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Chris Kuhn

Editor, skirt! Tampa Bay

I'm an outspoken thirtysomething who has lived in the Tampa Bay area since 1992, full of useless facts on just about every facet of pop culture. I'm passionate about vegetarianism without passing judgment. I love to laugh. If we can't talk politics, music, movies, sports, TV or current events, you'...

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A Whirlwind of a Day

I had planned to blog today but wasn’t really sure what I would chat about. Until this morning.

I’m not a fan of NASCAR. Spinning cars – metal crashing into metal – oil spills and car fires – no, I  don’t really get the fascination with driving around in a circle over and over. This morning i got to experience the thrill of the sport live and in person.

One of my fellow Tampa Bay commuters decided to run me off the road this morning. I’m sure it wasn’t intentional. We’ve all come close to doing it. ourselves. Someone’s passing you but you haven’t a clue since the car’s in your blind spot. But usually, the moment you start to pull into the left lane you take a gander behind you to verify the lane’s empty. Then, the quick pulsating moment of panic hits you when you realize ‘holy crap, someone’s already there.’ And you immediately swerve back into your own lane. The almost-a-crash becomes a sigh of relief and you move on with your day. That’s how it usually goes with close calls.

This driver never took that gander evidently, didn’t bother to swerve back into his or her lane. No, this green mini-van whose license plate I was not able to see in time since I was spinning in a perfect circle at the side of the road, just kept moving into my lane and motoring.

Even once I had lost control and had begun my mad ballroom-like clockwise swirl into the emergency lane and highway shoulder, other cars near me just kept going. Those half a mile behind me must have gotten a clear view of the little circus act I was performing before them.

Nope, they didn’t stop either.

I’m still shaken up right now...it did occur less than 7 hours ago. Fortunately for me, my seat belt and anti-lock brakes worked as intended, I didn’t experience any kind of physical trauma beyond a monster headache and a little whip lash since I gripped the wheel so tightly once I began my roadway dance. And as for the car, I often joke that I bought the one Toyota lemon on the lot that day in early May 2004, but I have to admit that my baby came through for me. Just two flat tires in front from the ditch impact, no other apparent damage.

What appears to be most deflated right now is my faith in people. I’d like to think that if I witnessed a spinning car go off the road and crash into a ditch, I would stop. 

Is it naive of me to think that perfect strangers might still show some sense of decency and lend a helping hand? Has everyone become so wary of litigation that good deeds are simply a thing of the past?

I sure hope not.