Stories of today: II

I will endeavour to post pics of this event if the newspaper man ever decides to email them to me...


I'm about forty minutes into a 3 and a 1/2 hr - 4hr drive home from the coast when the works truck that I'm following just up and crashes.

There seemed to be no reason. I was following this truck that was laden with stop/go signs, traffic hazard signs, witches hat and other goodies that 19 year old party throwers like to steal for their own backyards..., thinking about when the next overtaking lane might be so I could get past this slow monster. Suddenly he veers off the road - I actually thought hell, you're pulling over real quick, there - but then he crashed into a couple of wheelie bins, swerved about a bit and then veered off the road again. He merrily smashed through what used to be a service station awning and into the shopfront of the old service station, which is (was, now?) an antiques shop.

So while he's causing merry hell to buildings, because I'm directly behind him I'm swerving to avoid stuff that's been jolted out of his vehicle. I saw bits coming toward me but I don't remember hearing anything hit me. I pulled over straight away and the first thing I did was go to check on the guys in the truck. Someone else beat me to it, and they were all right.

Checked my car later on and I had a bit of panel damage, but that's okay. The company's insurance will take care of it.

Mini rant: The car directly behind me did not stop. The one after did (gold star for them in my mind). How could you not stop after seeing that happen? They had more time than I did to register the fact that this truck was half buried in a shopfront. Assholes! I was on my way home to attend a fairly important appointment, but to me it was far more important to at least check on the driver and make a statement of what I saw. I see it as a sense of community. If we don't get together in situations like that what hope do we have? I hope those people are one day involved in an accident and have nobody stop for them. What goes around comes around.

So I was in there, giving the people my nice little stash of cold water because they deserved it more. There a was big selfish part of me that wanted to be the person that helped them cope, but also that sense of community thing was there. I was directly behind, honorarily involved, and I wanted to help out. Someone showing the same kindenesses toward me if I'm ever in that situation would help ease me through it, but if I don't behave in that manner how can I wish to be treated the same way?