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We walk around a loop of two streets that has sidewalks--it's the only one in the neighborhood that does. We stop at each intersection and look left, right, left, then cross with joined hands while looking out for oncoming cars. There are a couple of blind spots where fences or bushes obscure the driveway on the other side. At each of these, we stop, group up, peer around the obstacle, and discuss what we see on the other side before continuing. "What do you see? A big pickup truck? Is there anybody inside of it? Do you hear the engine rumbling? Are the lights on? Is it moving? Okay; it's safe to go."
There's a ranch house with a wide view of the street in both directions from a two-car carport set way back from the street. I had two nearly-four-year-olds who were walking maybe five feet in front of me. I had my little man and the baby in the stroller with me. There was no sign of activity at the house and I was being vigilant.
The two big kids stepped into the long driveway and a minivan gunned it out of the carport. I shouted "Move! Move!" at the big kids, but they got confused and stopped in the driveway. I left the little ones, started screaming "STOP!" at the top of my lungs, ran into the driveway, and tried to push the big kids out of it, but the van was already on top of us. I gave them a shove and stepped toward the van because I was the only person tall enough to be seen from the rear window, although the driver certainly would have seen all of us on the sidewalk if she'd looked behind her at all before or while reversing.
She braked about two feet from me. The whole event didn't seem fast although I know it was because I didn't have time to get out of the driveway once I was in it. I really did think I was about to die, and I wasn't sure about the big kids, who were almost off the driveway at that point. The worst part? My little man was standing back on the sidewalk with the baby and I thought "He's about to see another parent figure die."
So I'm still here, obviously, so she actually did stop instead of flattening us, and I'm not sure if it's because I was up in the rear window that she definitely wasn't checking or because she heard me screaming. She was older and didn't seem surprised or shaken up at all. She just tried to wave us past her van. Yeah, no way. I pulled the big kids back and yelled "Just go!" and she pulled out to the street and left.
I honestly don't know how we could have prevented it. The big kids weren't running ahead. Nobody walked right behind a vehicle; the van was way up a deep driveway. The driver must have been sitting in her van for a long time before she pulled out or we would have seen her getting into it as we came down the street. The only thing I can think of that I missed was brake lights, which must have come on at least for a moment. It was an older van with no automatic running lights, but it wasn't loud enough or close enough to hear that the engine was on as we came near to the house.
I'm going to have to matter-of-factly inform the parents of the close call at pickup today because the kids are fascinated and telling each other "We almost got squished!" Also my throat is shredded from screaming and I'm feeling melancholic about the whole human condition.
Safety tips, guys? Similar close calls in your experience and how to avoid them?
There's a ranch house with a wide view of the street in both directions from a two-car carport set way back from the street. I had two nearly-four-year-olds who were walking maybe five feet in front of me. I had my little man and the baby in the stroller with me. There was no sign of activity at the house and I was being vigilant.
The two big kids stepped into the long driveway and a minivan gunned it out of the carport. I shouted "Move! Move!" at the big kids, but they got confused and stopped in the driveway. I left the little ones, started screaming "STOP!" at the top of my lungs, ran into the driveway, and tried to push the big kids out of it, but the van was already on top of us. I gave them a shove and stepped toward the van because I was the only person tall enough to be seen from the rear window, although the driver certainly would have seen all of us on the sidewalk if she'd looked behind her at all before or while reversing.
She braked about two feet from me. The whole event didn't seem fast although I know it was because I didn't have time to get out of the driveway once I was in it. I really did think I was about to die, and I wasn't sure about the big kids, who were almost off the driveway at that point. The worst part? My little man was standing back on the sidewalk with the baby and I thought "He's about to see another parent figure die."
So I'm still here, obviously, so she actually did stop instead of flattening us, and I'm not sure if it's because I was up in the rear window that she definitely wasn't checking or because she heard me screaming. She was older and didn't seem surprised or shaken up at all. She just tried to wave us past her van. Yeah, no way. I pulled the big kids back and yelled "Just go!" and she pulled out to the street and left.
I honestly don't know how we could have prevented it. The big kids weren't running ahead. Nobody walked right behind a vehicle; the van was way up a deep driveway. The driver must have been sitting in her van for a long time before she pulled out or we would have seen her getting into it as we came down the street. The only thing I can think of that I missed was brake lights, which must have come on at least for a moment. It was an older van with no automatic running lights, but it wasn't loud enough or close enough to hear that the engine was on as we came near to the house.
I'm going to have to matter-of-factly inform the parents of the close call at pickup today because the kids are fascinated and telling each other "We almost got squished!" Also my throat is shredded from screaming and I'm feeling melancholic about the whole human condition.
Safety tips, guys? Similar close calls in your experience and how to avoid them?
) If she's getting on in age, it could be her driving skills need to be evaluated. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how you would get that to happen if you don't know her. Other than paying her or her family member(s) a visit or reporting the incident to the police to see if there's anything they can do, you may just have to stay extra vigilant when you walk near her house.
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