Monday, August 06, 2012

As I sit here waiting for it to cool down a bit

before I try out the modified bicycle, I'm been putting together thoughts on the 'dumbass on the wrong side of the highway' the other night. Among them, how easily I could have taken a short air trip with a bad landing(takeoff wouldn't have been much fun, either).

Full rundown: from southbound on the Lake Hefner Parkway, took the exit to I-44 eastbound; it's a nice right-hand curve of about 270 degrees, as you merge to 44 you have to curve left a bit, then right. And as you are in the right curve there's a rise in the road. I'd just passed a pickup doing about 55 and was in the inside lane as I came over the rise to see those headlights coming my way. I really don't remember thinking anything except "Crap, he's on the wrong side of the divider!" before curving right- fast- into the next lane; I knew I'd just passed that truck and there was nobody in front of or next to him, don't remember checking the mirrors before getting over. I do remember checking six before moved over to the outside lane(I wanted LOTS of space between us). I don't even remember any particular excitement during, just my OODA loop working very quickly; have to wonder if all those "What do you do if-?" thought problems/drills have some crossover effect?

Got an e-mail from a guy whose best friend was killed by a drunk in similar circumstances, and having heard a lot of bits & pieces over the years(Dad worked a LOT of accidents), when there's a wrong-side collision there's usually at least one fatality. Fortunately, here I had two full lanes and a shoulder to go to; had there been someone in the lane right beside me it'd have been a 'speed up and cut over or brake hard and cut' decision with damn little time.

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