Close Calls on the Run
Aug. 13th, 2009 09:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
angelakYesterday, I was overcome with a sense of gratitude for my body being unbleeding internally. I have gone through a lot out on the Run, particularly on roads. When unhindered by rehabilitating injuries, I really enjoy trail Runs, and yet I also still enjoy RoadRuns too. With road running, comes risk.
I am a runner who typically keeps my wits about me at all times, for several reasons. One, I believe that victims can sometimes avoid this position by remaining present in their surroundings. For two, vehicles pose a risk on my life. Although many early morning runners have become victims of violent crimes and rape, this story is about the close call of a risky driver at 1815 (hour) in the evening.
Irony here is that just yesterday during the workday I was discussing cross walk tactics with a police officer in the office yesterday before this incident happened. We even went so far as to joke about my funeral. After beginning to run, I came to a place I like to cross. I stepped out into the street about 1 foot, and this is where I usually gingerly test to make sure the cars are going to stop. I maintain eye contact with drivers as much as possible. Car #1 and me had a connection - I felt pretty safe.
This time car #1 stopped for me, and the secondary lane was clear. As I broke into a hustle to get out of the way of the law abiding, courteous driver - still looking both ways, I hear a very (unusually) loud revving of an engine and look upwards to see a car (Car #2) flying towards me at a torquey top speed. (Grey VW 2007ish Passat, I could not see a driver or plate seeing as my life was flashing before me a bit).
My brain switches into survival mode where in I think "do I stop?" or "do I push off faster?"
Seeing as my brain was paralysed in the moment, I kept running at my quick pace that I had begun to get out of polite car #1's way. It was like my paniced brain could only continue sending the signals I had sent before I heard the revving. I am narrowly missed as Car #2 jams on his breaks, successfully only so much - due to the torque he had created from leaving his driveway at a more aggressive fashion than average.
It is at least 15 more seconds before my brain normalizes. Had I stopped, for sure I would have been hit. Car #2 was coming from 10-15 meters BEHIND car #1, in a driveway that one would normally, as a pedestrian - think was no direct threat because it was not in direct line of traffic for the cross walk what so ever. The car pretty much was driving on the other side of the road.
Many thoughts came to mind afterwards.
Did car #2 think car #1 was stopping to enjoy the beautiful day, or did they really think that car #1 saw them waiting to get out of opposing driveway from BEHIND and stop JUST for them?
Whatever the case, I was given to be EXTREMELY thankful and in high gratitude for continuing on my way, and not being carted off to the hospital in gods-know what form.
I've worked really hard to heal my body - and I am STILL rehabilitating.
I have never had a call as close as this one. And the truth of the matter of it is, that it was of no fault of my own. This situation was beyond my own control because having been entirely present, and also able to HEAR the engine - and following pedestrian laws... there was no more I could do to avoid becoming possible squished runner in this circumstance.
For those of you who are just in hurry and aren't thinking about folks on the roads - please be careful. And for those of you who do drive carefully and mindfully, thank you. My safety, the safety of those you love, and your own is at stake.
-Angela
I am a runner who typically keeps my wits about me at all times, for several reasons. One, I believe that victims can sometimes avoid this position by remaining present in their surroundings. For two, vehicles pose a risk on my life. Although many early morning runners have become victims of violent crimes and rape, this story is about the close call of a risky driver at 1815 (hour) in the evening.
Irony here is that just yesterday during the workday I was discussing cross walk tactics with a police officer in the office yesterday before this incident happened. We even went so far as to joke about my funeral. After beginning to run, I came to a place I like to cross. I stepped out into the street about 1 foot, and this is where I usually gingerly test to make sure the cars are going to stop. I maintain eye contact with drivers as much as possible. Car #1 and me had a connection - I felt pretty safe.
This time car #1 stopped for me, and the secondary lane was clear. As I broke into a hustle to get out of the way of the law abiding, courteous driver - still looking both ways, I hear a very (unusually) loud revving of an engine and look upwards to see a car (Car #2) flying towards me at a torquey top speed. (Grey VW 2007ish Passat, I could not see a driver or plate seeing as my life was flashing before me a bit).
My brain switches into survival mode where in I think "do I stop?" or "do I push off faster?"
Seeing as my brain was paralysed in the moment, I kept running at my quick pace that I had begun to get out of polite car #1's way. It was like my paniced brain could only continue sending the signals I had sent before I heard the revving. I am narrowly missed as Car #2 jams on his breaks, successfully only so much - due to the torque he had created from leaving his driveway at a more aggressive fashion than average.
It is at least 15 more seconds before my brain normalizes. Had I stopped, for sure I would have been hit. Car #2 was coming from 10-15 meters BEHIND car #1, in a driveway that one would normally, as a pedestrian - think was no direct threat because it was not in direct line of traffic for the cross walk what so ever. The car pretty much was driving on the other side of the road.
Many thoughts came to mind afterwards.
Did car #2 think car #1 was stopping to enjoy the beautiful day, or did they really think that car #1 saw them waiting to get out of opposing driveway from BEHIND and stop JUST for them?
Whatever the case, I was given to be EXTREMELY thankful and in high gratitude for continuing on my way, and not being carted off to the hospital in gods-know what form.
I've worked really hard to heal my body - and I am STILL rehabilitating.
I have never had a call as close as this one. And the truth of the matter of it is, that it was of no fault of my own. This situation was beyond my own control because having been entirely present, and also able to HEAR the engine - and following pedestrian laws... there was no more I could do to avoid becoming possible squished runner in this circumstance.
For those of you who are just in hurry and aren't thinking about folks on the roads - please be careful. And for those of you who do drive carefully and mindfully, thank you. My safety, the safety of those you love, and your own is at stake.
-Angela
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no subject
Date: 2009-08-13 04:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-13 06:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-13 06:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-13 06:53 pm (UTC)Luckily for #2, you weren't a train, as such "I can make it!" floorings often end badly in that scenario, too.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-13 08:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-15 05:45 am (UTC)