Slug Tales: No Apologies for Near-Miss Crash

By Laura Cirillo

I think it was Forrest Gump who once said, “Slugging is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re gonna get.”

On second thought, maybe that’s not exactly how the saying goes, but it certainly could easily apply to slugging. Slugs may often come across the same people; however, the system is such that Slugs generally don’t know who they will be riding with until they get into a car at the Slug line. And unless you’ve ridden with that driver before, you just get in, buckle up, and hope for the best.

Before Potomac Mills selfishly decided to reduce their commuter parking agreement from 1,000 to 250 spaces (yes, I realize that it was a business decision – I still don’t think it was very nice!), I used to be able to slug from the mall to my building every morning. In the afternoon, I would make the trek back to the Pentagon slug lines, and pick up a ride back home. Taking Metro to get to the slug lines certainly isn’t ideal, but it works.

One evening, it was just one gentleman and myself left waiting for a ride close to 6 p.m. when the restrictions on the High Occupancy Vehicle lanes on Interstate 95/395 are lifted so Slugs can use the lanes, so we were thrilled when a lady in a small SUV pulled up to our line and picked us up. Relieved, I climbed into the backseat, put on my sunglasses and closed my eyes. I noticed the driver shifting around in her seat a couple of times before we got on the road, but I assumed she was just getting comfortable.

As we left the Pentagon and merged onto the HOV lanes, she was driving pretty fast – and while merging, came thisclose to hitting another car. As the other driver lay on the horn and presumably shouted profanities in our direction, the driver of our car hardly seemed to react at all. Again, I noticed her shifting around in her seat, and I continued to watch as she did so repeatedly for the remainder of the ride. Apparently, she suffered from some sort of twitch or something. She never once uttered a peep, not even to apologize for the close call, until we got back to the commuter lot and she wished us a lovely evening.

After safely exiting the car, the front seat passenger threw his hands up into the air and exclaimed dramatically, “It is by the grace of GOD that we have arrived here! I should get on my knees and kiss the ground that we have made it here alive!”

I laughed in agreement, and we parted ways. Months later, I ran into the man again one cold and windy morning back at Potomac Mills (before the lot closed), as we waited for a ride.

When we began talking, his eyes lit up in recognition, and he said, “Oh, yes! I remember you! We almost crashed that day in the car with the lady with the ‘jerky behaviors’! I hope she does not need riders this morning!”

I laughed as we recalled that afternoon – yup, that was me! He said he had never seen her again after that day. Thank goodness!

Laura Cirillo lives in Prince William County and commutes to work daily in Washington, D.C. Whether she’s slugging or on the bus, Laura knows commuting is always more fun on Northern Virginia’s High Occupancy Vehicle lanes, avoiding rush hour madness and catching a power nap along the way.

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