Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Since when is it okay to hit someone with your car and drive away?

This morning as I was driving Lil C to my sissy’s before work, I was yielding at a light, waiting to turn left. I looked to the left and noticed a big black suburban trying to turn right. She kept nosing more and more forward until she had completely blocked the walk-way for pedestrians to use when they are crossing the road. I could see a young kid there, trying to cross the road on his way to school, but she was in his way, so he walked around her. The woman then, right at that moment, decided to turn right. Fortunately he saw her (SHE DIDN’T SEE HIM!!!!!) and jumped out of the way, instead “just” getting clipped on the upper thigh rather than getting completely mowed over. The woman paused for a minute, looked at him, and KEPT DRIVING. I was appalled. “DID YOU SEE THAT?!” I yelled at Cade. “HOLY SHIT!” The poor kid, he couldn’t have been older than 14 or 15, kept walking, but he was limping a bit and I could tell he was in shock – hell, I was in shock and I wasn’t the one who had freaking gotten HIT BY A CAR. As I turned left, he was on the other side of the road, trying to cross that intersection as well. I slowed down, rolled down the passenger window, and asked him if he was alright. He nodded uncertainly, and I think I may have embarrassed him. But I persisted. “Do you need a ride? Do you want me to take you home or to school or to the hospital? Can I call your mom?” Just as he was mumbling, “No, but thanks,” some prick behind me honked. Honked at me for stopping to talk to someone who had just GOTTEN HIT BY A CAR. Helllloooo…? Since when is it okay to be so in a hurry to get to work you don’t stop to help some scared kid? Since when is it okay to be so in a hurry to get to work you don’t actually stop when you hit another human being? Not one other person stopped to help him, to ask him if he was alright. Not one other person.

Sometimes I really do hate the world I live in.

15 comments:

KC said...

wow. wow wow wow. That's horrible. THANK YOU for stopping to ask! As a pedestrian without a license, I see so many people who don't watch out for walking people. Once someone actually hit my hand as I ran out of their way, waved apologetically and kept driving, but I wasn't hurt or anything. Sheesh, people. But just as you said sometimes you hate this world because there are people like that, sometimes I love the world because there are people like you who will stop.

ania said...

Dear Brie,

I just have to think that she didn't know she bumped him. Because, otherwise....

Well, let's just stick with my version.

You were probably too distracted and distressed by the teenager getting hit to be worried with getting her license plate information.

Also, your hair looks great. Very mod, baby.

With care....

Shannon said...

Wow. That is really horrible. I'm gonna go with she didn't know she hit him. I can't imagine someone would know they hit another person, look at them and then drive away. Although, on the other hand, in our world of lawsuits over EVERYTHING . . . maybe she really didn't want to get sued, so she checked to make sure he was still walking and went on her way. Either way, HORRIBLE.
PS- LOVE the short hair. I always feel like such a lighter person after I get my hair cut. So fresh.

Emily said...

Sometimes I hate the world we live in, too.

brie said...

Unfortunately I know with a certainty that she saw him...I mean, not saw him and then purposely hit him, but saw that she did and drove off anyway.

Heather Lindquist said...

S-C-A-R-Y. At least no ducks were run over....maybe then people would've stopped...but then again, if they wouldn't even stop for a human, why would they for ducks? SAD. Good for you, though, for sticking you neck out and being the "better" person in all this. That's the thing about you, Brie, you rise above what the typical person does or is. That is a very special gift that's endearing and what I imagine draws so many to you.

Tiptoe said...

That's really scary. Some people just...I don't know, don't think or something. And the fact that no one else helped him or asked if he was okay other than you--classic bystander effect unfortunately.

I think what you did was great, and I'm sure he will remember that you were kind enough to stop and actually care how he was. That means a lot.

On a side note, I've never been hit by a car running, but damn, they've come really close!

Eve said...

What a shame you didn't get the number off her license plate! Some people just don't deserve to be able to drive, and unfortunately most of them own the biggest cars!

Krista said...

I wish you could have got their info and called the police. How rude are they?

alriggells said...

Holy moly. Wow. Ya did you hear about that cross guard somewhere here in Utah that was hit. Actually hit and broke ribs. He had just finished walking his last child across when a black escalade hit him. He tried to get the plate number but couldn't all he could tell was it was a woman on a cell phone. She had to have felt the impact though so honestly why didn't she stop. I almost hit a few pedestrians if you refer back to one of my first blogs in like January or something and I felt terrible like a horrible person. UGH it was so sad, and now I try to be more aware, and not too busy cause really that is no excuse for anything. In fact yesterday I was sitting at a bakery and some kid come out and noticed his bus was pulling away and he was missing it. He ran and ran but couldn't catch up. He was so flustered and I could tell he didn't know what to do. Everyone just snickered and said that sucks. I felt so bad for the kid. I caught up to him and asked if he could use a ride. He thanked me. He was so cute cause he had sworn when he noticed his bus leaving and he felt so bad that he did. He was a talkative fellow. Different from being hit, but shows how self absorbed our society is. That kid just needed a ride home and missed his he was younger, in high school and everyone just laughed. Sure they had transportation but his means of transportation had just left. I don't know

Laura said...

maybe the kid deserved it.

ok, bad joke. but you did a nice thing, and that's what counts. lots of assholes out there messing up our otherwise perfect world. and speaking of assholes...gotta start my kids on their homework....

PTC said...

Geez, people are freaking nuts. How do you NOT stop??

Jackie said...

Ugh that makes me sick! People are so selfish and self-centered sometimes. It is frustrating to see things like this - at least there was a good person in the picture, YOU, to balance things out.

Flighty said...

Ditto. On everything. At least you are contributing to the few good parts of this world that still exist.

Anonymous said...

Good for you for stopping. Ditto on what everyone else said about the plate.

And I think "HOLY SHIT!" is exactly the right reacting to that! Seriously, what was she THINKING????

Love the hair. Love love love. Saw it yesterday, didn't comment, had a dream last night where I cut all mine off like that and dyed it black. (I know yours is brown. But mine was black. With red streaks.) Almost had a heart attack this morning, frantically feeling my hair, making sure it was still long and blond. LOL (I've been thinking about cutting and dyeing lately though, and I think I'm a little jealous of your hair. :D)

Marste