(no subject)
The following is a good story, followed by beautiful high-definition pictures of the stuff I had to deal with after it happened.
I was headed home last Monday night and came to a stop behind a semi about 20 minutes south of Birmingham on I-65. There had been an accident about a half mile in front of us, so the subsequent traffic jam had become pretty bad. The guy that I stopped behind was, for some reason, completely oblivious to the fact that accidents stop traffic (and more importantly, that there were most likely other people behind him). Operating in this mindset, he began backing up to let another car in to the moving lane (ours). I noticed it and began backing up, but there wasn't exactly much room for me to go before my trailer hitch went through the FJ Cruiser's grill behind me. So when backing up failed, I tried the horn. No good.
I haven't mentioned that the trucker in front of me was hauling huge steel I-beams. They hung off of his bed at least ten feet, and so they were the first things that went through my windshield.
When I realized that this guy wasn't responding to my efforts to inform him that he was about to back over my Xterra, I undid my seatbelt, threw open my door, rolled out (thankfully before all of the glass shattered all over me), realized my truck was still in reverse, opened the door again, slammed the brake pedal down with my right foot, reached in, and put the thing in park.
To make this even better, I had to go TELL the guy that his beams had just almost taken my roof off.
After that whole thing, a couple of police officers came and filled out the accident report and whatnot. I even had a lawyer stop and give me his business card, telling me that if I needed a whitness he saw the whole thing.
Even though my typically three and a half hour drive turned into a six hour drive, I felt very blessed that it wasn't worse than two holes in my windshield. The driver involved in the accident in front of us wasn't so lucky. (so, I apologize if this sounds like whining)
I had no idea how fine broken safety glass can get.
currently listening:
x&y - coldplay
