Danger is everywhere.?ÿ Especially where IT SHOULD NOT BE.
Shortly after noon today I was approaching an intersection of a US highway with a State highway that is a four-way stop situation.?ÿ Wakeup strips, plenty of signage and flashing lights all four ways.?ÿ As I got close it struck me that this was a very rare case for that intersection as I was the only vehicle nearing a stop sign.?ÿ Typically, there are a few vehicles from all four directions and occasionally fairly long waiting lines on the US highway.?ÿ I did notice a semi coming from my left but quite a distance away.?ÿ I stopped at the stop sign, then I began to cross the intersection, took another look to my left and realized the semi with the full length box trailer had no intentions of stopping.?ÿ I slammed on my brakes and he made as much of a swerve to his left as he could manage in a second or two of his attention.?ÿ The side of the trailer was HUGE as it missed the front end of my Jeep by maybe two or three feet at what had to be upwards of 70 MPH.?ÿ It was pure luck there was no one nearing the stop sign from his opposite direction as he would have driven into/over them in a flash.?ÿ He never braked at any time.?ÿ Just roared off into the distance as if everything was normal.?ÿ My heart was going faster than he was.?ÿ Then I realized that I should look to my left to see if anyone else was headed for me.?ÿ Fortunately, the nearest vehicle was probably still a half mile away.?ÿ So, I found the strength to finally pull my foot off the brake and continued on my way to the courthouse where I was expected.
Glad you didnt try to beat the semi.....?ÿ
I spent 36hrs on the phone dealing with the results of a car full of 4 teenagers between 15-17 that tried to beat a semi in a similar situation 23 years ago.....I met 4 people whom i never met before then across those decades that were either first responders and or direct relatives of the decendents( a mute term for those of us in the field of organ tissue transplant to limit the depth of the PTSD you build up over the thousands of cases and mostly the tragic ones that stick with you...)
its always better to not try to beat the semi.
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Glad youre ok, and hopefully enjoyed the after effects of the free adrenaline rush with limited fallout.
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Beating the semi never crossed my mind.?ÿ Don Garlits could not have done it on his best day.?ÿ A few more feet forward and you would not be reading these words.
On rare occasions I have accelerated to get through a railroad crossing before the arms come down.?ÿ I know better.?ÿ My only classmate in Second Grade met his demise that way several years after returning from his Marine days in Viet Nam.?ÿ He was headed to work and running late.?ÿ Left several small children who barely remember who he was.?ÿ That was 41 years ago.
There's a rural N-S-E T-intersection near which I have a well used control point.?ÿ On the NE corner is a telephone equipment shack.?ÿ There's nothing else but a few hay barns within a mile of this place.
Not long back I was there and had just hopped back in my truck after setting up my base.?ÿ I was in front of the telephone shack facing north.?ÿ I needed to go east.?ÿ I dropped it in gear and made a large circle to the left after glancing in my mirror.?ÿ There's NEVER any traffic there...
I hear a horn, and tires screeching.?ÿ I slammed on the brakes and my life passed in front of my eyes.?ÿ There was a northbound truck with a gooseneck hauling round bales that came so close to me I could smell the hay.?ÿ He continued on northbound going lickety-split.
My legs were so weak I could hardly stand up.?ÿ I had to get out and look at my front bumper for scratches...that's how close it was.
I've heard people say "I nearly sh*t my pants",?ÿbut let me tell you that will never happen to me apparently.?ÿ I was so puckered you couldn't have driven a greased sewing needle up me with a ten pound hammer.?ÿ Thirty minutes afterwards my leg was still trembling when I pushed on the brakes.
My wife is always so worried that something is going to happen to me when I'm out there by myself.?ÿ So I decided not to tell her.?ÿ
No need to give her anything else to worry about.?ÿ 😉
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30 plus years ago I was driving south to visit my parents.?ÿ It was raining, not too hard but raining.?ÿ I was headed down I-85 at the speed limit or slightly below.?ÿ I came to the bottom of sag and water was completely across the road.?ÿ Have you ever hydroplaned??ÿ I don't mean for 10 feet, I mean the whole truck seems to rise and accelerate.?ÿ No steering control and no braking.?ÿ My truck went into a spin, crossed the median sideways, and slid all the way across the northbound lanes between oncoming traffic coming to a stop facing north in the emergency lane.
I know we're not supposed to mention politics or religion but there is no doubt in my mind that the Good Lord was looking after me that day.
Andy
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One day we were driving down the interstate at about 60 in the car pool lane, with traffic to our right basically stopped. Not a great idea, but pretty normal around here.
A car decided to pull out in front of us...and the driver next to me didn't even have time to put his brakes on before we were on his bumper...and then the car was gone, back in his lane to the right and we were gone down the road.
To this day (+15 years later) we occasionally mention the almost incident, and neither one of us can figure out how it happened.
Close calls are weird things. They sure do stick in your mind. The adrenaline dump tattoos memories. On a tangent, some training regimes relie on that aspect of human nature to sear lessons into people's minds and psyche.
@dmyhill The searing of information into people's minds had application in the preservation of land boundaries, as part of the tradition in England and New England of "beating the bounds." The rituals included not only symbolically beating the monuments, but also beating children who were brought along as witnesses and who it was hoped would long retain the memories. See pages 140 and 141 in: https://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1331&context=yjlh
Just this last summer we were working off of a twisty winding road people frequently speed on off on a small side street and I'd just finished giving my college student helper 'the lecture'. "Look here, everybody out here, whether they know it or not, is out to kill you. I want you to slow down and look twice before pulling out anywhere.?ÿIt's the car you never saw that will get you." Literally five minutes later he pulls the work truck out in front of an oncoming car causing the other driver to have to leave the road. Fortunately the other driver ran into a field and no damage done, but could have easily gone another way. When I caught up to him I couldn't bring myself to say a word other than I'm glad everyone's alright, but he got a good dose of stink eye.
Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.
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If each sale of property required a perambulation, us surveyors would have a lot less work to do!
It is one of the great traditions that should be resurrected, IMHO.
another lesson stamped with adrenaline, hopefully, never to be forgotten.