I was In a Car Accident Today

Today, I was in a relatively minor car accident. Or, more accurately, I was rear-ended by a cel-phone wielding blonde bitch. Maybe she isn't but her attitude bears me out.

I left work a bit early today to go to the post office and pick up some stuff while they were still open. So, along about 435pm or so, I am on the NW 36th Street access road (the road that runs right next to NW 36th Street). The road merges from two to one lane as it hooks left onto Ludlam Road. I was in the left lane (the through lane) and the right lane merges into it (they have the merge sign, and therefore the left lane has right of way).

I am driving substantially below the speed limit because it's raining and the road is wet. Right next to me in the right lane is a dark blue Kia Sportage. In the right lane following the Sportage is a gold Honda Civic, driven by a blonde who appears to be on a cell-phone. In front of me is a white Nissan Pathfinder (or maybe it's a Q45; I'm not positive as I wasn't paying attention to that). I slow a little more to let the Sportage in, and continue as the lanes merge. Please keep in mind there is no median and it's a blind curve so you cannot weave into the oncoming lanes without risking a fatal head-on collision.

I am still driving WELL below the speed limit, going approximately 20 to 25 MPH due to the fact we're merging, the road is wet, and we're on a blind curve. Three wonderful driving conditions.

Apparently the lady in the Honda decides to merge and lean on her horn at the same time. It is my understanding that, apparently, if you're a blonde on a cel-phone merging left, leaning on the horn gives you the right of way even if a car is ALREADY in the space you wish to occupy. Apparently it does not dawn on her she can slow down or stop and get behind me.

It is FAR more convenient for her to actually clip my back bumper and keep leaning on her horn. I pull over in front of Miami Aviation (or whatever that abandoned building in front of the UPS Air terminal is called) and get out and grab my (OFF as always) cel phone. She exits her car and is gabbing on the phone -- which is why I assume she was on it when she hit me as she didn't likely have time to make a call in the few seconds that elapse.

She starts yelling at me in Spanish and I yell back at her in English (no foul words were used). I ask what she wants to do because, happily there is almost NO visible damage to my car. She yabbers something so fast, I cannot understand it to translate it with my semi-limited Spanish. I say "Policia?" and she says "Si! Policia" so I call the Police (she is still on her phone call). I call 911 and transfer to the non-emergency number and give them the details calmly, and politely as a cop drives by and totally ignores us -- we're standing in the rain. I probably should have mentioned that because it adds to the joy of my situation.

Amazingly, not 4 minutes later the police show up -- okay, it's a PSA but still four minutes is rocking. I like the police. We greet him simultaneously, me in English, her in Spanish. She's hung up the phone at some point. He looks for the damage on my car and doesn't see much, and then looks at her damage. He asks me to describe what happened and I tell my side pointing at the clearly marked lanes and road signs. He asks her for her side in Spanish. I should mention the PSA is very professional -- some guy named Officer Delgado with a scary looking scar on his left arm.

It's quite clear she rear-ended me while not having the right of way. He doesn't TELL me that, but he talks to her in Spanish and I don't think he realizes I speak a little. Sometimes silence is good: keep your mouth shut. He asks what I want to do. I told him she wants a police report, so we should let her have what she wants. I explain, again, that nobody is hurt and I have no serious damage -- it's all on her front bumper and the rear of my car, hence the overwhelming evidence she rear-ended me. I've just got a few nicks I can probably fix myself.

He talks to her in Spanish and tells her that she can drive away and he won't write anything. He asks if I'm okay with that, and despite my desire to punish Blondie as she so richly deserves, I'm very tired of being in the rain. Apparently she is too, and decides it's okay to leave with no report. He instructs her to leave first and stops traffic so she can get back on the road. I notice she jots my plate number down as she drives off -- which is why I am writing this so when I get a legal document, I have everything written here while it's fresh in my memory along with a nifty time and date stamp.

I stay a few moments more chatting with the officer before I get in my car and get to the post office just before they close at 5pm.

I'd have posted this earlier, but I got home a little later than expected as I got stock in 5pm traffic, in construction (yet another batch of new construction -- this time on 25th street and Milam Dairy) on my way home. Then I had to call Thomas to find out how his hip replacement surgery went -- it's fine. He's awake and as alert as he was before the operation (take that as you will). He'll be in the hospital until this weekend approximately before he goes to a rehab center. He's watching baseball -- he says he likes it, but I think it's to dull the plain. Watching baseball makes me numb....

So how was YOUR day?

Once again, Miami tops 'road rage' list

Once again, Miami has the worst road-rage of any city in the USA. As a driver here, I can tell you ... wait? how dare you cut me off? I'll kill you, you son-of-a bitch ... where was I? Oh, yeah, we have the most insane, impossible drivers. Anyone who lives here and has to drive knows how bad it is.

Much of the trouble comes from the fact that many things drivers in other cities take as gospel (traffic lights, traffic signs, road markings such as stripes, and laws) drivers here consider as mere suggestions that only apply to other drivers. Further, we have a multi-cultural, diverse city where everybody who drives follows the rules of their homeland and not our rules. We have vehicles that are not suitable to be on the road, and many other hazards that are just too amazing to list. All of this is done while the driver is on the phone and reading the newspaper while driving 90MPH in the right lane or 30MPH in the left lane. And God forbid someone should try and merge.

From CNN: For the second consecutive year, rude Miami drivers have earned the city the title of worst road rage in a survey released today. Miami motorists said they saw other drivers slam on their brakes, run red lights and talk on cell phones, according to AutoVantage. Other cities near the top of the rude drivers list were New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

Miami Tops Auto Club List for Rude Drivers

Well I know this will come as a surprise to absolutely nobody who has ever been to Miami, but we're now famous for drivers worse than New York and Boston. Worse? That doesn't even seem possible.

Excerpted from BETH RUCKER of Associated Press on May 16, 2006 3:53 PM EDT

Stressed Miami drivers speed, tailgate and cut off other drivers so frequently that the city earned the title of worst road rage in a survey released Tuesday. Also listed were Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles and Boston among the top five cities for rude driving.

Minneapolis, Nashville, St. Louis, Seattle and Atlanta were rated as the cities with the most courteous drivers, who were less likely to change lanes without signaling or swear at other motorists. No distinct differences were found between male and female drivers.

So, I will not even bother to draw a conclusion from this. These truths are self-evident.