Today it was 67 degrees, simply amazing for a January afternoon. Clear skies, light breeze, I must run.
My endorphins are soring and my step is light my spirits are high. My head roams free with drifting thoughts of loved ones and my clean shiny ride I just detailed.
I come to an intersection from a residential community, not mine, one with beautiful new single family homes with brick fronts. Children’s laughter behind me. I begin to cross this four lane road.
This car needs waxing. It must spend its days sitting underneath a tree. The hood is freckled with debrie…side shuffle to the right. skip back, back, quickly…
Am I playing backwards hop scotch?”
Please don’t hit my legs is all I can think, not my legs.
Back, skip, skip, back. Staring at the hood of the car, back back, avoiding that hood. In the middle of the lane on a busy road.
Will the driver ever notice me?
Will I be hit by another speeding down the road? 200 yards I see a silver mini van coming my way… 100 yards.
The attacking vehicle stops. Out of frustrations, I drop kick the hood of the car. Black rubber trail is left. I hope I left a dent. Dark on contact, then lighter on the white paint as my heel dragged toward my body. I look at my mark, with wicked contentment, right in the middle of the Honda’s headlights. It could have been my blood.
I stare at the driver that never gave me a cautionary glance when making that right on red.
Mid thirties, brunette, plain looking. Fear, regret, compassion, so many emotions were experienced. I saw them all when I looked straight into her eyes. Her hand over her heart, mouthing the words.
“I’m so sorry”
I left her as quickly as a came.
I was not significant to watch for before, but now you see me running away….I’m running away…still able to run. Thank you. I look over my shoulder. She is in shock, car frozen in the middle of the road. I run up the hill, you are still frozen. I bet you see me now. I’ll bet you will look for me now. I feel vindicated. I’m pumping my arms faster as I race up this hill.
Vindication. I make a left onto a bike path. Slow down, you don’t see me now. Breathe. I slow down. Oh my god.
My mind’s eye sees your face. I immerse myself in the emotions you must have felt.
If I was not so quick and nimble you could have hit me. I could have been a child. You could have seriously injured me today. I could have been a child.
You could have taken a life with your neglect. I hope she realizes that. I hope everyone that reads this realizes that.
Please don’t hit me.
Please watch out for humans.
I am extremely happy and relieved that you were not physically injured due to a careless motorist’s mistake/misbehavior during an otherwise beautiful winter day for jogging. Also, thank you for relating your terrible and shocking experience; I think doing that was worthwhile and an excellent public service. Unfortunately, based on my experience as a pedestrian and a former jogger, too many motorists seem to be preoccupied or think that it’s O.K. to try to save a little time by not yielding when pedestrians and joggers have the “right of way.” I hope that the motorist in question, as well as any others who may have witnessed the event, will never forget what could have happened on a beautiful January day, and strive to be much more careful in the future! Hopefully, the motorist will never remove the mark your jogging shoe left on her Honda, because it should serve as an excellent reminder for her!
I think my mark would require rubbing compound or a paint polish to remove. All products that this car obviously never seen before.
I’m so glad that you are OK. I can’t understand how some people get behind a steering wheel and suddenly become oblivious to runners or people riding bicycles and motorccycles.
Thanks for your concern. I sitting her bumming about not being able to run today : ( Damn~!
I think I will have to go the gym. I hate the gym~!
Jessie
Glad you’re OK! Thanks for sharing the story. And I see you too are a fan of the 300C. I love that car!
Overture
Do you have it? Or have you test drove it?
Jessie
I want to thank you for posting this. It may have kept me from getting hit. I was running yesterday evening and came to a busy intersection. The cross street has a red light so I’m thinking….great, I don’t have to stop. As I get to the corner, it suddenly hits me…same scenario as Jessie…better look again. So I glance to the left and sure enough, a car comes flying down the turn lane to make a right turn on the red, just as I was about to step off the curb. She never slowed down and never even looked at me. So I just wanted to say thanks, I owe you one!!! By the way..it was a middle age, plain looking, brunett.
I don’t have it but I have test driven it. Sadly the salesman was with me and I couldn’t turn it loose!
Overture
That is a bummer about your test drive, Overture
My test drive on my last affordable dream car (Nissan Z). The car is so sexy on the outside, too clostiphobic on the inside.
I rode it hard. The salesman encouraged me to do so. So as I hit the gas and ran up and down the shift nob, he was laid back and enjoyed the ride. I drove it all over the place. I topped over 100 on Prince William Parkway. Boy, that car is fast and can slalom.
Didn’t buy it. The mistake the manager and salesmen (yes, men) made was that they showed more excitement over my trade in.
“Yes, my car has this, yes it has that option, yes it is in excellent condition, it is a beautiful car. Yes, yes yes, yes it is low mileage, really you have not seen one so fully loaded (lier)”
They were more excited over my car than the Z, I thought why am I giving up “insert name of my car”? So I walked.
But, I know about salesmen raining on your parade. When I test drove a MR2 spyder in ‘02, the salesman talked so much, I could not enjoy my test drive. It was yellow too, very pretty.
Hey John C,
I’m glad you were more observant to the motorists than I was.
I’m glad you are ok. BTW: I thought the only other vehicles up where you live are tractors..*grin*
Becareful of the tractors… and the cows too
When you hit a cow they make an funny noise….PACOW.
PACOW!! That’s really funny!!
No it wasn’t, but thanks for comment
J
So Glad you were not hurt, by some nat-brain. Hope she gets nightmares. The 300 is a great looking car. I saw a couple, in the showroom, when I bought my Jeep. Not my style, but beautiful cars. Well built, too. What color are you going to buy?
p.s. If you visited Phoenix, you could run, to your hearts content.
Hey Fast Fred,
Today, I had the works done to my car at the dealership. I was so happy, I went driving around town as fast as possible before I had to stop in traffic (no peeing in the car today).
So I’m in love with my car again. I think the 300c is probably too big for me anyways. I’m just going through this “bling bling, I’m pimping baby, wanna be a the white girl in a rap video” stage, I will grow out of it.
Odd, since I’m in a girly-punk stage with my clothing…I digress
I would love to have your weather right now. I want to run in 70 degress~! But I have to wait until next week. Yahoo~!
I’m so glad you are ok. But on the flip side, since I’m a huge cruise in my car person, I’ve got to say that pedestrians drive me insane. They walk in front of my car when the light is green and I think they totally deserve to be hit. Of course, who’s gonna get the blame? Me, even if their dumb asses decided to do the tango with death and go against the green.
I almost hit a guy on his bike while making a right on red. I’ve never hit anyone and I was shocked to see him come out of nowhere. I wish people on bikes would watch out for people in cars, too. It works both ways. The light was about to turn green and he decided to make a go of it. And that’s supposed to be my fault? I should have hit his dumb Latin American ass.
Maybe he can’t interpret road signs yet.
Anyway, I just had to get that out. Not a reflection of you as it sounds like that woman was just plain careless.
But do be careful.
Pleeeeease don’t hit me, Stiletto Girl. OK?
The only reason I’d hit you is so I could do CPR heeheehee
So I need to risk life and limb just for a taste of your luscious lips?
You play hard to get.
*grin*
Speechless!