I was almost in a bad car accident today. I was coming back from West Salem and turning left to go into Woodmans. I had a green arrow and was turning into the left lane. Since I had a green arrow, I assume oncoming traffic had a red light. One of those folks was turning right to go to Woodmans as well. Not a problem in general since there are two lanes and I was pulling into the one closest to me. Only he didn't pull into the one closest to him; he pulled right into the left lane. I somehow managed to slam on the horn and the brake at the same time and avoid having him plow right into the passenger side of my car. It was that close. Not just cutting me off so I have to hit the brakes but literally about to drive straight into me. He pulled off to the side and I caught a glimpse of a cell phone at the ear. Go figure.

Not all traffic incidents are that bad, of course. A lot of it is just common discourtesy causing aggravation. Right before that incident, at the same light, I was sitting and waiting on green. Across from me, a semi truck was halfway in the intersection waiting to go. Since he was blocking my line of site, I knew there was no way I could turn until the arrow came around so I just sat and waited. The light turned yellow and he went, which he had to since he was so far in the intersection. But the three cars behind him went as well! It's no surprise, of course, but it's sad. I see it over and over, a stream of cars pushing past yellow and well into red while the people with the green sit and wait. Not only is it illegal, it's just plain rude. These people are saying "My time is more valuable than yours so I'm going to go even though you have the right of way."

I've often wished cars came with some sort of communications system so you could inform that person who just threw their cigarrette butt into the giant outdoor trashcan that is our roads what you think of them. Or tell the person to put down their cell phone and pay attention to the road. Or inform the long line of cars passing in front of you that your light is green therefore theirs is red. I wonder if they knew that the people around them were going to let them know just how rude and inconsiderate they're being rather than sit fuming in their cars if maybe they'd think twice about cutting someone off as they leapfrog through traffic to save a precious few seconds of time. Probably not, but it's nice to dream.

Or maybe it would have made me a little less pissed off if that person who nearly rammed me today had been able to apologize over that communications system and promise to put down the cell phone. They could have been sitting in that car realizing how close they just came to a major accident and regretting. Maybe, maybe not. But I'll never know. With two kids in the car, I wasn't about to go find them in the parking lot. But it does remind me of the last time I was at Woodmans and it was a zoo and I got distracted by some display and nearly ran my cart into someone. Being there without the walls of the car around me, able to look the person in the eye and apologize and admit my fault made me feel a lot better than one of those lame waves you do in a car when you know you've done wrong. So maybe being able to talk to the other drivers isn't so crazy after all.