With May comes hockey... Canadian hockey.... Ottawa Senators hockey! Second round of the playoffs, game just finished up.... whoooohoooo... Ottawa is up 3-1 in the series. The biggest news of the night though... I managed to preserve my fresh manicure - this is huge on its own.
Hockey however good it is right now in Senator town, is not the subject of this entry. It is however the cause of my grief I'm sure. Let me explain.
I was driving out to the west end of our city on the big bad highway in rush hour. Anyone who drives in Ottawa knows that come 3pm traffic almost grinds to a halt west bound. So there I am, stuck in slow moving, go-brake-go traffic. I am a very observant driver, I like to know what is going on around me. I glace back and notice a delivery sized truck making it's way to my spot.
Now had I been driving my big fearless red 4X4 I probably wouldn't have noticed until much later in the game, but I was driving my new Edge instead. Come to think about it, had I been driving the big truck, this whole story would have likely never happened. But it did. As traffic starts up the long 'Kanata hill' I now have this rather large delivery truck right on my ass. He is big, 5 ton. I can't get a make on his plate or see who the driver is - he is so close to the back of my vehicle.
Then it happens... he tries to push. Yep, figuring if he rides my ass I will somehow will traffic in front of me to move quicker... there is no space, no room to move up. Finally when all I catch is the nose of his truck dropping and a squelch of brakes, I know he has almost run into the back of me. Narrow miss.
I loose it. I pop my lovely manicured hand out the sunroof and flip him the bird - 'back off you asshole' I shout at no one in particular. Now I can't tell if he flips me ba
ck or what, he is too damn close.As traffic spreads out and opens up I accelerate up to the 120 I tend to run and who is on my ass, still pushing. Now I've pretty much had it. I grab the cell phone and get ready to get his number. I make a lane change to get out of this stupid driver's way. He comes up along side of me now, in the outside lane and instead of going past, he slams on the breaks and darts right in behind me..... my truck shakes he is that close.
What happens next makes me wonder how a number of us got home in one piece tonight. The driver then darts out in front of the driver in the next lane and then moves one more over in front of traffic. We all get up to the stop lights on the exit and I get the number and the plate.
The delivery driver swings into the other turning lane and then pulls away from the red light cutting off the driver with the right of way. What on earth could be so important that this man was willing to drive the way he was? I don't know, but if I could make an educated guess, it likely had something to do with tonight's hockey game. Surely he couldn't have been just a really stupid and careless driver?
I did call the company and loge a complaint. It is the first time I have ever done anything like that. I was outraged, his driving was so risky, so dangerous. If anyone had made a different move, it could have been a different story all together. The company seemed concerned and was both thankful and apologetic. I didn't want anything from the phone call, just to make a company aware of the risk that was running with their name on the side of the truck.
Oh, and one more thing. Younger people and women are always getting the wrap for bad driving..... this driver was an older man, someone who you would have thought should have known how stupid his actions were.
My new Edge btw is wonderful. I really enjoy driving it. I know, its the honeymoon period, but still I think this relationship might last. On the finale of the sales deal... I ended up giving $20 to the competing sales manager and salesman by way of coffee gift cards... I figured they gave of their time and helped me keep my dealership honest. At the end of the day, they did win the deal on price.... just goes to show, it is not always price that makes the difference.
I have so much more to tell you this week... including an update on 'the daughter'. I'll keep that for next time. You have yourself a wonderful Hot Cherry week until we catch up next time.
