Good old Bennett Road

I’m calmly motoring east the other day (Wednesday, December 28, 2011) on County Road 39, headed for Mighty Tops in nearby Canandaigua, headed toward the intersection with Bennett Road, a cross-road.
I can see the Bennett Road approaches to County Road 39.
About 400 yards away, I see a red SUV approaching; it’s headed south.
It stops and safely crosses County Road 39, me still 300 yards away — that’s three football fields.
I continue approaching Bennett Road.
Suddenly a dirty white Ford pickup is approaching the intersection southward on Bennett Road.
Even though I have the right-of-way (no stop-sign), I instinctively let off the gas and put my foot on the brake.
Good old Bennett Road — I know how it is. I’ve already had two phenomenal avoidances at this intersection.
-One was a girl on her cellphone — drove right in front of me.
I had to do an almighty swerve, and I doubt she ever saw me at all.
-The second incident was a lady in a Chevrolet pickup towing a horse-trailer. She turned right in front of me, and again I had to do an almighty swerve.
I passed her later, and she was surprised, like “where did he come from?”
“You can thank your lucky stars I once drove transit bus,” I thought; “so I expect such insanity.
Otherwise I probably woulda tee-boned ya.”
The dirty Ford pickup slowed as if to stop, and then charged right out in front of me.
25 yards and closing; I slammed on the brakes.
Someone was riding shotgun, so I couldn’t see the driver.
But I doubt he saw me; if he had he woulda stopped.
My guess is he looked only the other way, and seeing no-one charged.
The shotgun rider saw me; I saw him gasp.
“You just nearly got hit,” he probably said to the driver. “That car you didn’t see just saved your butt and mine. He woulda hit my side.”
Doesn’t hurt to stop and look both ways before ya main intersection with stop-signs only on your road.

• “Tops” is a large supermarket-chain based in Buffalo we occasionally buy groceries at. They have a store in Canandaigua (“Mighty Tops”).
• “Canandaigua” (“cannan-DAY-gwuh”) is a small city nearby where we live in Western NY. The city is also within a rural town called “Canandaigua.” The name is Indian, and means “Chosen Spot.” It’s about 14 miles away. —We live in the small rural town of West Bloomfield, southeast of Rochester.
• For 16&1/2 years (1977-1993) I drove transit bus for Regional Transit Service (RTS) in Rochester, NY, a public employer, the transit-bus operator in Rochester and its environs. My stroke October 26, 1993 ended that. I retired on medical-disability. —As a bus-driver I had to parry madness in the streets, NASCAR wannabees and befuddled grannies. (“Oh look Dora, a bus, a bus. PULL OUT! PULL OUT!”