I haven't really been feeling chatty until tonight. Probably something to do with a full-on week and just trying to survive it, literally.
That day when it was raining quite hard and there were a number of weather related crashes in Wellington, I nearly had a car back into me at my son's high school car park. It was one of those surreal moments when my mind finally comprehended that the car in front of me that was rapidly backing and turning as it went just didn't see me, and the only thing I could do was to put my hands on the horn and keep them there. It took what seemed a very long time to respond to all my honking, so by the time it stopped, it was half a foot away from crashing into my car. My son, who was on the passenger side, and who I stopped from getting out of our car when the car in front accelerated backwards really felt like it was going to crash into his door.
It just made me wonder if the driver was young and on a restricted license and didn't know that when you back, you are supposed to look over your shoulder and not use the mirror. Having just got my full license a few years back, I know they still test for this. It's a big thing - don't rely on your mirrors, turn and look.
It was a lesson for me. Don't drive into the school car park, even if it's raining and we are slightly late. Though, with the way that car backed, they could have just as easily taken out a kid, now that I think about it. Hopefully I gave them enough of a fright that they will be more careful in future.
That day when it was raining quite hard and there were a number of weather related crashes in Wellington, I nearly had a car back into me at my son's high school car park. It was one of those surreal moments when my mind finally comprehended that the car in front of me that was rapidly backing and turning as it went just didn't see me, and the only thing I could do was to put my hands on the horn and keep them there. It took what seemed a very long time to respond to all my honking, so by the time it stopped, it was half a foot away from crashing into my car. My son, who was on the passenger side, and who I stopped from getting out of our car when the car in front accelerated backwards really felt like it was going to crash into his door.
It just made me wonder if the driver was young and on a restricted license and didn't know that when you back, you are supposed to look over your shoulder and not use the mirror. Having just got my full license a few years back, I know they still test for this. It's a big thing - don't rely on your mirrors, turn and look.
It was a lesson for me. Don't drive into the school car park, even if it's raining and we are slightly late. Though, with the way that car backed, they could have just as easily taken out a kid, now that I think about it. Hopefully I gave them enough of a fright that they will be more careful in future.