Three Things That Really DRIVE Me Nuts --Or-- You Know What Really Grinds My Gears?

(suggested background music pairing:  You Saw My Blinker, Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince, 1991)

Yes…I’m blogging about driving habits that annoy me to no end!  And yes, that pun was intended.  I remember reading or hearing somewhere that on average, 80% of people think they are better drivers than most – me included!  My fellow blogger and one of my best friends growing up blogged this topic I think 3 or 4 months ago.  I haven’t gone back to re-read it, but I’m guessing I’ll probably inadvertently say many of the same things.  In fact, after I post this, I will go back and read, and comment how close I came!

I’m limiting myself to the three biggest things that annoy me:

#3) Distracted Driving (holding a phone, texting, and even worse, buzzed/drunk driving):  And yes, I’m guilty of driving while I talk on the phone or text.  I do try to limit phone calls to the very short ones, otherwise I do own and use a headset while driving.  I’m sure I look like a dork, but too bad, I feel pretty strongly about this.  I try to limit my texts to when I’m at a red light or on a long open empty stretch of highway.  Years ago in PA (on Rt 202 in Great Valley to be exact) I was forced into the median by someone who suddenly switched lanes while on a cell phone.  We’ve all seen the lane drifter, then sudden turns, and yet…  And the technology is there, and pretty cheap too, to just get a Bluetooth or some other device where this isn’t necessary.

#2) La-la-la In The Left Lane:  please, please, PLEASE…if you really do want to drive ONLY at the speed limit, please stay in the far right lane!  I’m even nice enough to let you come over to the left lane and pass someone, as rare as that might be, going slower.  But pass and then move back over!  Yes, I tend to drive 10 over the speed limit consistently.  That’s what the fast lane is for!!  The fast lane is not for the nice little Sunday drive.  UGH!!!  And for the expressways with 3 or more lanes on one side, this goes for the middle lanes too.   This actually causes traffic issues as the rest of us are stuck in back with no way to get around.  My dad pointed out something when I was learning to drive that is so completely true.  For whatever reason, people tend to drive in packs.  The trick is to drive on the open road between the packs, he said.  In all my driving, inevitably I’ll be cruising along and soon enough, there’s a pack of 5 cars all going 64 in a 65 – empty road ahead and behind.  Again, UGH!

#1)  (This is the one that greeted me this morning and is why I’m blogging this today):  USE YOUR TURN SIGNALS!!!  They aren’t for YOU, they’re for ME to know what crazy insane maneuver you’re about to do so I don’t run into the side of your car, because you just slowed down and turned in front of me all of a sudden without warning!  It’s not that hard, it’s a little lever!!!  Anywhere!!!  Everywhere!!!  Just do it!!!  It will save us all!!!  I might even be nice and let you turn in front of me if you just SIGNAL that you want to turn!!! 

I could have typed that last one in ALL CAPS but I thought it might be a little tough to read!  In short…I just want to be on my way…I don’t want you running into me, I don’t want you blocking my way, and I don’t want to run into you.  Is that too much to ask??  :)

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On a side note, I did not watch the Oscars last night.  I don’t watch any of those awards shows:  the Oscars, The Grammys, The People’s Choice Awards, the Hip-Hop/Source Awards…ok, I did just to see the massive brawls that would erupt before the censors could switch to a quick commercial about hair care products.  I digress… but I am not interested in hearing about who thinks what or who should be considered the best in whatever category, or who was snubbed, or who is predicting what.   I kinda like to have my own favorites for my own reasons and would much rather keep it that way.   As in, don’t try to tell me what my opinion SHOULD be!  I NEVER did well in school in literature because inevitably, I’d walk away with a different take on why Biff Loman was or was not the tragic hero of Death Of A Salesman.  OK, I really didn’t care whether he was labeled the tragic hero or not, I was more intrigued about Willy Loman’s obsession with his sons’ successes.  Again, I digress…that kind of day… 

Maybe, if we could all form our own opinions about things and be confident in what we believe without having to try to prove to everyone else (and secretly ourselves) why OUR opinion should be THE definitive opinion…maybe we could all get along?   Or worse, not take the time to form our own opinion, and just be led by what we’re told to believe?  Because maybe then we could all grow collectively?  Oh, was that a Macedo Final Thought??