Want to know how I know that I'm old, out of shape, spend too much time sitting at my desk and writing, and not enough time exercising? I hurt my back yesterday … by standing up.
Yep. That's it. Doorbell rang, I stood up to go to the door, and the whole right side of my back seized up. Goodtimes.
It still hurt this morning, so I went out to see my massage therapist to get it worked on just after lunch.
She worked out a lot of the tension, reminded me (as always) that I need to take better care of myself, and I headed home … so I could write this story that my brain is demanding I write.
Shortly after I got on the freeway, I saw a huge crash happen, entirely because someone was driving like an asshole.
It really shook me up, because just this morning I said to Nolan, "Whenever you go somewhere with your friends, please make sure you are wearing a seatbelt, and never ride with someone who drives like an idiot."
"I do, and don't worry, because my friends aren't idiots."
"I have no reason to doubt you, but there are idiot drivers all over the place, and if one of them decides to crash into you, I want you to be wearing a seatbelt."
"Okay, Wil. Don't worry."
"Sorry, but I'm going to worry, because I'm your parent and that's just my thing," I said.
When I was on the freeway just about an hour ago, I was in the number 2 lane, cruising along with the flow of traffic. I saw that the number 1 lane was slowing down a lot, so I slowed down too, just in case people whipped out of that lane and into mine. It happens all the time, because people drive like assholes.
Sure enough, some asshole was speeding down the number 1 lane, and I don't know if he wasn't paying attention or what, but he whipped around into my lane – about 100 yards in front of me, I suppose – over corrected, spun sideways, and T-boned a van. The van flipped onto its side, and the asshole driver sped into the carpool lane. I'm not sure if he crashed into the wall or hit his brakes, but he stopped and got out of his car. I expected to see a 20 year-old kid, but it was a man in a suit who appeared to be in his late 40s or early 50s.
The van, on its side, was about two car lengths in front of me. I realized that I'd been holding my breath, and my hands were shaking so hard I could hardly grip my steering wheel. Just when I snapped out of it and thought I should get out to help, the door of the van opened and the driver climbed out. I couldn't tell if he was hurt.
I picked up my phone to dial 911, and saw that every car around me was already doing that. I started to get out of my car, and I saw that about six or seven different people had already gotten out and were checking on the people who were involved in the crash. I decided that I'd just be in the way if I stopped, so – very carefully – I drove around the scene of the crash and – very carefully – I drove home. When I got into our house, I immediately called Nolan to reiterate our conversation from this morning.
My hands aren't shaking as violently as before, but now I can't stop thinking that, if I had been less than 15 seconds farther down the freeway, I would have been in the car that was crashed into by the asshole driver.
Discover more from WIL WHEATON dot NET
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Now that you mention it, even after banging into concrete interstate dividers I dont think the car looked all that bad. Still totaled though.
I miss my taurus station wagon. They dont make ’em like that anymore. Hell, they dont make at all. 🙁
Please, please PLEASE brush the snow off your car if you got dumped on. I remember a few years ago one winter I was riding with a friend of mine, going….well, whatever the interstate speed was at the time.
It had been snowing on and off for a few days. Snow had fallen, melted, and refreezed a couple of times on various surfaces. Including surrounding vehicles.
So, we were traveling at-speed with the surrounding vehicles on the interstate. A car in front and to the left lane of us had a nice blanket of snow on its top, about an inch and a half, couple inches thick. We were both keeping an eye on it. Little flecks of ice had been blowing off every few seconds, and it was only a matter of time before more than little flecks started flying. Unfortunately, traffic was kinda heavy, we were in the center lane with no where to go.
We were expecting it, but it still startled us (okay, startled is an understatement) when a piece about a square foot dislodged and slammed smack into our windshield. All we could do was brace for impact, and hope it didnt break/shatter the glass, then react if we had to. Fortunately, the ice just broke on impact. No damage to vehicle.
This wasnt snow. This was a nice sheet of ice.
So, yeah. Lose the snow.
And here in Portland they can’t understand why you aren’t going faster than the car in front of you. When my wife and I took a trip down to southern California a few years ago, and while driving through northern California I was amazed that people actually let me change lanes. I mean, they actually made extra room when I put my turn signal on, rather than closing ranks to keep me out. It was like on of those places you hear about in books. I think they’re called Utopia or something. I couldn’t understand what was happening. I was afraid I had taken a wrong turn, or fallen asleep at the wheel and drifted off to dreamland. And then we got to LA and I knew I was home. Everyone was unhappy about the multiple lanes closed for construction, there was an overturned semi in the right lane, etc. This I knew, this I understood. I was home. Almost.
Thats sounds like some kind of CHiPs wreck.
Ugh, I know that jittery feeling. I just missed being creamed by a car on a crosswalk once. I think the rule “don’t be an idiot driver” should also apply to cyclists for this very reason. I had stopped at a crosswalk and was waiting for the light (people often don’t do this where I live, because the back streets are not hugely busy and most pedestrians seem to feel invincible.)A cyclist came down the street and turned very widely into the intersection just as the light had changed to yellow. I waited for him to clear the intersection before I crossed the street because he didn’t signal and I didn’t know where he was going. Neither was the car was coming down the straightaway – she was obviously more absorbed in the conversation she was having on her cell phone. She didn’t signal. She turned into the same lane as the bike and the cyclist went right over her roof. If I hadn’t waited I’d have been between them. Again, they were both very lucky, but the fact that neither even looked at what was going on around them scares the bejeebies out of me! I think you have every right to have worried-parent syndrome with people like that on the road!
P.S. glad you’re ok!
Dude, you are not fucking old. You are only two years older than I am and I’m not even close to fucking old.
Read this book if you have chronic back pain or spasms.
http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446392308/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242671616&sr=8-1
Then get yourself some sort of exercise equipment and start working out. For chrissakes if you spend 30 minutes a day doing some intensive work you will be fine. Exercise will make you think and feel better.
There are people out there, normal people like you and me, that are running marathons at 70 years old. My friend’s grandfather ran two miles a day into his 80s. I want to be those guys, not the guy who sits in a chair all the time and can barely get up to walk around. Once you stop moving, you die, that’s a fact.
People everywhere drive like assholes. Honestly if I were you and my kids had just started driving I’d make them get pre-approval before taking other kids with them driving at least for the first year. It’s that first year where distractions can really cause a problem. Having other kids in the car is a major distraction.
My father really made a point of having me wear seatbelts and one saved my life in an accident. Good on you for making your kids do the same.
“Sorry, but I’m going to worry, because I’m your parent and that’s just my thing,” I said.
I love that! I respectfully request the use of that line on any future children of mine, especially regarding driving safety.
I know how you feel…..
I was driving down the 15 in Miramar(San Diego) and was getting off the freeway. There were two lanes and one was stopped and I was in the one that was clear. A massive van pulled out in front of me from the stopped traffic and forced me off the road. Hey, at least my ABS works!
I’m sort of late to the party here, but I wanted to let you and anyone else that actually makes it this far in the comments know about the Street Survival course that my son took.
http://www.streetsurvival.org/index.php These folks hold a one-day class that teaches drivers (mostly young, new drivers but they’ve been opening it up some) what the limits of their car is, how to handle wet pavement and dangerous conditions.
This class did more to show my son what the realistic hazards are than all the videos and lectures he sat through in Drivers Ed.
Was it the 210? I feel like my life is in danger every dang day on that 210 Freeway.
Be safe.
Wow… not two weeks ago I had a very similar experience. I was on my way to work and heard the screech of tires, when I looked to my left there was a car that had speed out of the gas station and lost control, he was spinning and the car was rocking back and forth like it was ready to tip and roll. I pulled over to the side and desperately tried to catch my breath. I called all of my kids too, and didn’t stop shaking for at least an hour. So glad you are okay after your experience.
I’ve been told that the drivers in Montreal, where I live, are the worst in the world.
I figure their technique must be pretty good to avoid the fiery deaths they seem to tempt with every stupid situation they speed into. Signaling, yielding and full stops anywhere are taken for weakness. Pedestrians do not exist.
I don’t drive at all because I’ve had too many close calls just walking on the sidewalk. I can’t imagine having to deal with moronic drivers while making decisions at 60 km/h.