Yesterday, as I went out to get groceries, I witnessed a nasty car accident. It sounded worse than it was, I guess, and it could have been a lot uglier. A neighbor slowed down to turn into our lot and a guy in a pickup rearended her without, it seemed, even touching his brakes. Her back window shattered, which caused most of the noise, and I watched her rock back and forth from the impact. Her car was a compact something-or-other — I don’t know why, but I thought it was a Saab. Shape and color, I guess, though I’m probably wrong about that.

A couple of us pulled to the side and called 911, and the woman who got hit got out and started yelling at the guy in the pickup. We watched as he ignored her, pushd her car out of his way with the nose of his truck, then pulled up on the curb to get around her and into our parking lot.

(That was when I got a little jumpy with the 911 dispatcher…he was sort of coming right at me. And the last thing I need right now is a car accident.)

A police officer showed up as the pickup guy was pulling stuff out of his truck in our lot — someone wondered aloud what he had in there that he’d want to get rid of it before the cops got there. Once the cop was there I got off the phone and gave my business card to the young woman in case she needs a witness or anything later. I’m not the only one and the cop was there quickly enough to catch the whole story, but it was awful and I still feel really bad for her. She seemed okay, but it was probably mostly adrenaline. Chances are she’s hurting a bit today.

(Nice to have a use for my business cards, though. Carrying the fuckers around with me doesn’t feel as dorky anymore. I have yet to use up a full box of business cards before getting a promotion or leaving a company.)