Some people just won’t let you help them.
At noon today, my teenage daughter and I were driving down the interstate. It was along a semi-suburban/rural area of the interstate, just at the eastern edge of Oklahoma City. There was this lady, walking with the flow of traffic on the inside of the highway near the high-speed lane, and yakking on a cell phone. Why wasn’t she walking on the shoulder where it was at least a little bit safer?
I decided to pull over onto the shoulder and give her a lift if she needed it. I don’t remember seeing a stranded car, and it was at least two miles to the nearest exit. She was in a very dangerous situation, walking next to traffic whizzing by at 70 plus miles per hour. I couldn’t just leave a fellow human stranded there. When traffic was clear, I backed up along the shoulder, opposite her, across two-lanes of interstate. Several cars whizzed by between us. She continued to walk and to talk on her cell phone.
I rolled down my window and yelled, “Ma’am.” No response. I yelled louder, “Ma’am!” No response. She continued to walk and to talk on that cell phone. Not even a glance to the left or right.
I looked quizzically over at my daughter. What to do? She started to laugh. I inched up my pickup truck again to stay even with the lady. More traffic whizzed between us.
This time I honked. Nothing. I honked again. Still nothing. More traffic whizzed by, and the lady continued to walk and to talk on the cell phone.
I strained to hear what she was talking about. I couldn’t hear specific words, but it sounded like any ordinary phone conversation. She didn’t seem to be under any stress.
I looked again at my daughter, and by this time, she was red in the face from laughing so hard. I inched the truck up some more to stay even with the lady. I laid on the horn several times. Nothing. Not even a glance. The lady kept on walking and talking on that damn cell phone. More traffic whizzed by. Daughter was laughing her ass off.
How was I suppose to get this woman’s attention? She had to know that it was dangerous to walk along a highway, especially on the left side where the traffic was fastest. Surely she saw me back up along the highway in front of her?
I inched up the truck further. I screamed at the top on my lungs, “Lady!” I laid on the horn again. Nothing. She was still just walking and talking on that cell phone. Oblivious to the world. Flip-flops flapped at each step. Skirt and hair blew in the wind as each car and semi-truck whizzed by. But she continued to walk straight ahead, not bothering to look left or right, and continued to talk on that damn cell phone.
Maybe I should drive across both lanes of traffic and pull in front of her? No. I’m not risking that, not both my daughter’s and my life. I gave one last yell and honk. Nothing. The lady continued to walk and to talk on her cell phone.
As I pulled away, watching the lady disappear in my rear view mirror, my daughter said, “I guess some people just won’t let you help them.”
I prayed that the lady would reach her destination safely.