An Act of Human Decency in Dunwoody

Dunwoody driving can be hectic. You know, cars everywhere, people cutting others off just to get in the proper lane, you get the idea. It's metro Atlanta traffic much of the time.

Tuesday, I was headed to an appointment around 1:30 p.m. I have to admit, I became a distracted driver for the briefest of moments.

I was stopped at a light near Perimeter Mall on Perimeter Center East. This area is one of the worst for cars piling up for lunch traffic and just general congestion this time of the day.

I was stopped. Completely. Waiting in a line of cars behind a red light. But I was fishing for a folder in my passeneger seat. I inadvertently and ever-so-slightly let my foot off the brake.

And then came the bump. The love tap. The insurance man's dream.

There was no damage to either my car, a Nissan Altima, or the person in front of me, driving a Toyota Prius, which features a smart, wraparound, all-plastic bumper. The bump left no dents, no marks - and it turned out - no complaints from either party.

The woman practically looked at her bumper and promptly called "no harm, no foul."

There's lots of human kindness in that gesture. And a refreshing lack of cynicism. Her car wasn't damaged, she wasn't injured, etc. She could have easily made a claim with an insurance company, called a lawyer and made life much more complicated for me.

I've seen it happen before to people close to me. It's a time-consuming headache at best.

So I would be remiss if I didn't say thank you to my anonymous Good Samaritan and the people like her. It's a real nod to people who live right.

I was expecting the worst, but, then, that is why I buy insurance. Instead of all that maze of paperwork I got the 'ole Mayberry treatment - apparently it doesn't matter if Andy Griffith is alive or dead. The sentiment is alive and well in Dunwoody. That's something to take pride in.