It was a dark and gloomy ride home yesterday. The cloud cover was dense making the outdoors seem to be 7 pm instead of 5 pm and the rain was coming down - non-ending sheets of water just pouring out of the sky.
Streets were starting to flood and visibility was down substantially when out of the gloom appeared a new dark gray Mazda 3. The coloring was perfect camoflage for hiding out in the water falling from the sky (reminder to self - never buy a dark gray car) and the darkness provided by the clouds blocking the sun. Fortunely both cars, hers - middle aged woman driver - and mine - old guy that I am - were both doing well below the speed limit. A quick brake and the impending collision was avoided.
How did she not see me is the question. After all I was following the rules of the road and had my lights turned on unlike the Mazda whose lights were turned off. Oh yeah - you didn't know that rule? About turning on the lights when you are in a rain storm? It's there, plus it makes common sense to be as visible as possible. Believe me, a good quarter of the cars on the street were being driven through the storm with their lights off.
But what the heck does it matter. People that are walking don't have lights and they can be invisible too in the pouring rain. However, the jaywalkers I encountered and almost made road kill where very visible. The rain had let up and some light was getting through the clouds but it is hard to avoid a jay walker that suddenly decides to dart into the street in front of your car.
That's what happened to me as I approached the right turn lane by Sample Road. Just as I turned into the lane, a middle aged african-american man and a young caucasian woman, decided they had to get across Powerline. Never mind that there was heavy traffic approaching the intersection although slowing down for the red light. They just had to get across.
So they jumped off the sidewalk and started across the street. Then the man just stops in the middle of the right turn lane - he must have realized I was there - and started waving his arms. Of course, I was already putting on the brakes - thankfully already was going slow due to the red light at the corner - and I stopped before plowing into him.
He glared at me and then took off running across the road weaving his way through the traffic to get to west side of powerline. The woman had never stopped and was already all the way across. This occurred a couple of hundred feet south of the crosswalk. Got my adrenalin going, I tell you, but I put it behind me and went on home.
Folks - please consider driving with your lights on in gloomy, rainy weather. If not for your own safety, due it for mine. And watch out for those suicidal jay walkers!
Angelo
