to most of us). Kirsten, I am just glad you are fine, shaken up, but fine. I myself am a bit paranoid about cars. I've never had any close calls but unless I make eye contact with a driver I assume they don't see me. Even on crosswalks I give them the right of way. Ruins my pace but better safe than sorry. I wish more people would take up running. I bet that would make them more considerate when they're behind the wheel. Ewa
                              I would rather wear out than rust out. - Helen Klein You create your own universe as you go along. - Winston Churchill
                                Glad you're ok! I just heard about an elderly woman who was hit by a drunk in the middle of the day Sunday (3:30 pm) He had had 3 25 ounce beers and hit her on the sidewalk. He says he thought it was a bird. His rearview mirror ripped off from impact. Some bird. She ended up dead. The restaurant was in my hometown, and the accident in the town next door. I guess the point is, whether you have the right of way or not, sometimes it's just better to be overly cautious. I pay no attention to street lights as Boston drivers run red lights all the time. It's worth a few seconds on my running time to not get hit by the guy fiddling with his radio, whether I'd be in the right or not.
                                Holy cow I wonder if he was *aiming* for the bird?? That is really sad. Sad
                                ---- Cynthia
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