Keep your bumper to yourself!

[Maria]

So I bought my very first vehicle, a medium-ish SUV, in July 2011. In September 2011, I had my first accident, in which I was hit by someone who was stopped at a stop sign, didn't see me coming down the main road, and turned onto my street and right into my rear wheel. Turns out it was some kind of foreshadowing.

On my way home from the repair shop post-accident, the same thing nearly happened again. Then a couple minutes later, someone tried to change lanes right into the side of my car. I now drive with headlights on at all times, and still I have to swerve around either a creeping bumper or a careless lane-changer about once every 3-4 miles.

Today, I'm on the highway coming home from seven hours of seriously heavy school work, and there's a bit of debris in between my lane and the one to my left, kind of big. I drift right to avoid it. The guy to my left? Also drifts right. A lot. Well, maybe he didn't feel comfortable leaning the other way to avoid the debris, so he was just going to straddle it... so I just moved a little into the shoulder and let him do it.

Except then, for an entire mile he continued to drive with tires hanging over into my lane, then drifted even closer to me with our doors side by side. I slowed down and started driving about 1/3 of the way into the shoulder, and he continued to obliviously lean into me, coming within 6-8" of impact several times. I think the only reason he stopped was because we came to an exit that appealed to him more than my fender did, and off he went.

So I want to know -- where does Honda put the on/off switch for cloaking?? Clearly mine is stuck in the on position.

[Deserted]

Except then, for an entire mile he continued to drive with tires hanging over into my lane, then drifted even closer to me with our doors side by side. I slowed down and started driving about 1/3 of the way into the shoulder, and he continued to obliviously lean into me, coming within 6-8" of impact several times.

What I would do in a seriously unsafe situation like that is to slow down enough to get behind the other guy. WAY behind him; several car lengths at least. A touch of the ol' horn wouldn't hurt either. (It's there for a reason.)

Driving on the shoulder isn't safe or legal in any place I'm familiar with; it's one thing to swerve to avoid debris, but seriously, a mile? It's time to make some space.

You gotta watch out for yourself. If someone else is making you unsafe, get away from them.

[Teefies2]

I don't really have anything to add, but I wanted to say I LOVE your description of your location!!!!

[PepperElf]

I now drive with headlights on at all times

I can vouch that this does not necessarily make you visible.

first time i ever got in an accident it was similar to yours - going through an intersection, the other car barely stopped at their sign and hit me on the tire.

and yes my headlights were on

[NoRedCards]

I almost got hit yesterday by a steering wheel that the driver couldn't see over who kept switching lanes back and forth, unfortunately, the screeching brakes and horn (and subsequent finger) didn't really seem to phase them....

[Deserted]

I don't really have anything to add, but I wanted to say I LOVE your description of your location!!!!

Who, me? You have no idea how long it took me to get it right while fitting in the site's size restrictions.

[dalesys]

Who, me?

... your second deity is a blithering optimist ...

For bonus points, what was Murphy's mother's:
1. Profession?
2. Home town?
3. Maiden Name?

(Milkmaid, Chicago, O'Leary) highlight

[Grendus]

Note that these are the situations that the horn was actually designed for. It's not to show anger (though that's what we usually use it for), it's to let other cars know that you're there. If someone is about to hit you, lay on the horn so they know you're there.

[Maria]

What I would do in a seriously unsafe situation like that is to slow down enough to get behind the other guy. WAY behind him; several car lengths at least.

Well, I can tell I was tired when I wrote the original post... didn't really describe it all the way. I actually did slow more and more every time he came at me, and he was more swerving than staying right on me, so periodically I could get back into a driving lane. He kept slowing down too, as though it was intentional, maybe. If he hadn't gone for the next exit, the instant the exit lane came up, I would have. Maybe coming to a complete stop would have been a better option than that even, but it just didn't occur to me until later. For that matter, maybe choosing a school a little closer than Glendale would have been a better option, too, but it's a bit late for that now!

[EricKei]

I know there are plenty of SCs out there who are aliterate (they CAN read but they don't choose to)....Now, what would be the proper similar term for drivers who don't watch out for other drivers in this manner?

I can think of at least one a-word already..."Asshole" ^_^

[Chromatix]

SMIDSY - Sorry Mate I Didn't See You. Usually means he didn't look properly - particularly troublesome for motorbikes since they are small enough to hide behind the A-pillar. Good drivers know that they need to move their head to check behind the pillar, as well as looking into other blind spots.