The Matching Donuts

I saw something today that I can honestly say I’ve never seen in my 11 and 1/2 years of driving.  I was driving on the looping interstate in Central Ohio that everyone knows as 270 when all of a sudden traffic started creeping to a 40 mph pace for no apparent reason.  I then noticed break lights, heard some honking and started to think there was an accident.

There was no accident, but there was a car full of what appeared to be immigrants, driving with 2 donuts/spares on their car.  Both rear tires had donuts.  Really.  I can’t make this stuff up.

That wasn’t enough to justify this post, what really bothered me was that they decided to enter an interstate in those conditions.  These morons were driving 35 mph in a 65 mph zone with two spare tires. 

I realize that you’re supposed to be able to go up to 55 or 60 mph with a single spare tire, but with two of them you should not be allowed to drive at all.  If you can’t afford to go to your local used tire shop and pickup a couple of decent tires; you don’t deserve to share the road with the rest of us.  Period.

The (Wrong) Turn Lane

Have you ever been in traffic and noticed someone in a non-turning lane with their turn signal on?  Worse yet, have you seen someone in the middle of an intersection (green light, nonetheless) holding up traffic for hundreds of yards until someone will allow this idiot to turn (again, from the wrong lane…)?

Why does this guy think he can just hold up traffic for 2 blocks until someone decides to let him in?  If you’re that out of touch with where you’re going that you don’t get in the proper lane in time to turn, accept the fact that you’re a traffic failure and continue driving until you can safely turn around and return to your destination without obstructing traffic.

Sitting in traffic and making everyone else wait because you’re in such a hurry is not fair to other, more attentive drivers; like me.  You should be ticketed for such behavior.

The Slowest Driver EVER

I realize not everyone immediately goes when the light turns green, but this is ridiculous.  I was behind someone today at a stop light, and when the light turned green they took a few seconds to get going.  I didn’t slam on my horn like the little devil on my shoulder told me to, instead I waited and sure enough they started to move.  However, they took off at a pace which would upset a snail. 

I know that you’re not supposed to floor it until you reach the speed limit, but certainly you should be expected to get in gear so that the other drivers can also get through the light that they’ve so patiently awaited.

If you’re not willing to push that long pedal on the right hard enough to get through the light in under a minute, perhaps you should take up a more pedestrian means of transportation such as walking or riding a bicycle. 

Where do these people come from?

The Last Minute Merger

We as a society have become so caught up in the now.  Everything's instant.  We're constantly on our cell phones texting, calling, checking email, reading news, checking weather, etc.  I get that, and as a technology consultant who's career revolves around collaboration and content management, I appreciate and embrace it.However, there comes a point where we need to slow down a little.  I get in this situation pretty much daily, but it got to the point today where it took a serious dose of self-calming to not initiate road rage.  Picture this:  You're in the lane you need to be in to enter the on-ramp for a highway, and dozens of other patient drivers are in front of or behind you.  Some self-righteous idiot talking on a cell phone with two kids, void of seatbelts speedily merges right in front of you and then slams on their brakes as to avoid a collision with the driver in front of them.  
Surely this person could've merged in somewhere along the line, and safely; but no, they're more important than you so they had to narrowly avoid an accident (and potentially cause one further back in line) to merge in at the very last second to get onto the highway.

Why is this acceptable behavior?  If this were a checkout line at the grocery store and this idiot jumped right in front of you just before your turn to check-out, he/she would be ridiculed and told to get to the back of the line. 

Next time you think this is going to happen, safely creep up a little closer to the person in front of you and force this idiot to rethink their driving habits.