near death

I don't understand aggressive driving. I mean, I think people drive stupid all the time and it pisses me off. But why do you drive in such a manner that puts your life or the life of someone else in jeopardy? Are you in such a rush to get where you are going that it is worth a life?

Last week after work I had to pick up Ladybug and then go to the neighboring town. Maybe I didn't NEED to go but I really wanted to get some cute gold beads for her hair to match her Halloween costume and I haven't found any stores in my new town. So I went back to my old town and my old store.

I knew this was going to be a hard trip. Pick her up around 5:30. Drive to town and be there a little after 6. Find the beads and whatever else I was tempted by. Stop for dinner. Drive home. Hope to be home by 8pm -- which is her bedtime. Not exactly a great evening for a kindergartner but I felt it had to be done.

On my way to town I took a business highway. This is 2 lanes in both directions but there is no center divider. And there are stop lights. It was rush hour time but luckily we were going in the opposite direction of most of the traffic.

I was in the left hand lane. I went down a hill. I headed back up a hill. I knew at the top of the hill was a stop light. I noticed a long row of cars in front of me. I noticed the brake lights. I braked. I glanced in my rear view mirror. I saw a little run down sports car coming up on my butt fast. I glanced back at Ladybug. She was sleeping. I glanced in the rear view mirror again. He was still coming fast. And there was nothing I could do. There were slowing and stopped cars in front of me. There was traffic coming toward me to my left. There was traffic going with me to my right. There was nothing I could do to protect myself. Or Ladybug. I kept my foot on the brake and braced for impact.

That all took about 3 seconds. If that.

But he didn't hit me. I don't understand how. He slammed on his brake at that last minute. He swerved to his right. The car in the right hand lane swerved to their right into the break down lane. He pulled past me, blared his horn, flipped me off as he passed me by, and kept going.

I gathered my wits and kept going. And I watched him go. And then I saw him do the same thing about 1/2 mile down the road. Again missing people.

His life may not be worth being careful. But mine is. Ladybug's is. And the other people that he scared that day also is.

Luckily Ladybug slept through the whole thing.

Mean Mama