More driving thoughts
I often end up thinking deep thoughts while driving in to work in the morning. I'm alone in the car, with nothing to do but drive. And there are assholes to inspire me all around.
This morning some dude went zipping across three lanes and a double-white line where two highways merge together. And I thought unkind thoughts about what a jerk he was. Hey, jerk, crossing a double-white line is illegal.
At which point it occurred to me that the speed I was traveling at might be above the posted limit. But that I didn't consider that to be a bad thing. So... why the different attitude towards two acts that are both technically illegal?
So I started thinking of things that people do while driving.
Speeding, not using turn signals, following at unsafe distances, crossing double-white lines, not using turn signals, talking on the phone while driving, throwing cigarettes out the window, driving slowly in the left lane, not using turn signals... hmm.
Speeding - illegal - doesn't bother me.
Turn signals - illegal - drives me insane and makes me wish for a death penalty for traffic violations.
Tailgating - illegal - bugs me when other people do it (double-standard).
Crossing double-white lines - illegal - bothers me
Talking on the phone - doesn't appear to be illegal yet - Only bothers me if you are driving badly while doing it.
Throwing cigs - illegal - I call you lots of bad names, the nicest of which is pig-fucker.
Left lane blockers - illegal - I hate it, but it's situational. If you're turning left at the next life or there's a lot of traffic and you're keeping up with the car in front of you, then ohwell.
Flying up to the end of the lane that is ending and forcing your way into line at the last minute - not illegal - drives me crazy
Turn signals - illegal - did I mention the death penalty?
So what does it all mean? Really, nothing much. It's all just my personal feelings and biases about driving. However, my current theory is that the more your bad driving impacts other drivers around you, the more it bugs me. If you shoot across a double-white line and cut off somebody, I'll be pissed. Especially if that somebody is me. If you do it when the lanes are clear and there's no one around, it doesn't matter so much. If you are in the right turn lane and not using your signal... well I still want to strangle you. But it's really not the end of the world. If you're sitting at a stop light in the left lane and I get up behind you and *then* you put on your left turn signal as the light changes to green... be thankful for my restraint and good manners that keeps me from ramming you like a demo derby car and dragging you out of your car through the broken window and pounding your head on the pavement until it's a soggy mash like a pumpkin a week after Halloween.
If you do something stupid but it doesn't hurt anyone else, I don't really care. I'll grumble, but it doesn't much matter. But if what you are doing screws up the nice flow of traffic for everyone else, it really pisses me off.
Also should add more here at some point. I meant to make the point that our perceptions of what's right and wrong, or what's polite and what's jerky, are very subjective, blah blah blah. But I'll probably never ger around to coming back and completing it.
This morning some dude went zipping across three lanes and a double-white line where two highways merge together. And I thought unkind thoughts about what a jerk he was. Hey, jerk, crossing a double-white line is illegal.
At which point it occurred to me that the speed I was traveling at might be above the posted limit. But that I didn't consider that to be a bad thing. So... why the different attitude towards two acts that are both technically illegal?
So I started thinking of things that people do while driving.
Speeding, not using turn signals, following at unsafe distances, crossing double-white lines, not using turn signals, talking on the phone while driving, throwing cigarettes out the window, driving slowly in the left lane, not using turn signals... hmm.
Speeding - illegal - doesn't bother me.
Turn signals - illegal - drives me insane and makes me wish for a death penalty for traffic violations.
Tailgating - illegal - bugs me when other people do it (double-standard).
Crossing double-white lines - illegal - bothers me
Talking on the phone - doesn't appear to be illegal yet - Only bothers me if you are driving badly while doing it.
Throwing cigs - illegal - I call you lots of bad names, the nicest of which is pig-fucker.
Left lane blockers - illegal - I hate it, but it's situational. If you're turning left at the next life or there's a lot of traffic and you're keeping up with the car in front of you, then ohwell.
Flying up to the end of the lane that is ending and forcing your way into line at the last minute - not illegal - drives me crazy
Turn signals - illegal - did I mention the death penalty?
So what does it all mean? Really, nothing much. It's all just my personal feelings and biases about driving. However, my current theory is that the more your bad driving impacts other drivers around you, the more it bugs me. If you shoot across a double-white line and cut off somebody, I'll be pissed. Especially if that somebody is me. If you do it when the lanes are clear and there's no one around, it doesn't matter so much. If you are in the right turn lane and not using your signal... well I still want to strangle you. But it's really not the end of the world. If you're sitting at a stop light in the left lane and I get up behind you and *then* you put on your left turn signal as the light changes to green... be thankful for my restraint and good manners that keeps me from ramming you like a demo derby car and dragging you out of your car through the broken window and pounding your head on the pavement until it's a soggy mash like a pumpkin a week after Halloween.
If you do something stupid but it doesn't hurt anyone else, I don't really care. I'll grumble, but it doesn't much matter. But if what you are doing screws up the nice flow of traffic for everyone else, it really pisses me off.
Also should add more here at some point. I meant to make the point that our perceptions of what's right and wrong, or what's polite and what's jerky, are very subjective, blah blah blah. But I'll probably never ger around to coming back and completing it.