Very alarming: Woman in her 60s edges past stop sign, hits another car, then speeds off. I chase her for a block, shining my flashlight, until she finally stops. I explain she must go back to the intersection and exchange info with the other driver. She seems confused and vacant the whole time. I get photos of her and her plates and give the emergency operator all the info I have so that the other driver, who had left, would be contacted by an investigator.
Somewhat alarming: woman darts right in my path as she goes for a parking spot, almost hitting me as I walk. I explain what happened and she also seems confused, as if she is doing too many things at once.
Finally, a run-of-the-mill distracted driver: young woman talking on cell phone misses two opportunities to turn left, then almost hits an SUV rolling out of a parking lot, then hits the curb as she tries to park. She is a neighbor and at least she seems receptive when I recount what she just did.
I’m conflicted over whether it is worthwhile to confront drivers (except in the first instance where I absolutely had to). I don’t want to scare anyone. I’m not sure they learn anything from it. And the justice system is not on my side: the recent case of Carlee Bollig demonstrated that a driver in Minnesota can kill two people while texting and still serve zero days in prison.
I think I just need to stay safe until a technical solution such as driverless cars make 30 000 traffic deaths a year seem like just another absurd fact of history.
pseudoisaac 