Announcement

**Cruddy** · May 23, 2003, 15:32

Congratulations on your survival.

This sort of incident really does change people.

**Gatekeeper** · May 23, 2003, 16:14

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Next time, don't leave home without anti-tank missiles.

For some strange reason, the military surplus stores around here don't carry such armaments. I don't know why.

Gatekeeper

**orange** · May 23, 2003, 16:15

I'm glad you're ok Gatekeeper

**Imran Siddiqui** · May 23, 2003, 16:15

We know you are lying... you like South Dakota, they must leave them around for the militias

.

**Gatekeeper** · May 23, 2003, 16:16

Originally posted by Proteus_MST
Glad you´re O.K.

Did you tell the police about it, so they at least try to find this reckless trucker?
Maybe the next person who encounters this Trucker won´t have so much luck like you.

I wasn't (understandably) able to get a license plate at the time. I must have been pre-occupied with seeing my life flash before my eyes or something.

All I know, it was an empty cattle-hauling 18-wheeler, eastbound on U.S. Highway 12 ...

Gatekeeper

**Gatekeeper** · May 23, 2003, 16:18

Originally posted by paiktis22
You should taken out your pistol and shoot him

Problem is, I don't carry such weapons. And even if I did, I was in no shape at that moment to be taking potshots at a steel-encased truck driver.

Gatekeeper

**orange** · May 23, 2003, 16:22

I remember my first real drive...i had been learning in a drivers class and then took a road test with an instructor. I was doing blissfully until I got to a green arrow...my perception wasn't good enough at that point, and I thought for sure I had plenty of time, so I went...

...I was wrong. I got about halfway out into the turn and realized that I didn't have enough time to make it, but rather than hit the brakes, I used my instincts and gunned it...tires squeeled, car went on 2 wheels, and I made it just fine...the other guy didn't even really brake or honk or anything...my instructor was amazed that I actually went, and had considered hitting the emergency brake on his side of the car (for the instructor, incase the student does something like what I did)

the best part was, it was a stereotypical "Student Driver moment". There was the sign ontop of the car too...i bet it gave a lot of onlookers a good laugh

I've never been in an accident in my nearly 4 years of driving, though.

**Gatekeeper** · May 23, 2003, 16:26

Originally posted by Azazel
Some scary ****. Things like this happen. I almost got killed some time ago while trying to avoid running over a cat.

I'm like that, too, in the sense that if I can avoid hitting an animal of any sort, I will. But if it's a choice between me and the animal, the animal loses. But even then I'll try to maneuver my vehicle so the animal passes *between* the wheels directly beneath my car body. It works ... sometimes.

How was the adrenalin Rush, btw?

Words are hard to come by to describe it. Definitely *not* exhilarating in this case.

Gatekeeper

**Gatekeeper** · May 23, 2003, 16:30

Originally posted by Zopperoni
Good to see that you're fine, Gatekeeper. How are you feeling today?

Much better. Seven hours of sleeping to "meditative" music is good medicine for just about anything.

Gatekeeper

**Gatekeeper** · May 23, 2003, 16:31

Originally posted by Chris 62
Was that YOU?

Yeah. Small world, ain't it? Now, if you'd be so kind, what's your license plate number and the phone number for that "How's My Driving?" placard I saw attached to the 18-wheeler?

Gatekeeper

**Gatekeeper** · May 23, 2003, 16:37

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
First, glad you're okay. Dying tend to ruin your weekend.

Admittedly, just a little bit ...

... You migh wish to consider the possibiity that 1), the driver misjudged the light (it happens)

No way. This was in the middle of my green light. There were vehicles stopped at the intersection, and had been for a while, so it's not like the trucker couldn't have had a clue that a red light had gone up. Just looking would've told him that.

2) his brakes failed. You don't mention if he honked his horn. He could have just been zoning out, which isn't a mitigating factor.

Nope. No horn screaming. Just a loud whooshing sound as he swept into the turn lane to avoid me while going through a red light. If his brakes had given out, he would've hit something not much further down the highway ('twas a busy time and crowded road). And he wasn't driving into the sun, either, so he couldn't have been blinded. That leaves but one option: irresponsibility on his part.

Just saying there are other possibilities than his simply beng an aggressive driver.

Noted, and dutifully shot down.

Gatekeeper

**orange** · May 23, 2003, 16:41

can you diagram the intersection for us using paint or some other program?

**Gatekeeper** · May 23, 2003, 16:42

Everyone:

Thanks for the well wishes and contributions to this thread (except for you, DaShi, you crabapple

).

Y'know what? It makes you wonder what really happens to handles who no longer post at 'Poly or any other online forum, for that matter. I mean, if someone on the forum(s) doesn't know just what happened to a handle that no longer posts ... well, maybe the person died unexpectedly.

Gatekeeper

**Imran Siddiqui** · May 23, 2003, 16:44

OH NO! The Brain is dead?!

**chequita guevara** · May 23, 2003, 16:45

Among 17,000 posters, it's always a possibility. Only a few people who aren't online junkies understand what our online communities mean, and aren't necessarily likely to notify people in the event of a death.

When it does happen, you have to take into consideration the possibility it's a hoax. It's happened on more than one occasion.

Announcement

I Nearly Died Tonight ...

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment