Yesterday I went to the early service of church by myself, because I am one of the helpers for the 3-year old Sunday School during the second service.
Anyway. I backed Aaron's car out of the garage at 8:45am, after checking to be sure that there were no cars coming. As I stopped in the driveway to make sure the garage door closed, I immediately noticed that a lady with a beagle on a leash was glaring at me from the sidewalk.
I swear I hadn't seen them! They were pretty much in my driveway, so they must have expected me to see them and then when I didn't, got right to glaring. I gave the the oops face, and smiled, and she continued to glare. Upon which I felt bad all the way to church.
But I've since decided that the fault was not entirely mine. If I was walking a dog and saw a garage door open, I'd darn sure be keeping an eye on the vehicle coming or going. I've had similar situations happen when I've been walking with a stroller. Trust me, I never assume that driver has seen me until they stop.
Part of the problem is this darn active neighborhood we live in. Who in their right mind is walking a dog at 8:45 on a Sunday morning when it's 35 degrees out? Seriously.
Like a waterfall in slow motion, Part One
2 years ago
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6 comments:
And since Aaron's car runs on gas instead of electricity, she should have heard you coming too...walk, as well as drive defensively.
Speaking of Aaron, he seemed pretty convincing in the music video at church.
I vote with Noel. A garage door going up usually results with a car backing out to the street. If you stopped in your driveway and not across the sidewalk, why was she upset? Because you made her stop walking in a straight line? Who knows, maybe she was glaring at you because her dog just crapped on the driveway, you drove over it, and now she has to clean it up with her plastic bag.
TOM
I agree with you too. The walker always has to watch. I'm trying to teach that to Lincoln, sometime people just don't look, or in your case, miss something in a blind spot.
I always wait until a backing-out-car sees me and waves me on, otherwise I'll stop and wait. It also annoys me when pedestrians (college kids seem to be the worst) just walk out into the street without looking. They may have the right-of-way, but they still need to look too. When it's me versus a 2 ton car, I like to give them the right-of-way.
Liz, we could all agree with you. But you know what would have made you feel a lot better? Rolling down the window and giving a short and sincere apology instead of an "oops" face, which could have been misinterrpretted as a "sorry you and your dog blend so easily into grey concrete! LATERZ!"
Because it seems like you're still feeling a BIT guilty. And then if she kept glaring at your, you would have been vindicated immediately by realizing that this lady was batpoo crazy and not your problem at all.
I like to cover all my bases.
Sure, blame the neighborhood. :)
There is something about the curve on the sidewalk that makes pedestrians hard to see. That and the slope which makes the backing out faster than expected. We do have some room for improvement in the looking while backing category however. Nearly the same thing has happened to me a couple of times as well.
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