Perhaps Paying Attention Would Be In Order Next Time...

[BrenDAnn]

Also known as "closest to death I want to come for a long, long time".

There is a small construction area just south of the intersection of the road into my town and the main highway. They are working on a bridge, and have said bridge down to one lane, with stoplights at either end, rather than flaggers, as it's one lane 24 hours a day. On the way to work yesterday, I was stopped at said stoplight, heading south. I glanced behind me, saw gravel flying, and saw a semi taking to the shoulder and the driver slamming on the brakes. The cab of the semi ended up stopping right beside me on the shoulder of the road. Yep. That's how close I came to being just a memory for my friends and family. Evidently, semi driver wasn't paying attention, and ended up having to take the shoulder to miss hitting me. If he hadn't taken the shoulder, though... *shudders* Needless to say, I was freaked out the rest of the way to work, thinking about how close to death I came. I'm pretty sure the driver must've shit himself, too. He had to take a minute once the truck came to a stop, before he backed up and calmly got behind me at the light. The rest of the way down the road, he was well behind me. Let's just say that's an experience I NEVER want to have again!

[dalesys]

Glad you're still here.

Was your mother most concerned about the cleanliness of your underwear?

First you say it, then you do it.
Good thing I had a clean pair in the glove box.
[/Cos]

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Glad you're still here.

Was your mother most concerned about the cleanliness of your underwear?

I was thinking the same thing.

Glad you're okay, Cazzi . . . have you gotten your heart out of your throat yet?

[BrenDAnn]

It was me, not Cazzi and yes, yes I have, though I don't think I will EVER forget the sight of that semi taking the shoulder and skidding to a stop beside me.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

It was me, not Cazzi and yes, yes I have, though I don't think I will EVER forget the sight of that semi taking the shoulder and skidding to a stop beside me.

Sorry for the name mixup - I think I had a brain fart and somehow got confused.

[BrenDAnn]

That's alright. I kind of figured.

[Cazzi]

Oh heck!
What did I do to stick so well to DGoddessChardonnay's mind?

BrenDAnn, really glad you came out of that unscathed

[Seshat]

Ditto.

I no longer drive, but as a passenger I've been grateful for the car handling skills of my husband and my best friend, more than once.

It seems there's a target painted on the passenger side door of our car.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

It seems there's a target painted on the passenger side door of our car.

My mom seems to think that anytime we're out running errands, folks find out somehow and decide that we're easy targets for their stupidity as well.

I've lost count of how many times we've had to put up with folks who either don't use turn signals and turn RIGHT IN FRONT OF US, have veered toward our car b/c they were too busy with a phone to their ear and not paying attention, zipping in and out of traffic playing "musical lanes" or pulling out from a side road into our lane.

Which at times makes me dread those driving lessons that are coming up soon (waiting on federal tax refund - last letter I got was 2 weeks ago and they're saying I should have my refund within 2-3 weeks.)

Anyone have any Valium to spare? Send it my way.

[Seshat]

Which at times makes me dread those driving lessons that are coming up soon (waiting on federal tax refund - last letter I got was 2 weeks ago and they're saying I should have my refund within 2-3 weeks.)

Anyone have any Valium to spare? Send it my way.

Chardonnay,

If you want to talk about driving lessons, PM me. My father was a driving instructor all of my life (well, almost all), and my brother was one for a while. I helped run the driving school my parents bought; and helped proofread the 'take home' papers our instructors handed out.

If your instructors follow the pattern ours did, you would start in the quietest streets they can find, learning basic car handling. Once you had mastered basic car handling, they would teach the theory of traffic courtesy - proper signalling, proper following distance, and so on - and then take you into quiet traffic to practice that.

At all times after that, you'd do the car handling and traffic courtesy theory you were going to need for the next stage before they took you into the level of traffic appropriate for that stage.

I recommend that, once you've got basic car handling covered, you make a point of spending at least one lesson with your instructor during a storm. (NOT an emergency-level 'everyone essential off the roads' level storm - just an ordinary rain or rain-and-thunder storm.)
Someday, you'll be driving during a storm - best for you to do it the first time with your instructor.

And if you're in a place with snow and ice; and you're not learning in winter; make an appointment to meet with your instructor again in winter to learn car handling in icy conditions.

Our cars all had pedals on the instructor's side, and our instructors could reach over and grab the wheel if need be; it's both a safety measure, and reassurance for the student.
(When teaching instructors, Dad insisted they learn to drive as well from the passenger seat as the driver's.)


BTW: you'll often find people who lack traffic courtesy, but who insist that they're great drivers because of their car handling skills. They might be great at car handling; but GOOD drivers have both the ability to put the car where they want it, AND the ability to drive in such a way that everyone around them can predict what they're about to do. And they know where everyone around them is.

It's actually the road courtesy that means I refuse to drive anymore. I can still handle a car; I just can't process my environment rapidly enough to be properly aware of every vehicle and pedestrian around me. At mobility scooter speeds, this doesn't matter so much: at car speeds it could be fatal to someone. Who might not be me.

Don't let that put YOU off, though! Remember, I'm far from neurotypical, I'm seriously disabled. "Fibrofog" is a nickname for the inability fibromyalgia patients have to think as rapidly and efficiently as we used to. Your instructor will teach you traffic courtesy and traffic awareness gradually: it's like any skill; you start out painfully aware of what you're doing, and over time, it becomes almost-but-not-quite effortless.

[BrenDAnn]

Yeah....the aforementioned construction zone seems to produce idiots all the time. Okay, so the one I had a couple nights ago on my way home wasn't BECAUSE of the construction area...it involved it. A white Ford...thing...was on my rear bumper for a while coming north, until it finally flew around me, and proceeded to glue itself to the rear bumper of a car on a trailer being pulled by an RV. When did Ford idiot decide to try and pass the RV? When the RV slowed to prepare to stop at hte construction zone stop light. Yes, really. Ford veered out, saw the construction area, and must've realized 'Uhhh I can't pass here uh herp derp' and got back behind the RV. Of course, they passed the RV as quickly as they could once we were through the construction area and past any waiting cars. Jackass.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

If your instructors follow the pattern ours did, you would start in the quietest streets they can find, learning basic car handling. Once you had mastered basic car handling, they would teach the theory of traffic courtesy - proper signalling, proper following distance, and so on - and then take you into quiet traffic to practice that.

At all times after that, you'd do the car handling and traffic courtesy theory you were going to need for the next stage before they took you into the level of traffic appropriate for that stage.

We'll see how this goes in the morning. I have my first lesson at 7 am tomorrow (tax refund arrived Tuesday - YAY.) Not sure about next week though - I go back to work Monday (I'm on vacation this week) so I'll find out what his schedule looks like then.

I guess now would be a good time to warn everyone to stay off the road.

[dalesys]

I guess now would be a good time to warn everyone to stay off the road.

In what states does that warning apply? QL? NSW?

[DGoddessChardonnay]

In what states does that warning apply? QL? NSW?

Unless you're in North Carolina, you should be safe.

Otherwise, GTFOTR.

[Lovecats]

I used to joke with my kids that I must have a sign that drops down some days that say, "Go ahead and pull out in front of me. It's ok." I just need to find out where it's dropping down from and remove it but then someone would probably put it back up again.