Near-Death Absurdity

I observed the ten-ton dump truck careening down the steep grade from Hawai'i Loa Ridge while I was crossing the street in the crosswalk on the way to the bus stop this morning. Surely, the truck was going stop ...

Just before I stepped onto the sidewalk, the dump truck rolled through the intersection against a red light and crossed all six lanes of Kalani'ana'ole Highway. The dump truck coasted to a stop at the entrance to Kawaikui Beach Park. Had it not stopped, the dump truck would not have been able to negotiate the sharp turn-around and would have ended up on the beach.

The road in question, Pu'u'ikena Drive, turns into four lanes at the intersection with the highway. The dump truck was in the left lane. Had it been in the right lane, or had I been there two seconds later, I would have been either seriously grazed or run over by the dump truck.

At 8am, Kalani'ana'ole Highway is normally congested with all six lanes full of vehicles traveling at well above the speed limit. For some unknown reason, the highway was clear when the dump truck breached the right-of-way. Only three vehicles in the East-bound lanes made abrupt stops at the intersection. They were fortunate to see the danger ahead. So, no collisions. No fatalities.

I was in shock as I stood at the bus stop moments later. Was the driver of the truck really that stupid or was he attempting a mass homicide? When the truck passed by me, I could not hear the diesel engine running. If the pneumatic brakes and the air horn were not functioning, then there obviously was not enough air pressure in the tanks. How could the driver have proceeded down a steep grade without checking his brakes? Why did he not have the transmission in the lowest gear? Why did he not attempt to sidle the truck against the retaining wall along the hill to slow it down? Or, why didn't he run the truck over the divider that contains large trees and a decorative boulder in order to prevent it from crossing the highway?

The worst case scenario would have been really tragic. Only chance saved the day. Was the experience surreal? No. Did I have an epiphany afterward? No. Did I thank Molech in prayer? No. Rather, I spent the rest of the day pondering the absurdity of the whole situation.

Typical Immortal Hottie

All of human life is absurd. Death is always looming over us. Yet, we continue to act as if we are immortal. Absolutely nothing lasts forever, not our lives, not our planet, not even the solar system or the universe. With that said, I really enjoyed my Panda Express® dinner this evening. The fortune cookie read: "Avenues of good fortune are ahead for you." Alas, we must enjoy life in the microsecond moment. Awww, heck. Thanks, Molech!