Surprise kindness

I never thought of someone trying to run me over while blowing their horn at me was an act of kindness. However, sometimes what we perceive is different from reality. Here is my story.

I often walk to the Beach Diner or CVS, crossing both 14th Street and Sadler Road. I cross the roads following the whim of the crosswalk lights in whatever sequence they occur. On this occasion, I crossed 14th Street by The Loop and made eye contact with the driver of the enormous pickup truck in the turn lane. I always do that before I step in front of a vehicle. The driver was waiting patiently to make his right-hand turn.

I pushed the crosswalk button and waited my turn. The crosswalk light changed and I was ready to cross. I looked at the man in the truck and he nodded to me. He saw me and knew I was crossing. I was suddenly startled by a loud horn close by as the pickup truck driver began to make his turn onto Sadler. I had to jump back onto the curb. He blocked me from crossing. I loudly questioned his ancestry while pointing at the signal. How could he acknowledge that I was going to cross the road and then drive in front of me, blowing his horn? I was indignant.

That is when I saw the car barreling down Sadler through the red light, across the intersection and through my crosswalk. I am pretty sure the blood drained from my face. The passenger window of the large pickup truck slowly rolled down and a worried voice exclaimed, “I didn’t think you could see the car about to run the light. I didn’t know what else to do. I wasn’t going to run you over! I just wanted to stop you.” I thanked him profusely.

I had missed the light for the crosswalk. Traffic cleared on Sadler, and the car behind the truck blew its horn impatiently, wanting the truck to complete its right-hand turn. We waved and he proceeded on. It was now my turn to cross. I made eye contact with the person in the turn lane, looked way up Sadler, waved to the drivers waiting to cross 14th Street and to turn right. I was safely at my destination.

We don’t always recognize kindness when it surprises us. Can you think of a time when you were surprised by kindness?

Robert Prager, P.E. has lived on Amelia Island for 22 years. He is a civil engineer and has designed many an intersection, including crosswalks. He thinks all intersections should be supplied with kindly truck drivers.

If you have a story you'd like to share here in the Fernandina Observer — about a neighbor or friend or stranger or business that showed kindness, or about kindness and compassion in general — please contact Peggie Weeks at pegweeks@gmail.com