While I don’t know what the situation is in other parts of the world, but here it is illegal to use a mobile phone while driving. It is a law that is frequently flouted and I see people driving and trying to steer a car while holding a mobile almost every day. Now add to this stupid practice the Snow and Ice of the past few days and you have an accident waiting to happen.
Today as I had to wait in for an engineer from the Electricity Company to come and change the meter, my old one was of 1952 manufacture, so needed replacing. Anyway by the time that was done, I had to go out to collect my magazines. I was walking back in the dark along a back lane trying to avoid skating home. When I heard a car behind me skid on the ice. I looked behind me to see a woman mobile phone in hand, no hands on the steering wheel, panicking and her car heading straight towards me. I had nowhere to go. I just walked as fast as I could away, trying to avoid slipping on the ice. How I don’t know, she was able to stop the car just before hitting me.
It was clear that she was upset too, but I asked if she had been talking on her phone. She admitted that she had. I told her that was stupid something she agreed. I think that both of us were very shaken by the experience. I have no idea if she will stop using her phone while driving or driving too fast, I hope so. I had visions of trying to cope with crutches as suggested by a Dragon Kicker, well I survived that. It turns out that buying magazines is more dangerous than trying to walk in the Forest at night.
Another Giant Leaves Us
8 months ago
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2 comments:
Cel phone users are selfish, and generally selfish people disregard laws that 'don't apply to them'.
I suggest that you wear a night vest (orange, reflecting) such as the ones hunters and roadworkers wear. And beware the sound of approaching cars.
You are lucky today, but all you need is an even less considerate or alert driver, and you might not have such lucky results a second time. They won't give up using their cel phones while driving unless forced to pay fines, and your area sounds too remote to have the law enforced.
I agree that people can be selfish. The biggest problem with mobiles is that people are just not willing to ignore them or switch them off when driving. As for my being visible, I was in a well lit street that runs behind a terrace of buildings. The near accident was caused by excess speed and lack of concentration. Another twenty five metres and an hour or so earlier this woman could have been ploughing into the children leaving the primary school.
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