Almost got in an accident

For once, I almost hit another car in a way that would not have been my fault. I don't think.

A few days ago, I was on my way to the store and had to pass a car parked on the side of the road. No big deal, there's always someone parked on that road. What WAS a big deal was right when my front bumper was about lined up with this other car's rear bumper, the fucking dumbshit driver swings their door all the way open.

I thought it was common sense to LOOK before you open your door into traffic, but I guess if you're a special snowflake and your car is not running, you feel you're a pedestrian and maintain the right of way. I honestly have no idea how I did not hit their door or them. Fast reflexes helped me dodge them at the last possible moment. I'm also thankful there was no oncoming traffic because I would have hit someone in the opposite lane had they been there just trying to dodge the retard on my right.

Part of me almost wishes I did hit the asshole to teach them a lesson, but I don't know if that would have been my fault or not. And my mother is constantly reminding me about how the car has no collision insurance. Fucking cocksuckers - I hope a tractor trailer plows over their clunker.

If you had hit them you would have been at fault. To hit a stopped car or to hit one from behind is an automatic at fault accident. It does not matter if said car is stopped in the middle of a freeway. If you hit it, it's your fault. The other driver gets a ticket for interfering in traffic flow and that's it. It doesn't matter if the other car fell out of the sky and landed in front of you. That happened in Amarillo Texas once. A rig delivering cars to a dealership lost one on the freeway and someone hit it. Nobody was hurt, but the driver had to sue the trucking company for damages. How can anybody forsee a car falling off of a truck??? Be thankful you didn't hit it, although it might have been funny to explain to police.

This is what I was taught in Texas and California driver's ed books. It might be different in your state.

Cambion, I'd like to be sorry for thinking this, but knowing the history with your mom ..... when I read the header, I thought "crap, Cambion's mom was riding shotgun and finally startled her into a near miss with her hysterical driving instructions" eyes2

It probably comes from riding a motorcycle, but I always think the worst of other people on the road. "Is that numbnut gonna turn off that side road in front of me? I bet the effer is" ; "hey, I have a green to go straight, but I bet that ijit waiting in the turn lane is going to turn on the yield on green right in front of me." Paranoia can be a good thing while on the road.

Had I seen people in that car, I would have been more wary when I passed it, but I didn't even know anyone was in the damn thing, let alone getting out of it. I also think the worst of people, but only people I can actually see (like other vehicles or pedestrians). This was right out of left field for me.

Had I hit them, I would have bee tempted to take down the car info, find the assholes who own it and do a lot more damage than a banged-up door. I hate how people in this town drive sometimes. Believe it or not, my mother and her harpy backseat driving has not yet caused me to almost get into an accident yet that I'm aware of. I did almost run a stop sign once because she was bitching at me at another stop sign and I couldn't deal with the road and her at the same time.

Her usual bullshit is saying I'm going too fast (when I drive the speed limit), stomp on the brakes when someone approaches from a side road (and they have a stop sign), drive 15 under the speed limit in areas labeled "aggressive driving area" (since that won't make other drivers annoyed or anything), making me wait longer for traffic because I can see around a bush that the road is clear, but I can't move until she can see too and by then, there's traffic.

I'm kinda hoping one day I piss off the wrong person and they follow us and unleash some major road rage. I'm just going to point to my mother and tell them to take it up with her because she forces me to drive like an asshole. I'm also thinking about getting a bumper sticker that says "Student Driver" or "Driver In Training" or something - maybe people will be more sympathetic when I do dumb shit on my mother's behalf. In any case, I'm just glad for fast reflexes because had I been even the slightest bit zoned out, I'd have taken that asshole's door off. And probably their leg too.

But oh man, driving alone is soooooo nice. I can go the speed limit, I can drive with one hand (she says I'm "not experienced enough" to do that), I can listen to music (not allowed when she's riding shotgun)...overall I can drive like a sane human being.