Ah…it rained heavily yesterday.
The roads were slippery too.
I made a wise choice driving my manual-shift Proton Saga to meet the guys at the usual rendezvous point.
I went past the toll-house and turned off onto the highway, picking up speed as I moved for a slingshot onto the highway.
Suddenly this lorry swerved into my lane ahead of me and was slowing down drastically. Obviously the bastard did not have any brake lights. I flashed my beams at him and towards the end honked non-stop but to no avail. Applied the brakes gently and obviously the car could not stop as the highway was slippery. My car was sliding. Somehow, the training I underwent for VIP Protection 18 years ago kicked in.
Clutch pedal down full, accelerator on half, wheel slight right, gear down from 5 to 2, visual contact to what’s on left (the lorry) and right (oncoming traffic). Less than two meters before my left side could impact the rear of the lorry, I let go of the clutch a bit and let traction kick in. Once traction was there, slow turn back to left, eyes now on the oncoming lorry on my right which was flashing its beams, and I’m sure the driver was also pumping his hydraulic brakes, and the car in the center lane.
On the car is 45 degree-angle to the culprit, I pressed the accelerator a bit more and let the car gain speed while losing the wheelspin before I let the clucth off full, then quickly change gears upwards as I pick up speed.
One finger up to the lorry driver, and I was well on my way again.
Muscle-memory, they call it. The body remembers.
SeaDemon Says 