I hope that extra 15 seconds you saved was worth it...

For the most part, I'm lucky. I live in a pretty rural area north of Bend and work in a very rural area east of Bend. I get to skirt around most of the traffic and usually have a very uneventful drive to work...

Until I run into some asshat on the road trying to pass a long line of cars... coming from the other direction.

This happened to me this morning. Although typically I can see them coming and can slow down. This time, I popped over a small rise and there was a car trying to pass in my lane. I jerked my car onto the gravel shoulder (nearly losing control of my car) and barely missed getting hit head-on by the absolute asshat in my lane.

Needless to say, I just sat there a while regaining my composure. It was a very close call. I could have reached out and touched the hood of the car as it went by me.

I just don't understand why people do this. Maybe he (and it was a he) saved a few minutes of drive time, but at what cost? We could have both died... If I hadn't seen him in time, we probably would both be bloody smears on the road. I'm not sure which car would've won out. He was driving a mid-size Honda and I'm in the VW. I'm kinda thinking that all the airbags in the Bug would have given me a chance, but who knows?

Life is precious, people. Remember that. And I will try to, too...