Driving ME Crazy (WARNING! Foul Language)
Okay America, I'm sure you all have heard this gripe before, but I simply must know;
Where in the Hell did you learn your driving skills?One of my dear old Dad’s favorite phrases was “Ya git yer license from a Cracker-Jack box?” (This was usually followed by a stern looking at in his general direction from me Ma) Way back then it was hard to understand his frustration from the backseat with my nose stuck in a book. Then that terrible day came when it was time for me to slide behind the wheel, crank over the ignition and hit the road. Remember how we all couldn’t wait for the day when we got our first license? How it felt to take that particular leap toward adulthood? The exhilaration of the open road for the first time? Not to mention knowing we were all one more step closer to getting away from our parents…
Anyway, now that we have been driving for a while I figure we should have our shit pretty well lumped in one pile when it comes to road etiquette. Yup! Let’s get in the car and go for a drive. Sounds like fun, eh? Why, I bet we can get there in no time. Vroom, vroom! Wheeee! But wait, what’s this? Why is this lady in front of us going twelve miles under the speed limit? It looks like she’s talking on her cell phone. I would pass, but there is too much oncoming traffic. And now the guy behind me in the pick-up truck seems to be in a big hurry and is riding so close to my bumper all I can see is a big chrome grill. I can’t help it if the traffic in front of me won’t go any faster. Now the lady in the mini-van in front of me can’t seem to figure out where she’s turning. And she’s still on the phone. I hope she doesn’t make a quick stop or that pick-up will be in my back seat. Oh good, she’s finally turning. Hmm… It seems as though Mr. Pick-up isn’t satisfied with going the speed limit. Holy shit! That guy pulled out right in front of me! That was a close- now wait a sec… He’s turning left. You pulled out in front of me just to turn LEFT a few yards down the road?!? There’s nobody behind Mr. I’m-gonna-ride-your-ass-all-the-way-to-Kansas-if-I-have-to! You nearly got me killed! Okay, calm down. We’re coming up on a double lane highway. This asshole in the truck can pass and everything will be fine.Except that’s when you get caught in the melee of the pushy fuckers trying to pass everybody and the slow fuckers that won’t (A): Get into the slow lane and (B): Aren’t paying attention because of kids, pets, reading material, radio dials, DVD players and, yes, you guessed it, CELL PHONES!
So now instead of one slow fuck in front and an ass rider behind, you’re stuck in a cluster of angry, stupid and apathetic people with large metal (mostly) boxes of rolling death and they are apparently all out to kill you! That doesn’t even include the asshole truckers. Yes, that’s right. I said it. I was a trucker myself for awhile. Most of you are assholes. Especially to other truckers. But I don’t blame you. Driving for long periods of time will do that to you in a quick hurry. That’s because of all the other assholes on the road who apparently just don’t give a damn about anybody else behind the wheel. And a big hearty fuck you to those dickheads that ride the ultra fast rice rockets. My message to your kind is this: If you’re going to ride a motorcycle like that, you get what you deserve and there will be no sympathy from me when they have to scrape you off the pavement with a spatula.It’s really no wonder that road rage exists. What happens to us when we get behind the wheel? Does it regress our psyche? I tend to believe you can really see a person’s true personality when they drive. The thing that scares me about that statement is most people just don’t drive very well, and I find it very hard to believe it has anything to do with their driving skills at all. Oh, I know there are exceptions to the rule. But I can also tell you that going out on the roads in America will give you an insight as to what’s missing from our modern society; Common Courtesy. And that, my friends is one of the places where it is needed the most.
So the next time you’re on your way to work, or to the grocery store, or even your Grandma’s house try to think about how your actions affect the people driving around you. Just because you’re in a metal shell doesn’t mean that the universe stops there. I don’t expect you to drive perfectly all the time; Shit happens. But you need to pay better attention, ‘cause you’re pissin’ me off and if you don’t get the fuck out of my goddamn way I’m going to run you off the road.
~C
