dramatic "commute" yesterday

[lph]

I wrote this on bikejournal yesterday, but wanted to re-post it here, it's still buzzing around my head. She was only 24

"My commute by bike this morning wasn't, but it was pretty dramatic so I figured I'd write it up anyway:

Part of my job is licensing hydropower plants, and I was going to spend today visiting a fairly large project. Way off in the boondocks, like most of them - you need a lot of rain, or steep valleys, or preferably both, and people tend to move away from places like that - in this case 1 hr by plane plus 1 hr by car with a 15 min ferry ride in the middle. I get into the rental car, figure out that Route 55 is where I'm supposed to be heading, turn on the radio and manage to think "gee, travelling alone is kind of nice" before the news announcer tells me that "a woman alone in her car was killed by a large block of stone crashing through her front windshield this morning and route 55 is now closed."

Eeep.

After a lot of phoning I decided to drive the "long way", which in fjord country means a three hour drive. Right before I left the project manager phoned to tell me he'd managed to arrange a boat to pick me up. And while waiting, boat guy phones me to tell me the road has opened early.

Which was a good thing of course, but still - driving through a fresh rockfall, with helicopters and geologists buzzing around where a woman recently died... was a sobering experience.

Anyway. That was my "commute" today."

[sbctwin]

Wrong place, wrong time
I was driving in Montana a few years ago to visit sis, when on I-90 I was passing a truck pulling a trailer. It was REALLY WINDY. I was passing and all of a sudden, a bar flipped off the trailer and went right through the driver side windshield (of course, where I was sitting ). The bar hit my steering wheel, bounced back into the dash and then flew out. I was going 75 mph on cruise control.

I didn't have much time to think. I don't know how I got the car stopped. I don't know how come that bar didn't hit me and go through me.

I am very hesitant when passing a vehicle anymore or, for that matter, following another vehicle.

Whew...got all anxious just thinking of this episode....

[LBTC]

lph - that's pretty freaky! Glad you are safe and sound!!

sbctwin - that's doubly freaky!! Really glad you made it through that one! Yikes!

Hugs to you both. Be safe out there!

~T~

[Tri Girl]

Wow- freaky deaky!
When it's your time to go, it's your time. Nothing you can do to avoid it. Poor woman who died. Very, very sad.

sbctwin- that's creepy! I'm so glad you were ok- but I'll bet you were majorly freaked out for a while driving afterward!

[margo49]

Whew...got all anxious just thinking of this episode....

Me too!
That is the kind of thing television hospital shows are made of!