MEEP! MEEP!

So, today I'm going to spend a little time giving my thoughts on bad drivers. Yep, you know the ones, everybody on the road but you. We all like to think we are the perfect driver who obeys all the rules and never offends any other driver while all the other numbskulls behind the wheel are the problem. Or I do, at least. Here are some of my worst pet peeves:

The Multi-Taskers-- These are the people who believe that any point in time in which their car has come to a full stop is a good time to get something done-- namely, picking up their phone and checking for texts/emails. (I won't even go into the drivers who text and drive-- you already know that is bad, so I won't cover that here). No, I am focusing on my fellow roadmates who get so engrossed in their few minutes of worktime to put on makeup, dig for the french fry that fell on the floor, check their phone, or turn around and yell at their kids in the backseat, that they fail to see the light has now turned green and approximately 48 cars have already gone before them and they are still sitting immobile. If you do this in front of me, prepare for my car to yell at you. And my car has a really annoying yell- it has a high pitched MEEP MEEP! sound that will no doubt make you want to flash me an obsene gesture. But I don't care, you aren't paying attention. MEEP.

Please Let Me In -- Ok, you know when there's construction and the two lane road you're driving on has to become a one laner? Well, they give plenty of warning, usually, for you to make that merge over into the consolidated lane. Why is it there are always a few people who go cruising at full speed riiiiiiiight up to the very last 10 feet of merge space then want you to let them in? Chances are you merged way back at the first warning sign and have been inching along in the construction traffic for a good mile and a quarter when this little young thing in a convertible wants to bat doe eyes at you and plead for you to let her in. No way, sweetie, I am not letting you in. I will close in on the bumper in front of me so tight a Matchbox car couldn't get in there. Sorry, don't procrastinate next time. Maybe the old guy behind me will think you're cute and let you in.

You're not driving a tractor-trailer-- I can't stand this quirky, yet odd habit. I don't know if everybody notices it like I do, but this is where a driver is turning right or left and, for reasons unknown to me, they "swing wide" before making the turn. What the? If you happen to be beside someone when they do this, it makes your reflexes kick in, prompting you to jerk your steering wheel in the same direction so they don't bump you. What's with these people? If you're making a right turn, there is no reason to swing your car to the left just prior to making that turn! You're not driving a semi-truck! And you're not trying to whip a Suburban into a compact parking spot- you're turning onto a street! Argh. You get 2 MEEPs, just a reflex response, not intentional.

It's my turn, not yours! -- This scenario occurs when me and another car are both stopped at opposite stop signs waiting to turn onto a highway in which the oncoming traffic does not stop. What gets sticky is when I am turning left and the guy across from me is turning right onto the same highway, or coming straight across it. If I got to my stop sign first-- I will be going first once traffic is clear. Yes, that's right, even if I am turning LEFT, it is my turn (in my rule book, at least). So don't honk at me when I go ahead and go. You should just read my rule book. (btw, I looked this up in the Indiana BMV manual and couldn't find it. And Google shows that lots of people disagree on this rule of the road...)

The demise of the yellow light-- When did the yellow light become so disrespected? Nobody pays any attention to the yellow light anymore. More and more I see people who believe there are only two traffic signals->
Red= stop, and Green/Yellow= Go like hell.
I hate the people that just keep on trucking through the yellow light even though they are wayyyyyy away from it when it turned yellow. Did you know you are only supposed to proceed through the yellow light IF you are ahead of the white intersection line when it turns? It doesn't mean "hit it Bertha, before we get stopped on red!" This habit is particularly annoying when I am the poor soul waiting out in the intersection to turn left but can't because of all the people coming on through until that light is good and RED. MEEP.

Exiting the interstate- quite easily actually-- Good news, drivers! It turns out those guys in orange jackets actually build those exit ramps long enough to give you plenty of time to slow down when leaving the interstate! So you don't need to start slowing down 1/2 mile before your exit, ok? Same for when you enter the interstate-- use that onramp to get up speed, honey! Slowing down and hoping somebody lets you in without mowing you over is probably not working in your favor...

And this just beats them all-- if you do this, you should stop it now. It is the worst of all driving offenses. Yes, this is the person behind me when I'm in the fast lane on the interstate who.... you know what it is----> flashes their headlights at me. Major road foul.
Now, I am not a slow driver. I go just enough over the posted speed limit to bore a cop, but enough that I make good time getting on down the highway. When I am in the fast lane, it is because I am passing someone. If you are behind me and decide that I am not passing that person fast enough, flashing your headlights at me will only serve in motivating me to turn off my cruise control and match the speed of the person who I am passing. Yes, that's right, I will slow down. And I hope you get pulled over after you go roaring past me in the right lane and there's a trooper just ahead just looking for someone to nab.


MEEP.


All things Olive today:
Apple Cider Tea
My dogs cuddling with me on the couch
Karma