How not to get hit by a friend's car in a parking lot on Valentine's Day
'Kay, my friend hit me with her SUV on Valentine's Day -- granted by mistake -- in a parking lot with pesky parking attendants. Keep in mind that with titanium in my back and a couple of fake discs, I'm pretty industrial strength. They can rebuild us! Still....ouch, double ouch!
The trick is to listen for and be sure that the friend you just said farewell to has not put their vehicle into gear as you trot behind their car to get into your own "ride." Just a Hint from Hillary here.
I never even heard my gal pal put her "suburban assault vehicle" into reverse, and she doesn't drive a hybrid...in case that's the next question. Our distraction was some rather rude valets in the lot of the restaurant. Great restaurant, with a crappy bedside manner in their back lot.
First rule, on the road to parking lot safety...don't be in a rush in or out of your vehicle. Most parking areas are an accident waiting to happen-- with distracted drivers who are listening to voice mail, strapping in their kids and themselves AND backing out of spaces.
Then, there's "Speed Racer," who thinks that their time is more vital than another person's...uh, life and survival. Just love those guys AND gals!! Women are often the worst on driving aggression -- a guy will let you merge in...chicks will die before they let anyone have "cutsys," sorry ladies, but you know it and we do too!
With valets juggling cars in the busy post-lunch hour "window," I get it that they need to have we pesky drivers and customers "get their giddy-up on." (That's "Word" from my grandma who passed away last year.) But really, my friend has had hip and other surgeries and walks with a cane. First, they were beeping at us while moving a car to cross a large parking space faster -- with a CANE -- so they could juggle a car into one of THREE empty spaces!
DUDE, we're not youngsters...either of us. True after back fusion and four fun surgeries, I'm off the sexy walker with the green tennis balls -- like my Gram Jean above used in her final years. Then, I had a cane chaser for a month or two, like my hurried friend this Tuesday. But, neither of us are, or were, Speedy Gonzales this week.
Next, I'd helped her get into her high ride and start the engine and we were saying our goodbyes, when more people and even loud voices nearly drowned us out. Getting the hint, I said, "goodbye" and walked behind her car to my Subaru in a space further back. At this point, girlfriend rushed to leave and nailed me at one whole mile an hour on my back surgery point of departure. This...in a rush to appease some really rude parking lot attendents, who didn't get the memo from the Americans with Disabilities Act. Think that I'll write to them too about this fun in the Valentine's Day sun. Wow, really??!
Moral of this story, don't walk behind your friends vehicle, especially if it's an SUV and you're being rushed. Pedestrians in NY are a dying breed, and luckily mine was just a "fender bender" with a bruise or two. At least those 14 years of ballet decades ago kept me vertical, so all's well that "ends" well...with a Motrin chaser!
In New York City alone, pedestrian fatalities rose 2009 after a three year decline from the 300s, down to only 155 dead. Pedestrians now comprise 60 percent of NYC’s traffic deaths.
As they said on a fav show years ago, on Hill Street Blues, "Be careful out there!"
~ Hillary Sheperd,
First Fridays member at Women of Westchester
Servpro of Scarsdale / Mount Vernon
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