Near-death experience w/ a coot today

Apr 1, 2015, 8:25 PM

Background: The town I live (Peachtree City, Ga) is a golf cart community. There are over 100 miles of golf cart paths that run along roads as well as throughout the network of neighborhoods and commercial space.

I was riding in my cart with my dog after work...I had just come back from shooting hoops at the closest blacktop. I approached an intersection with the cart path and the entrance to a neighborhood. There were large bushes right by the cart path where it met the road, so there was very limited viability around the corner into the neighborhood. For this very reason, I slowed to a complete stop and took caution.

Lo and behold, right as I came to a stop, I see a giant, black Tahoe barreling down right at me. I would say one could only see 5-7 feet into the neighborhood before being blocked by the bushes, so the Tahoe literally appeared to be on top of me at once.

Good thing I stopped. I looked directly through the windshield at the driver, a very Stepford Wives-esque looking woman half turned around looking over her shoulder with her cell phone in hand, as she roared right past me, probably doing a solid 25 MPH. Our eyes made contact through the middle passenger window since she was still looking behind her. I didn't get to see her reaction, and I really doubt she was even aware of what had just happened. At any rate, its safe to say I would be critically injured if not dead if I wasn't being attentive and had stopped.

As she passed by, I looked down to see..yep...you guessed it...a coot trailer hitch cover. I Sandblasted her as she drove off, but I don't think she heard me. The jogger behind me sure did though!

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Golf cart crossings are clearly marked with signs as well as paint on the road. 98% of the time when crossing the front of a neighborhood, it is easy to see if a car is coming from either direction or not, and stopping is hardly necessary. Traffic in and out of said neighborhood is light at best, and golf-carts always have the right of way over cars.

May sound like common sense to just say "stopped and looked both ways before entering a roadway" but you are grossly underestimating the situation. I didn't emphasize how long I stopped and hesitated. Coast was perfectly clear upon first inspection. I could have easily stopped, looked, proceeded and been T-Boned because the car came out of nowhere so quickly

Near-death experience w/ a coot today

Re: Near-death experience w/ a coot today

Glad you got home safe and sound!! Have to put up a "Coot Crossing" sign I guess!***

Re: Near-death experience w/ a coot today

I thought the same thing

Re: Near-death experience w/ a coot today

I think you are mistaking the type of "roadway" here

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