Saturday, June 10, 2006

Speaking of Trolls & Conflict

My stars must have been aligned for it on Friday cause there was no reprieve -- it continued to seek me out.

On our way home from dinner, two speeding cars in the oncoming lane both made unexpected u-turns into our lane about 30 feet in front of us. The smaller car cleared the turn, but the SUV barreled over the curb and onto the sidewalk exploding the passenger side tire. Chris had to jam on the brakes not to collide. At first we thought it was teenagers goofing around, but when the SUV pulled over we saw a woman crying with her dog inside. Our impression changed to that she was a victim of some kind of freakish road rage and was run off. So we turned around to help.

Chris asked if she was OK, handed her his cell phone and started changing her tire. She took his phone -- but she didn't call the police, or AAA or a friend or family member -- she called the person driving the other car -- her boyfriend or husband who she was in the middle of breaking up with. Something about another woman. Didn't catch all the details. The SUV driver didn't just call him once. He'd hang up and she'd call again -- to continue the argument. After a few calls, Chris took back his phone and five minutes later she asked for it again and called the boyfriend.

Fifteen minutes later, he came back, didn't offer to take over or help Chris with the tire -- instead they argued some more while Chris finished.

Apparently it didn't occur to either that their road rage tiff almost wrecked into a family with a small child. No, no, don't mind us. What are a few random casualties when it comes to a lovers' quarrel?

5 Comments:

At 10:55 AM, Blogger CLAY BANES said...

i read in the papers many americans don't want to give up their SUVs for smaller cars, cars that would burn less gas, because SUVs are safer.

 
At 1:19 PM, Blogger Peter said...

OMG: this is amazing. What is the world coming to? Glad you are OK.

 
At 2:19 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

Clay,

SUVs are more dangerous than regular cars. They flip.

 
At 7:56 PM, Blogger CLAY BANES said...

32,

"many americans" is a euphemism.

 
At 4:12 PM, Blogger Marcus said...

I'm glad you guys are ok. Sounds like a terrifying initial situation, then an increasingly preposterous one as the details were revealed to you. Just wondering - what made you stay past the initial checking-in on the person? Concern? Curiosity? Both? (I'm trying to figure out how long I would have stayed in a similar situation, and why I would have stayed - probably "both".)

Debbie - I'd like to respectfully disagree :) - AFAIK, SUVs are much safer to ride in overall. You have an increased chance of flipping, but (again, AFAIK) this is more than outweighed (no pun intended(well, maybe a little)) by the increased survivability in any accident. So, your overall chance of being injured is much less (which, IMHO, is probably the best measurement of how "safe" a given vehicle is).

Now, one could argue (and correctly, IMHO) that the flip side of SUVs being safer for the occupants (by being bigger) in a crash is that the other people involved in the crash are less safe. Like, SUV vs. Prius in a crash, SUV wins. Triangle man.*

Or, to be more timely, Chrysler New Yorker vs. Quarterback-on-motorcycle, Chrysler wins.


* Anyone get the reference?

 

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