The S2000 Just Saved my Life
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Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Santa Clarita, CA
I may have taken some dramatic license with the subject of this post, however, not by much....
Typical Friday commute with a pretty descent amount of traffic on the local interstate. The exit I take off the interstate is one that typically is backed up 1/2-1 mile (sometimes more) any day of the week. The backup is caused by both a lot of traffic using that exit and an interstate on-ramp 3/4 mile back from my off-ramp. Accidents on this stretch are not uncommon. Typically they are caused because people are traveling at interstate speeds and either slam their brakes on when they realize the backup is so long or they fail to deal appropriately with the cars entering the interstate mixed with those trying to get off.
I slip into the right hand lane a good 1 mile plus back knowing the backup is probably going to be long. Sure enough as I approach the interstate on-ramp, I can see flashing lights for an accident that took place a bit earlier. Approaching this I see tremendous skid marks swerving off of the road. About the time I notice this, I hear that god awful sound of someone slamming on their brakes HARD in front of me. What's to follow happens very fast but also in slow motion for me.
I instantly hit my brakes while simultaneously my brain is telling me that if I am able to stop in time I surely will be run hard from behind. My eyes pick up the car in front of me exploding all of its front parts while bouncing off of the car in front of it which hits the car in front of it. I quickly glance over to my left and notice a truck fairly close behind me in that lane. I slip the car out of 5th and into 3rd while twitching my steering wheel left and punching the gas for all its worth. I slip out into the center lane just skimming past the wreck that occurred in my lane. VTEC takes hold propelling me ahead of the truck in the lane I now just entered as I notice the flying debris coming at me like a scene from the movie Twister. I did some kind of highway-speed autox maneuver usually best left for the video arcade to avoid the pieces of what was once the front of a car. I then think I have to get back in the right lane to make my exit (yeah, like that's important!), so I slip the car back in the right lane whilst braking to avoid a similar situation in domino.
The truck that I was in front of slows down and drives next to me with his mouth open in complete awe while his wide-eyed passenger gives me (or the car) and little round of applause. I didn't really process this at the time as the adrenaline rush had overwhelmed me and my right leg was shaking uncontrollably.
Post Mortem:
Had I have been in most other cars, it is highly likely damage if not serious injury would have occurred. It would have been unlikely in another car that I could have stopped in time to prevent me from hitting the guy in front. If I could have done that, or even just tapped him, it is highly likely that the guy behind me would have rammed me quite hard causing an even greater chain of disaster.
Had I have decided to go to the left lane in another car it is unlikely I could have gotten the speed I need to avoid having that guy smack me at even greater speeds thus spilling the accident over several lanes again at highway speeds. Even if somehow this guy would not have hit me, it is unlikely I would have been able to avoid the substantial debris left from the unfortunate Friday commuter ahead of me.
In summary, I love my S2000 with the passion of a 1000 suns. I don't want to hear about crappy radios, boot covers, cheap carpet or missing clocks. Besides being stunningly beautiful and pure fun to drive, its qualities can turn a potentially disastrous commute into just a good story. Should you go into my garage now, you would find two lip marks on her hood where I planted a big kiss. Did I mention I love my S2000?
[Edited by ScottB on 06-02-2001 at 12:33 AM]
Typical Friday commute with a pretty descent amount of traffic on the local interstate. The exit I take off the interstate is one that typically is backed up 1/2-1 mile (sometimes more) any day of the week. The backup is caused by both a lot of traffic using that exit and an interstate on-ramp 3/4 mile back from my off-ramp. Accidents on this stretch are not uncommon. Typically they are caused because people are traveling at interstate speeds and either slam their brakes on when they realize the backup is so long or they fail to deal appropriately with the cars entering the interstate mixed with those trying to get off.
I slip into the right hand lane a good 1 mile plus back knowing the backup is probably going to be long. Sure enough as I approach the interstate on-ramp, I can see flashing lights for an accident that took place a bit earlier. Approaching this I see tremendous skid marks swerving off of the road. About the time I notice this, I hear that god awful sound of someone slamming on their brakes HARD in front of me. What's to follow happens very fast but also in slow motion for me.
I instantly hit my brakes while simultaneously my brain is telling me that if I am able to stop in time I surely will be run hard from behind. My eyes pick up the car in front of me exploding all of its front parts while bouncing off of the car in front of it which hits the car in front of it. I quickly glance over to my left and notice a truck fairly close behind me in that lane. I slip the car out of 5th and into 3rd while twitching my steering wheel left and punching the gas for all its worth. I slip out into the center lane just skimming past the wreck that occurred in my lane. VTEC takes hold propelling me ahead of the truck in the lane I now just entered as I notice the flying debris coming at me like a scene from the movie Twister. I did some kind of highway-speed autox maneuver usually best left for the video arcade to avoid the pieces of what was once the front of a car. I then think I have to get back in the right lane to make my exit (yeah, like that's important!), so I slip the car back in the right lane whilst braking to avoid a similar situation in domino.
The truck that I was in front of slows down and drives next to me with his mouth open in complete awe while his wide-eyed passenger gives me (or the car) and little round of applause. I didn't really process this at the time as the adrenaline rush had overwhelmed me and my right leg was shaking uncontrollably.
Post Mortem:
Had I have been in most other cars, it is highly likely damage if not serious injury would have occurred. It would have been unlikely in another car that I could have stopped in time to prevent me from hitting the guy in front. If I could have done that, or even just tapped him, it is highly likely that the guy behind me would have rammed me quite hard causing an even greater chain of disaster.
Had I have decided to go to the left lane in another car it is unlikely I could have gotten the speed I need to avoid having that guy smack me at even greater speeds thus spilling the accident over several lanes again at highway speeds. Even if somehow this guy would not have hit me, it is unlikely I would have been able to avoid the substantial debris left from the unfortunate Friday commuter ahead of me.
In summary, I love my S2000 with the passion of a 1000 suns. I don't want to hear about crappy radios, boot covers, cheap carpet or missing clocks. Besides being stunningly beautiful and pure fun to drive, its qualities can turn a potentially disastrous commute into just a good story. Should you go into my garage now, you would find two lip marks on her hood where I planted a big kiss. Did I mention I love my S2000?
[Edited by ScottB on 06-02-2001 at 12:33 AM]
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Joined: Mar 2001
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From: Sugar Land
man, really glad you are ok... I almost pulled on of those the otherday, not what you did, but having the guy infront of me slam his brakes... and the brakes in my maxima being the biggest POS ever, I had to pull onto the shoulder... and by the time I was stopped, I was at the guy's front door... damn scary.
-Shing
-Shing
Great, want to bet what I'll be dreaming about tonight....
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! Good job with the evasive maneuvers. Glad you're all OK.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,490
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From: Santa Clarita, CA
Thanks, guys.
Tedster, it is the 3rd Issaquah exit on I-90 eastbound. Eastlake Sammamish and Front Street. Go left and you're at the bottom of the plateau by Home Depot and right takes you into Issaquah.
Tedster, it is the 3rd Issaquah exit on I-90 eastbound. Eastlake Sammamish and Front Street. Go left and you're at the bottom of the plateau by Home Depot and right takes you into Issaquah.
