Last night, on the way home from church, it was kind of raining a little bit. My wife and I were stopped at a light, and there was a car headed north, waiting to turn west. There was a glob of traffic going south, and a person on a bicycle approaching the intersection from the north, on the west side of the street.

Do you see what I was imagining?

Turning vehicle got a clear spot, started the turn. Saw the bicyclist, stopped – across southbound traffic. Southbound Dodge pickup saw the turning vehicle stop, hit his brakes. Freshly wet pavement in Phoenix, after a long dry spell = ice rink. Even with his ABS working overtime, the Dodge hit the turning car in the right rear passenger door, spinning her clockwise 180°. The look on the bicyclist’s face when she realized she was about to wear a Toyota was rather odd – and all control left her muscles as she just coasted into the driver’s door of the Toyota. The light turned green for us, and, since I am not a doctor nor was my lane blocked, my wife and I continued on our way.

A lack of common sense really hurts sometimes. That, and not paying attention to your surroundings.