It didn’t happen

The drive is finally done and looks great, although the chippings are still quite loose and need a good rain and being driven on a few times to bed them in.  Apparently, two tonnes of bitumen alone has gone on to the drive, as well as a lorryload of stone chippings!  I’ll have to sort out a few photos and show you, it’ll take a while though and I can’t quite be bothered as yet.  Which is not the right attitude, but it’s not that interesting except to me, let’s face it, so I don’t suppose you mind.

I drove over to Beccles to pick up my friends to take them to Norwich for lunch, but one of them wasn’t feeling well so it was just her sister. On the way home, a car was waiting in a side road to my left (that is, on my side of the road, we being quite peculiar in this country and driving on the wrong side of the road), angled to go across the road and turn right.  As I approached, it moved forward a little so I slowed and prepared to move slightly to the middle of the road to give it a wide berth.  And then, far too late for me to stop, it pulled out right in front of me.  I cannot think what the idiot driver had on her mind, I don’t think she saw me at any time.  Her complacent face didn’t look towards me at all as I braked and swerved.  If I hadn’t already slowed, I’d have gone right into her at 50mph.  And if the side road had not had a widely splayed entrance, I’d have hit her rear.  As it was, I had room to miss her.  Lilian and I looked at each other.  “Good as a mile, hey,” I said.  I’m finally, several hours on, starting to feel a bit shaken.  Still, onwards and upwards.  It didn’t happen.

17 comments on “It didn’t happen

  1. Macy

    D’ye think she was a tourist, and didn’t know about the other side of the road driving thingummy???
    Or was her guide dog blocking her view?

    Reply
  2. Z

    Well, I think we drive badly in Norfolk, but the worst I’ve seen is in Lincolnshire, where they think the white hatching in the middle of the road between white lines is to show where to overtake in the face of oncoming traffic. So maybe that’s where she came from.

    I never thought of it, Mike, I was too busy thinking about missing her and then thinking that, if I’d hit the car, I’d have killed her. At least Lilian and I had the bonnet and an airbag, I’d have gone straight into her door.

    Reply
  3. Z

    Good point, Dave. Let’s hope that she hasn’t passed on those genes.

    Mind you, it was a good thing that she didn’t see me, panic and stop. I was only able to pass behind her because she kept going forward.

    Reply
  4. Tim

    We’ve all had those moments. I’ve thought for a long time that driving is a kind of pure Zen experience. That’s why I rarely listen to music in the car – when I drive I’m at the sharp edge, literally creating my world in real time. Does that make any sense at all? Probably not.

    Reply
  5. 63mago

    As Mr. Dean saied, “That guy’s gotta stop .. he’ll see us.”

    Glad that there was no impact. Didn’t your sister have something similar last year on the motorway?

    Reply
  6. Rog

    We have a narrow straight near our house which is an unnofficial 4×4 drag strip where our car appears (or disappears!) to take on an invisibility cloak.
    We call it sniper’s alley.

    Reply
  7. Z

    I’m more inclined to have Radio 4 on in the car, I can tune in and out of voices (unless someone is talking directly to me, when I’m fully attentive OF COURSE) more easily than music. Not that I’m saying you’re exactly making sense, Tim.

    She did, another idiot woman driver nearly killed the two of them. It was a narrower escape in fact.

    You will take great care when you’ve got Lily in the car, won’t you, Rog?

    Reply
  8. Blue Witch

    That’s happened to me so many times just recently, I know how you must feel.

    And I agree: Lincolnshire is absolutely the worst area for appalling driving in England.

    Reply
  9. georgie

    Another reason why I don’t drive-because you never know what wacky drivers you encounter. Some appear to be in their own world and not alert to the traffic.

    Reply
  10. Roses

    Thank goodness you’re okay though.

    Eejit.

    Actually, there must be a lot of it about. I saw a merc nearly take out a cyclist. Fortunately, he stopped before she demolished him. She was totally vacant.

    Reply
  11. Roses

    Thank goodness you’re okay though.

    Eejit.

    Actually, there must be a lot of it about. I saw a merc nearly take out a cyclist. Fortunately, he stopped before she demolished him. She was totally vacant.

    Reply
  12. Z

    Ro was knocked off his bike a few weeks ago in Newmarket Road (Norwich), did I mention it? – a woman came out of a side road right in front of him. She was very apologetic and paid for repairs to his bike.

    Reply
  13. mig

    I’m glad it didn’t happen! I wonder if she realised at all that you effectively saved her from an accident – possibly her life.
    I hope the memory doesn’t trouble you too much.

    Reply

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