Karma

I was on Route 2 driving home on Friday night when an ambulance AND a fire truck came racing down the opposite lane. I, being a responsible driver, knew to “curb right for siren and lights.”

However, the giant black pick-up truck behind me continued to creep up on me at the normal speed of Route 2 (which tends to be between 60-70 mph).

I was torn. I wanted to be a responsible driver and curb right (like the cars in front of me had done) but the driver behind me showed no plans of slowing down, not to mention stopping. So, I decided to at least slow down when the emergency response vehicles went past.

I figured if the other driver hit me, I’d have the advantage. But I did not want to be hit at 70 mph, and this guy was approaching like gangbusters.

Even though I just slowed down and didn’t stop (like I should have done) the driver behind me was practically in my trunk.

I was so frustrated that I gestured in the window that we were supposed to STOP. I made the gesture of “siren and lights” and then put my hand in a “STOP” position and actually mouthed “We’re supposed to STOP!”

I may have added “idiot” at the end.

The other driver didn’t seem much bothered by my irritation and just zoomed past me when I turned onto Roscoe Road.

I drove into Roscoe full of my own self righteousness, still a little ticked off, but knowing I had done the right thing giving him a mini-lecture on correct driving procedures.

As I approached the four way stop on Main Street, I saw the Lions club members were out in the intersection collecting money.

The Main Street four way stop is quite frequently home to various charities who want to “fill the boot” (firefighters), “save the children” (Lion’s Club), and local schools collecting for something.

I don’t mind it, since it gives our town a tight-knit feel, but I didn’t have any cash, so it felt awkward to pull up to the stop sign and not roll down my window.

Since I couldn’t see very well around the Lions Club member in my path, I checked the other drivers. Two of them had just gone, and the woman in the mini-van to my right had her window rolled down and was vigorously chatting with her Lion’s Club member.

It looked like she planned to park there and talk for a while.

Honestly.

So, I started to pull out. As I inched forward, the woman in the mini-van gunned her engine and shot forward.

She gave me a dirty look as she passed in front me. “IT WAS MY TURN!” she mouthed, pointing her fingers at herself. She gave me another dirty look and threw her hands up in frustration as she neatly cut me off.

“But….but…you were chatting.” I muttered in disbelief. I was flabbergasted.

And strangely hurt she had yelled at me.

I hadn’t really thought about waiting for her, simply because (if she had continued to chat) I’d imagined drivers piling up behind both of us at the stop sign. So, I’d thought going was the right thing to do.

A rueful thought appeared to me at that moment. The truck driver I’d lectured probably would have gotten a big kick out of what happened.

If he believed in karma, then he was in luck, because I sure got a big dose of it!

I guess I learned what happens when I don’t “Do unto others…”

Karma. My name is Ann-Marie.