On my way home yesterday I was stopped at a three-way stop waiting to turn left. The person to my left had just turned right. No one was stopped at the stop sign in the oncoming lane but there was a black SUV coming quickly toward the intersection. I thought to myself I wonder if it is going to stop. I started to make my turn but hesitated to wait & make sure it stopped. It didn't stop. Flew right past me about 40 mph. As it whooshed by I turned to look over my shoulder - arms flying up in a WTF arm wave. I glanced back forward to double check that there was a stop sign in the oncoming lane. (There is - I even took a quick pic of it today & if you squint real hard you can probably see it) Another heart beat passed - I thought to myself guess it didn't stop. Then I made my turn. I was thinking the rest of the way home what could have happened to me if I had made that turn.
I have been driving a pretty long time & I think along w/ experience you develop a certain unconscious instinct & awareness about your surroundings that you don't have when you first start. If there is one thing I will try to teach my kids when they start driving (beside the always wear your seat-belt rule) it is just b/c there is a stop sign/light doesn't mean the other guy is going to stop. And just b/c their turn signal is on doesn't mean they are actually going to turn. Signs, lights & signals are worthless if the other driver isn't paying attention or using them correctly.
When I got home I was still feeling mad & a bit weirded out about the whole thing. I started to tell T about what happened. He got this totally horrified look look on his face. He said to me if you had turned instead of waiting you could have been killed. He came over & gave me a big hug. He said it was b/c he thought I needed one. I think maybe he needed one too. It's scary sometimes how a split second choice can change you life - or not...
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