Day 7 of BLINDNESS- Why did the new guy cross the road?

Days 1-6 here
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101676749

I did 4 street crossings today. Side streets along a busy east/west avenue with a speed limit of 35 (I think) but they sounded faster.
Me and a student in sleep shades and the instructor who is blind. Our driver pulled off to run another errand for work. The instructor is an experienced professional but I felt more than a bit vulnerable.

What is the main street configuration? (open? stop light? stop sign? etc.) This was open - cars zooming by. What is the side street configuration? These had stop signs. We established that but I also knew the area really well. "Square" yourself to the street you are crossing. This is done with the cane on the curb and by sound - "near parallel" traffic's sound should never cross your face as that means you are pointed to some degree into traffic. Deep breath. Pray if that helps you. And go.

There was a large work truck that we could hear squeak-rust-rattle-rust on the way down the street we were crossing. It sounded like 'Mater from the "Cars" movies.
I heard a cyclist come rolling down one of the streets...no pause.. took the right and kept on going. Nothing against the cyclist, he was probably more aware of us than we were of him.
I heard someone get in their car about 5 cars down the street. I decided to wait for them to go through as they got out of the curbside parking spot pretty quick and I thought they might be pre-occupied with getting going.
My last cross was coming back to the west so the east bound traffic was the "near parallel". Zooming by. I have learned that I don't walk straight while being "blind" so I told myself "DON'T VEER RIGHT!!". I hit the curb with my cane but felt something in front of me....it was a tree about 4 inches from my face. I was a good 6 feet away from the sidewalk I was originally headed towards.
Oh and at one point the instructor got me across the street and said "We'll meet you on the next corner". I knew something wasn't right. I felt grass to my right (a yard?) and concrete to my left (the sidewalk?). I did another check and my cane hit the curb. Not right. The instructor is short but not THAT short. I felt around with my cane again and realized that I wasn't on the sidewalk. Traffic is on my left...move to the right... okay I will admit it - I peaked. I had been standing ON the curb facing onto the main street at a 45 degree angle. Whew!! Dropped the shade and proceeded down the sidewalk. Pretty rattled I have to admit.

Oh and this afternoon I typed a full page of a Braille primer (really repetitive stuff) and the entire Braille alphabet.