When I was nineteen years old I approached the taxi rank opposite Ealing Broadway Station
Due to a football injury I was unable to walk long distances
I lived about a mile away
It had begun to rain
There were two cabs to choose from
Initially I chose the leading cab
But then changed my mind
Which was rare for me as I considered it absurd to change my plans when travelling
This was only a micro aggression but it could have cost me my life
I chose the second cab and at about 23:1o that night we hit a streetlight and then a sturdy stone wall at about 51 mph
If by some miracle I was totally unhurt apart from a cut on my forehead
The driver who was at the time fifty-four years old suffered serious injuries
He never drove again and retired a few month later
After the crash the owners of the house without a wall came out to offer assistance
They had been awoken by the crash
The husband on seeing that the driver was badly injured went to his immediate aid
The woman and her young son took me into a large kitchen
I was given a tea towel to stem my bleeding
The son who was about five sat opposite me but did not speak
I was given a cup of sugary tea
About ten minutes after the accident a cop entered the kitchen and in all seriousness asked who had been involved in the accident
The woman was wearing a pair of male pajamas and a Japanese style maroon and gold dressing gown
The child was wearing a pair of pajamas featuring space rockets and astronauts
I was wearing a pair of pale jeans and a grey sweatshirt and was covered in blood
I thought the cop was joking
After being checked out at the local A/E I was sent home without stitches and told to rest
It was during these weary days that I questioned the absurdity of the event
If I had ridden with my original choice then I would not have crashed
But it changed me as I ever never alter my travelling plans
A few years later at an airport in Zagreb I was offered a later flight back to London
But I made a fuss as I was sure that the second flight would crash
As it was both flights arrived safely
I smile now at the absurdity of my fears
Stephen Masefield