I played 'chicken' today, unintentionally. I was driving along, minding my own business and keeping an eye on the road. I noticed that at the pedestrian crossing ahead, there were a few people waiting for the lights to change. However, the 'red man' was doing his job and the main green lights gave the all clear for cars to keep going. Just as I approached the crossing, travelling at around 20mph, a lunatic whizzed out on to the road from the right. We were converging at right angles. I was doing around 20mph, the other party was doing 8mph. I say this, based on the machine not having been "chipped". My understanding is that electric wheelchairs are limited to 8mph.
The driver of the machine had no legs. He was rather overweight (if that still makes sense) and seemed oblivious to the fact that he was taking on a car in his mad dash to cross the road. I was, in effect, playing "chicken" with him. Considering he'd already lost two legs (wonder how!) I felt duty bound to slow abruptly, and we avoided a collision as expertly as a pair of pilots in the Red Arrows at a display. Totally bemused, I drove on whilst behind me, the legless wonder aimed for Argos.
Even though there would have been fifty witnesses to back up my view (unless they scattered at the first sign of a kerfuffle) I wonder just what reception I'd have got if I'd hit the wheelchair, and he'd toppled out like a bowling ball. I would have had to endure grief and trauma because of his selfish and stupid actions.
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