Snowbird season, I think, is officially upon us. Well it was upon me on Thursday. I almost got into three...count them THREE accidents, 2 involving the snowbirds, one with a biker (the pedal kind, not cool rider).
The first interaction was coming back from what was to be a quick errand in the afternoon...it took much longer, because the birds were out, since it was early afternoon, doing their snowbird things, and driving no more than 20mph in a 45, because that's what snowbirds do. When i was returning home, I was in a left hand turn lane (no light) waiting ever so patiently for the bird in front of me to turn first (had to make sure there was no car coming at him at all before making the turn). He turns, then then a decent line of cars start to come again, so I have to wait. There are cars on the street that I want to turn on, waiting to turn left as well...the front is a big old honking suburban, and then a monster buick sedan behind it. I see my chance to make my turn...and the suburban decides he's going to turn first, in front of me, and wait in front of the median before joining the flow of eastbound traffic, and blocking all views I have of what's coming west...he starts to move forward, and I can see that I can go....I start to move...Just then, the boaty buick sedan with an old, old, old, lady comes flying out, and waits behind the suburban that hasn't yet joined the flow of traffic. She is now blocking the west bound traffic and I can't turn left...I just want to get home... but she just sits there and completely ignores that CARS ARE COMING AT HER!!! And I couldn't have hit her when she made her turn, and I technically had the right of way. After what seemed like ages, and many honking cars later, she and the suburban complete their turns and drive away...I had to wait again. I think waiting to turn left probably took about 10 minutes...and was the longest part of my jaunt out.
Next, I had to head back to the old jobbie job to get at the laptop so I can start working for them. I'm coasting...then on the 202 everything comes to an abrupt stop, and I decide to get off one exit early. I'm tootling up 32nd street and I see Mr. Man on his bike (pedal, pedal, not zoom zoom), weaving in and out of traffic, looking like he wants to cross the street, but is in the middle of the flow of traffic and not at an intersection. At one point he almost swerved into me, when I as coming to a stop...he swerves his bike, and then crossed in front of the truck that in front of me. He looks behind him to the right and starts to cross into a turn lane and DOESN'T SEE THAT THERE IS A TRUCK COMING AT HIM!! BOOM!!! He got hit by the truck and ricochets off of another car. Everyone gets out of their cars. Mr Bike is fine, shaken up, grabs his stuff and bikes away. The guy that hit him is just standing there a little dumbfounded. Everyone returns to their cars and continues on their way. The whole time I just kept thinking "holy shit, I just saw a person get hit by a car!!'
Then I'm on my merry way, and this older carolla is in the suicide lane, no turn signal to indicate if they are merging into my flow of traffic OR turning into the building on the other side...and when I'm not that far behind it, the person merges in front of me, cutting me off. Almost Accident #3. I'm yelling in my car obscenities and what not, then the driver slowly merges into the middle lane, cutting off another person. I look over. It's an old lady, that doesn't even cover the head rest she's so short, and barely looks over the steering wheel. She's also on the phone talking. Now, I talk and drive all the time...but something tells me, with this lady, given her height issues...not the best thing.
I finally get to work, get my laptop, talk to the team. And then went to happy hour. Thank god for alcoholic beverages. Seriously. Between 1 and 4pm there were 3 times where I could have hit someone. It made for a great day.
Rock out, accidental.
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