I have made basically the same daily commute down Interstate 35¹ for the past 7 years. The particular exit I use is constantly surrounded by construction. Once I've exited, the access road I have to navigate is usually very busy and in order to make it onto the road my office is on I have to navigate across three lanes of traffic immediately after exiting from the highway. I have 100 yards of roadway in which to make the necessary lane changes. Further complicating this daily dance with death is the fact that a large cluster of businesses shares this same access road and often when I'm on my way to work I have to dodge a number of shoppers or swerve around large trucks making deliveries.

So this morning immediately as I exit from the highway I almost make a lane change right on top of a late model Jaguar. Not one of the really nice ones, mind you, one of those that are basically a tarted-up Ford. I slowed down considerably to avoid slamming into the Jag and then made a lane change. I'm now traveling at 35 to 45 MPH in the middle lane of a three-lane access road. A full-sized semi tractor trailer rig is in the far right-hand lane and has come almost to a stop in order to turn into the Home Depot parking lot. It is unusual to see such a large rig on this access road at this time of day.

Immediately behind the semi is a full-sized late model white Ford Explorer. Just as my truck has pulled along-side the Explorer, it makes a quick left-hand lane change in order to swerve around the semi. Through some wonderful twist of fate I'm paying attention and I don't have a coffee cup in my hand. I swerve in time to miss the Explorer - my truck makes an ever-so-slight tire squeal sound as I execute this maneuver. Another stroke of luck was that there were no vehicles to my left as I make this sudden lane change. By the time this collision was avoided, I can no longer safely make my normal right-hand turn. I continue another 100 yards down the access road and take a longer route to get to my building.

By the time my body decided that I wasn't going to die in the collision or have a massive coronary from the endorphine rush, I notice that the Explorer which almost hit me is now following me at a safe distance. The person² behind the wheel seems to be preoccupied as we wait at a stop light. I wonder if the driver is recording my license plate number or is calling the cops. I don't know why I thought I might be at fault in this event. When we both pull into the parking lot at my building, I know the other driver wants to talk to me. It turns out that the other driver just wanted to make sure there was no collision and to apologize for what happened. To cap it all off, as the driver confesses that she³ was already pulled over once before this morning and had been given a ticket.

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¹ I35 is often cited as one of the most deadly highways in America, no-doubt due to the fact that it stretches from Mexico to Canada.

² Yes, it was a woman, and a young attractive one at that. I'm avoiding pronouns or any sort of rant against woman drivers because I don't really believe that women are bad drivers and because I just can't blame what happened on the fact that the driver was a woman.

³ I got tired of not using pronouns. It's hard to write this kind of narrative without them!