Driver's Ed - A Refresher Course

UGH! Holy Hectic Week, Batman! Hee hee...I have kinda had writers block. Kinda. But then I went on a tangent yesterday because something REALLY pissed me off.

Now, I would like to start by saying that I am not Miss Obey-all-traffic-laws-all-the-time. I have my issues with speed, I can admit it. However, I do try to obey most of the rules most of the time. And I think I am the only one out there. Everyone else is driving all crazy and outta control. Running stop signs, speeding through crosswalks, etc. It makes me insane!!

For instance, when I leave my workplace for the day, I get on the 22 Freeway. The on-ramp is split into two lanes. The carpool lane is supposed to be for cars of two people or more and they obviously do not have to stop at the 'meter' light. I can not tell you how many times a week I sit patiently waiting for that light to go green while a plethora of single drivers speed past me in the carpool lane. Now, I usually end up passing them anyway, but it makes me crazy! Do they feel like they are somehow beating the system by not following the rules? Does it really get them to their destination that much quicker? I highly doubt it since I see them a few minutes later sitting in the same traffic I am in!

And while we are discussing being in a hurry, let's talk about stop signs. From the American Heritage Dictionary:

Stop: to halt the motion or progress of

You will notice that nowhere in this definition does it say anything about slowing down enough to see if anyone is coming. It does not say pause, it does not say roll. To halt the motion. No more moving.

This phenomenon is especially aggrivating to me at four-way stops. It's like the person knows that everyone else has to stop, so why should they? But what if I were as big of an a-hole as they are and chose to not stop, too? Oh, I'm sorry, I guess I missed that sticker on your license plate that gives you the right to not stop. My bad.

The worse offenders of this, however, have got to be the moms. I drive past an elementary school every day. There are two four-way stops. One has a crossing guard and the other doesn't. The intersection without the guard has got to be one of the most dangerous intersections in the LBC! Kids are riding their bikes and their scooters across the street...and psycho moms running late for yoga are tearing through the stop sign in their Volvo full of kids! I am not kidding. I see it every day. I fear for the children who have to walk to school.

And is everyone out there aware of the turn signal? Did they stop making cars with the turn signal? Not a day goes by, not one day, where I don't want to strangle someone for lack of a turn signal. Are we so lazy nowadays that the extra effort to flick our right hand and let someone know you're turning is just too much? Apparently so.

If you are on the freeway and you choose to enter the "fast" lane...GO FAST! If cars are passing you on the right (and honking and giving you the finger and cutting you off) it means you are not going fast enough. And you should get your 50-MPH-driving ass over. Now.

And one more thing. Just because you drive a fancier car than me does not give you any special driving priveleges (this means you, frizzy-head bitch that drives the hideous yellow 2-door Mercedes and drives home on the 22 West every day! Hate you!). We are all on the same roads, obeying the same laws (ideally), trying to get home. Let's all work together. For your own safety. From me.