I am so Grateful for my Decision to Give Up Driving

     I believe there are seven traffic lights between the bus stop nearest our house and the bus stop nearest to Jenna’s school.  Three of those lights are at major intersections – though the middle through street doesn’t seem to have as much traffic as the other two.   

     Truth be known, I would go out of my way for that particular street – but this morning there was a terrible accident and I would guess all of the emergency vehicles that arrived on scene had blocked the traffic in all directions.  One could move west and south initially, but that probably came to a halt.

     I had gotten off the bus at that particular intersection because I wanted to purchase three ingredients that were needed to make my enchiladas.  After I had made my purchase, I returned to the bus stop and saw that the bus would be delayed and I might be better off finding a different route. 

     Normally I would be riding north but had chosen a route that was headed west and normally turns south at said intersection – but there was just no way it would be turning.  Especially when the paramedics turned in front of the bus and blocked the lane where the bus would normally turn. 

 

     The driver, less than thrilled with the situation, continued west and detoured through a neighborhood to get back to the main road we needed to be on.  I had to back track where I had already been, but eventually made it to the TRAX station where I got out. 

     First I walked to the library to return a book and then I went to wait for the train.  I got off the train two stops later and waited for the bus and got off three stops later to continue to my house on foot. 

     Car accidents are such a pain – not only to the people driving, but those behind them and those who are waiting for the bus unaware that an accident has caused the bus to detour and perhaps have taken a detour around the waited stop.

 

     One of the worse accidents that I remember having detoured around took place as Jenna and I neared Kearns high school where she was taking a theatre class.  I didn’t have my blog then and was actually driving at the time.

     It was a Wednesday.  Jenna was in the first grade, I think.  We were living in West Valley and though the class did not start until 6:30, I would pick her up from school and drive to Kearns and we would park in my sister’s driveway and then visit with different neighbors until about 6:00 and then we would walk to the high school from wherever we were.

     On that particular day we had a five-hour window rather than our usual three, but I drove my usual route towards Kearns rather than returning to West Valley.  I saw the slowed traffic ahead and took my own detour.  It was before 2:00.  It didn’t occur to me that the instructor would be detoured four hours later due to the same accident.  

     Traffic was soooooooo soooooooo slow that night – as though the entire valley had been rerouted.  Everyone seemed inconvenienced.  It wasn’t until the next day that I heard about how severe the accident had been and how one or two people had to be flown from the scene to the hospital.

 

     It was actually a poorly marked intersection.  I had been in an accident at the same exact intersection only two weeks prior. I don’t know that they really fixed the situation.  There were more traffic lights added with x’s and arrows and extra lanes.  I really dislike that street.

     Before I started this post I could hear sirens.  All morning long I’ve been hearing them.  I’m thinking more accidents.  People just don’t take precautions anymore.  I don’t understand why so many were ever issued driver’s licenses.  Apparently in Utah, the written test is open book.  You think maybe we should change that?

     I really don’t remember when I last took the written test.  I would think I was still single.  I was surprised that they didn’t have me take it when I went back to renew just a few months ago.  But that’s okay.  I’m not planning on driving where there is traffic.  I’m okay with the dessert.  I’m okay with hick towns.  But I don’t want to drive where there’s traffic.