Categories: uncategorized
Date: 20 July 2006 09:40:47
I was nearly murdered.
I had been to the local shops with the kids and was walking back home, just passing the police station, when it happened. I saw a police van pulling up outside the police station and commented on that to the kids, it being the kind of thing that interests them. And then I became aware of something behind me. I couldn't see it as I was facing forward, but just like you can tell when someone behind you is staring at you, I could tell that there was something there. I turned round to see a car had mounted the pavement and stopped literally inches from my knees. Because of the angle it must have been even closer to Cambuslang who was on the road side of me, so it must have missed him by millimetres. I was more shocked than I can ever remember having been and, as is usual, my first instinct was to look down and memorize the car registration. I then looked at the driver with terror and hatred but, most of all, a desperate desire to try to understand why this woman had tried to kill me and my children. She got out and, to her credit, first asked if the kids were okay before apologizing profusely. By this point the policemen who'd been in the van got out and came across and asked what was happening. I couldn't help answering that she was trying to kill me which, while clearly true, set them thinking that we must know each other and that there must be an explanation to her behaviour. Fortunately they seemed to accept my assertion that I'd never seen her before in my life, and after checking that noone was hurt they told me to go home which was probably wise as I'm really not sure what I might have done next. I only overheard a little of their questions to the driver which started off with "what happened" to which she said that her hand had slipped on the wheel. Even under the circumstances it was amusing to hear their incredulity at that: "what do you mean your hand slipped?!"
Of course I never found out what had happened. Maybe she really did just slip in which case I hope she never drives again. Maybe she was on drugs and lost concentration. Or maybe she genuinely wanted to kill me - either because she wanted to kill someone and I just happened to be there, or because she knew me (there are many people who know me who I don't know) and wanted to kill me (I could understand that). It's really slightly disconcerting not knowing.