Saturday, February 20, 2010

Me And My Shadow

I don't know what it is about cats, but they seem to know when you're sick or in need of comfort. I got hit by a car yesterday afternoon crossing at an intersection. Thank God I was minimally hurt.


It was one of those cases where the driver was turning right on a red light, other pedestrians were jay walking (because of an advanced green for the other drivers) and it was a pleasant day, weatherwise, so more people were out and about than usual.
I was the only pedestrian to wait for the proper walk signal, yet I was the one who got hit! I saw the van starting to turn right, but he hesitated, leading me to believe he saw me and was going to allow me to cross. But no. He kept on coming. His bumper hit my left hip and I turned, facing the vehicle. By now both my hands were on the front hood of his van and I was being pushed backwards! All I could think of was ,"He's not stopping! He's not stopping!"
I shouted , "STOP! STOP!" and suddenly he braked, sending me flying backwards onto the road. I thought, "I can't stay here on the ground! Someone might run me over!" and so I leapt up to my feet. I yelled at the driver, "J____ C______ didn't you see the signal!?" Bystanders
came to my aid immediately, standing in the van's way so he couldn't take off and one person flagged down a police car.
Well, to make a long story short, I ended up with only a bruised knee (from hitting the ground) and some weird pains in my feet that are fading now. It could have been a lot worse! The driver was charged with "Failure to Yeild".
But Shadow has been climbing up on my lap since it happened, and I think she might sense that she could have lost her "Mommy". I don't know, but it sure makes you realize how quickly one's life could be snuffed out.

5 comments:

Willy Ashworth said...

Hi Suzanne

Wow! Thank goodness you are okay.

What a scary thing. Where did this happen exactly.

I'm a walker, a full time pedestrian..i've never driven. It has been my experience that a good majority of drivers do not look when they are turning. They tend to look at oncoming traffic, but not way they are actually turning. I've almost been hot a great number of times, and it was only my being super cautious that saved me from being struck.

Drives me crazy.

Anyway, glad you are okay. and you are right about the cats knowing. Our cats seems to know I'm ill before I do!

When my mother in-law was dying they spent a great deal of time comforting her, and always seemed to be by her side.

Take care now!!

Willy Ashworth said...

I've almost been hot!!

HAHA!!

Obviously i mean hit!!

Suzanne Dargie said...

I ran out of asthma medicine and your comment about "I've almost been hot" made me laugh too much, and I started coughing!I thought "hot" was a new, hip term for almost getting "iced"...or killed!
Anyway......we're an endangered species, we pedestrians. Especially with these A-holes flying around in their SUVs. I've had a few incidents with bus drivers too....splashing me as they fly through muddy puddles and then not even appologizing.
I am constantly reminded of that NFB cartoon about aliens mistaking cars for the actual "Earthlings".

Willy Ashworth said...

Right..the Kai Pindal film, right?

Suzanne Dargie said...

Yeah! I just looked up the title,
What On Earth.