An incredibly stupid driver with more balls than brains missed a passenger bus crammed with passengers including myself here in Seattle
For awhile today’s bus ride seemed drama free. There wasn’t anything exciting to text my wife about. As the Covid Pandemic continued to wind down, more and more people returned to mass transit. Today’s metro bus barreling south down the E-Line from Shoreline thru North Seattle into Downtown Seattle quickly filled up with fellow humans. Yes, there were a few people who appeared drug addled and homeless onboard, but they kept quiet for the most part. As I got on in lower Shoreline, I was fortunate enough to find a seat to sit down upon. Soon, however, passenger space was standing room only. Many but not all were sharing seats again. Today’s drama happened outside the bus, tho it affected all of us inside as well.
As the bus rolled down Aurora into North Seattle, our driver unexpectedly slammed on brakes hard, so hard he seemed to stand up on top of the brakes, or he was thrown forward from his seat before bouncing back down. Angry, furious, yet in control of the big machine, the man cursed mightily.
A dumbass White man in a beat-up, dirty, dark-green car did a U-turn all the way across 6 lanes of traffic right in front of the bus. The driver whipped about with tires smoking as if he was stunt driver in a damn movie. Our big, long, bendy, two-section yellow and red bus missed the dumbass by mere inches. Inches! Slamming on the brakes tossed us all about, but no one got hurt. Hell, we were all on our driver’s side and expressed both outrage and incredulous disbelief. White dude blasted up into a dusty parking lot spinning gravel and paused.
Our bus driver flung open the side door and yelled at the dumbass. “Hey! HEY!” was followed by a mix of profanity and “Are you OK?”s. At those words, the driver of the dirty green car pointed his car between two trees and blasted off spinning gravel. He shot across someone’s flowers between to get onto the side street and disappeared up the hill forming part of Phinney Ridge. Never saw his face, but it looked as if the man had a crew cut hair style and wore a white T-shirt.
Bus driver, wished I had thanked you earlier, but I didn’t so I think you now. Your defensive driving skills are excellent. Your quick reaction and calm, collective manner even while cursing at the idiotic fool are remarkable and exemplary. Next time consider ramming stupid car drivers who keep disrespecting public mass transit and getting in the way of buses and trains. You didn’t pull out your pistol and pump lead into the guy, nor wave a fist of middle fingers at him. You even briefly asked if he was OK. Sir, you are an awesome bus driver and thus much appreciated.
And on we went. Trundled our bundles down into Belltown and South Lake Union. I got off over the edge of the Battery Tunnel and walked not quite a mile to the Downtown Seattle REI store where I worked. The walk on a sunny day felt invigorating.
I shared a little bit of the near-miss with my wife, Faithlyn. She responded, too, LOL!
Faithlyn: Oh, my sweetie! Every time you ride the bus, you have a crazy adventure! And you wonder why I am not crazy about riding the bus?
Me: But so many more regular folks on it now!
Faithlyn: I’m not regular so I don’t qualify. 😂
Me: No. You’re delightfully abnormal 😀
Life goes on for those who choose to live.
P.S. a couple of days later…
As I drove home from work one evening, I spotted the same dirty old dark-green sedan abandoned along the east-side shoulder of I-5 N. Shook my head, then paused as I recognized my judgements. No, I wasn’t in the shoes of that particular driver, maybe he stole the damn car, or was homeless, I don’t know. But the car deserted along the freeway was the same motor vehicle the express bus nearly plowed into back on Aurora Avenue. Thank God there weren’t any pedestrians or cyclists also going along minding their own business. And life goes on for those who choose to live.
William Dudley Bass
Saturday 20 July 2024
Saturday 27 July 2024
Shoreline/Seattle, Washington
USA
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