Sunday, February 22, 2009

Hood Ornaments

I finally broke down and went to the Mart of Darkness to get some groceries and other items this evening. My trip nearly ended in tragedy for a woman and her dog.

Due to the police having a car pulled over at the end of my street, I had to go around a back way to leave my house. As I was driving down a side street that I don't normally use, I realized that the street lights were not shining. No big deal, right? Wrong.

Just as I processed the thought that the street was pretty dark, a woman suddenly appeared just a few feet in front on me in the street. She was dressed head-to-toe in black (also had dark hair) and was walking down the street -- directly in the path of my car. I immediately hit the brakes to avoid hitting this previously unforseen woman when I realized that she was accompanied by a black dog...who was not on a leash. She lunged to grab her dog by the collar so that he would not be hit, either. I'm truly not sure how I avoided hitting either of them. I'm just thankful that I have good brakes.

This woman gave me the most hateful look that I've seen and I could tell that she thought that her near-accident was totally my fault. I don't know about everyone else, but I remember learning, long about second grade, that you should wear light-colored clothing when walking, especially at night. I also learned that you should walk off to one side of the street and, if you're taking your pet along with you, that he or she should ALWAYS be on a leash! Last but not least, I also learned that you should avoid streets that are not well lighted.

I'm very glad that I didn't hit this woman or her dog. I just hope that she learned a lesson and will take at least a few precautions from here on out.

No comments: