Motorized Wheelchair

I’m missing the band this evening, and I’ve been meandering down memory lane today in my imagination, and I remembered this - it happened a few years ago:

Sue and I were taking Cheryl, our lead singer, home from a music practice one evening. Coming up on an intersection, I had a red light. A little bit before the intersection, my light turned green, so I took my foot off the brake.

Then, to my right, I hear two words.

Motorized wheelchair.

My brain didn't even register it as English. Before I could reply "what the h*ll are you talking about???" I hear it again, a little louder.

Motorized Wheelchair!

This time, my brain almost finished forming a vague yet inarticulate thought along the lines of: "why are you saying such a silly thing?" when Sue grabbed my leg and said...

"MOTORIZED WHEELCHAIR!!!!!"

...

I stopped.

Just in time for a lady in a...motorized wheelchair...to zoom across my path, running her red light, yet flying along the crosswalk...

Two things now must I say in my defense:
1-there was a car immediately to my left. Now, I didn't actually turn my head to the left to look, but I saw it in my peripheral vision. Even if I were looking straight towards the wheelchair as it was crossing, I could not have seen it, because the other car was in that line of sight...

2-of all the phrases that someone might say to me to get me to stop and avoid hitting a wheelchair-bound person, "motorized wheelchair," said in a calm, matter-of-fact tone of voice, is not one of them. It is not a phrase that I have ever heard before to associate it with not hitting something. I have now added that to my repertoire of warnings to listen for when driving with a passenger in my car.

If you ever want me to avoid colliding with anything, or anyone, now all you have to say is...

MOTORIZED WHEELCHAIR!

I will listen.