When courtesy causes accidents

Drive long enough and you'll run into them, hopefully not literally.

They're the drivers who are so over-cautious in trying to avoid accidents that they drive 10mph below the speed limit (or even slower) and piss off everyone else on the road who wants to drive at (or above) the legal limit.

They're the drivers who pull up to 4-Way Stop Signs or Roundabouts and refuse to take their turn. Instead they wave everyone else through the intersection ahead of them until not a single other car is waiting...except of course for the furious drivers behind them.

Today I came across a car waiting to pull out of the Gas Station, which is not an unusual sight. In this situation someone will inevitably leave a spot for the driver to pull out, usually when the light turns red, and that's what happened in this case when an Overly Cautious Driver left a space for Gas Station Man. But just as GSM was about to pull out a pedestrian walked up so, with GSM's car blocking the sidewalk, he considerately backed his car up and allowed the pedestrian to pass in front of him. Now that is an unusual sight. Most drivers aren't that respectful of pedestrians.

The light ahead of us went green and the first couple of cars drove through but not OCD (that's how I know he was an OCD and not just a Good Samaritan); OCD had offered to let GSM out ahead of him and Green Light and Pedestrian be damned! OCD was staying put until GSM pulled out so he could receive his karmic brownie points.

The pedestrian finally crossed in front of the car and I could see OCD still waving to GSM. "Come on! I'm letting you out! Come on!"

GSM & OCD maintained eye contact and exchanged Thank You! waves and You're welcome! waves and because GSM was doing this and looking at OCD instead of being cognizant of his surroundings...he completely failed to see the two kids riding their bikes on the sidewalk.

The front kid began to ride in front of GSM's car, just as the pedestrian had done just seconds before, except GSM was no longer looking out for peds and he gunned his engine and his car leaped forward. The kid was quick and he jerked his front wheel to the right but GSM was halfway into the road before he realized he had a new hood ornament. Luckily the kid managed to keep his bike upright and stay on it or he would have gone underneath GSM's car.

Once again GSM reversed his car back into the gas station while the kid wheeled his bike around and rejoined his friend on the sidewalk where they began exchanging angry words with GSM.

Seeing GSM was going to be occupied for a while OCD finally gave up on letting GSM out in front of him and, in the way of OCDs the world over who help to cause accidents but are never actually involved in them, finally drove through the intersection like he should have done in the first place.