Crunch

Earlier today I went to Dunkin' Donuts to get a coffee on Busch Blvd. At a stop light about a mile away from the place, I'm stopped in the center lane (there are three lanes per side) on a red. There are two cars behind me and a few cars in either lane to the side of me.

Then I hear this:

SCRREEEEEEEAAArRARRRccHHHH -- *CRUNCH*

Car accident. Happened two cars behind me on the right lane.

Way too close for comfort. It was so close that you could hear the metal and plastic crunch on impact.

I don't know exactly how the accident happened, but I'm guessing the lady was tooting right along down the road, did not see everybody was stopped ahead of her and slammed right in the back of somebody else.

It scared the crap out of everybody. People in the other cars picked up their cell phones instantly and called in the accident.

The light turned green and those of us in front puttered off. If you think that's cold-hearted, it isn't. The safest thing to do is get out of the way so the police, fire and medical people can get in there, treat the people and move the wrecked cars out of the way quickly. Most accidents are attended to within less than 10 minutes in Tampa.

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I will admit that since living here in Tampa I've seen more car accidents and other vehicle mishaps than I ever did where I used to live. This is because there's a ton more cars and traffic down here. Cars get wrecked every day in Tampa. Repeat: Every day. It's not a matter of if it will happen but when.

Something that happens more often than you think is when people rear-end buses. I'm pretty sure I've talked about this before but it bears repeating.

How in the hell can you hit a stopped bus?

Consider this: The HART buses in Tampa are purple. Big ol' purple toaster ovens on wheels with extra-extra large LED lights on the back that flash STOP STOP STOP when the bus is stopped and picking up passengers at bus stops.

People bash into the back of these things all the frickin' time. It's considered normal. So normal that after a bus gets hit, a driver can call a cop, cop shows up, tickets are written and the bus is on its way in less than 10 minutes (unless a really serious accident.) THAT'S HOW WE ROLL IN TAMPA. Gotta keep those buses movin'.