One Morning Ride..

The politics of driving are basically common sense. Its not like you're given a license and vehicle and off you go to fend for yourself. Funny though, that's what it feels like sometimes. Take this one morning, for example. I was driving my wife to work one early morning; there was nothing special about that day. There wasn't any heavy storm weighing its relentless pellets of water to disrupt one's view of the road ahead. It was a typical day. If there was anything special, I can safely say that there was no traffic. The freeway was "free". I'd just dropped her off, having kissed her good-bye, I happily made my way home. It was not a happy journey home and I will explain why but only after I take a moment to give you a quick history about the type of car I was driving at the time of the incident. I was chuggin' along in my lil' blue 1963 volkswagen beetle, "old blue", as I liked to call her. She was not yet in prime shape. There were its usual rust on the floor panals, there were no seat belts, and it was seriously low to the ground. The shocks were literally "shocked". Going over a pea-sized pebble could cause the bug to dance along the road. But all in all she was my baby. She needed some cosmetic surgery, a low grade face lift, but that was pretty much it. The rest of her was awsome. She could keep up with anyone on the road. Well, I'd just made it onto the freeway which shared six lanes. The three right lanes broke into two directions of the adjoining freeway, the one on the left heading north, the middle splitting into both directions and the other on the right heading south. The remaining lanes continued forward on the same highway I was already on. I was traveling on the middle lane, breaking away from the current highway, getting ready to head south on the new highway. Just as I was coming up to the Y interchange, the unexpected happened. Out of nowhere this demon of a car driver I saw was coming up behind me. To this day I still don't know what kind of car it was, all I know is that it was a black blur that seemed to be make a smear on the road behind me. The person pushed that car the way I might have push it, were I on an empty road. Never had I expected that the driver would pull the stunt he/she did. Right as we were coming to the concrete rail that seperated the two merging freeways, the driver suddenly cut over on my right and sped up like a bat out of hell and cut in front me over to the lane on the left of us. Alll reason must have left "this" individule. At the same time the "blur" made contact with "old blue". I watched as the blur spun out breifly, regained control and continued in the other direction.
It happened so quickly. Thank God I had the good sense to hold my coffee firmly enough and had the fore-sight to prepare myself for something "STUPID" like this to happen . Foretunately "old blue" was able to take the blow. We didn't spin out at all like the "blur" did. However her "orginal" passenger front fender had been seriously damaged. Why in God's creation did this driver feel the need to cut around me on my right only to go in front of me onto the left lane? The person was behind me! They could have easily moved to the left lane and had left us well alone. Makes perfect "common" sense on paper and on the road. Was the person wanting to show off there driving skills? I think "NOT"! I can say this much, my poor lil' bug would be getting a second rate fender replacement (although there's nothing like getting an original part, they're just hard to come by and a bit pricier for your average Joe like me) however the other driver seemed to have caused more damage to there own vehicle. I remeber after getting hit, I saw an debree exploding from the front of their car. They're lucky they didn't get seriously hurt and that "I" wasn't hurt! If I had only had the chance to have gone after the person and caught up with them, who knows, I probably would have gone mental myself on them. If it weren't for the fact that I could not turn left because the tire was now then rubbing on the dented fender, I "WOULD" have gone after them! They hurt my car!
"AUGH!"
I guess they're lucky to have gotten away. But why me and my bug! I follow the rules of the road! I was cautious! I was "AWAKE"! It's just not fair! Yes, I cried like any grown man would over his car! Especially when I was trying so desperately to rebuild it bit by bit. It may not have been a luxury car but it was mine! This, I should have known, would be a sign; an "omen" if you will, of worst things to come to my poor lil' bug and me. -Erik-