I like to think of myself as a pretty good driver. I was told once, in high school, by someone whom I also feel is a pretty good driver, that I was the only girl that he felt comfortable driving with! Granted that compliment came almost 10 years ago, and I have certainly had my moments since then when my husband may argue that compliment, but for the most part I am a solid driver. My ability to judge someone that I am comfortable driving with vs. someone I am not comfortable driving with is whether or not I feel safe enough to close my eyes and nap. If I can shut out the world, and trust you to get me to where I need to go, then you are a good driver. I have also found that most people that have the ability to drive a manual transmission are great drivers. They are accustomed to having to pay attention a little more than someone else that is driving an automatic as they have to be alert enough to shift gears, which requires foot and hand coordination, etc. Manual drivers are good drivers, in my opinion.
Coming in contact with (and I don't mean literally) people that are not as good of a driver as me sucks. There seems to be an increasing number of people who are driving with little or no mission these days. They are out for the proverbial "Sunday drive" on Tuesday morning at 6:50AM when I am trying to make it to the office by 7:00AM. They do 2 below the posted speed limit, and do not dare go over! They cruise in the left lane, while everyone else has to pass them on the right. They make complete stops at every stop sign and they remember what their driver's ed teacher taught them; when you get to the white line, stop fully, and spell "S-T-O-P." The list could go on forever. Now, in theory, this would make these people excellent drivers, because they are following what Dick taught us a A-Adam's Driving School. But in reality, these people get eaten alive out on the road. Let's address this list, shall we:
1) The speed limit - going 2 below the speed limit is only going to increase your chances of being tailgated (probably by me, and definitely by my little sister Julie who must have installed magnets in her front bumper and everyone else's rear bumper, otherwise there is a force of nature that is pulling her that closely to the car in front of her). May I suggest you do at least the speed limit, if not a few MPH above? And if you don't happen to be the first car in a line of traffic, then just keep with the flow of everyone else. Do not become the person in the middle of the pack that decides to blaze their own trail and screw everyone else behind you. It will not help you make friends.
2) Cruising in the left lane - I swear there is a secret society of people that think the left lane is for "hanging out." I am sorry, but every driver's education book, every DMV pamphlet, every decent driver knows that the left lane is for driving fast (and for passing). If you are in no mood for driving quickly or with a purpose, then get out of my way! The nice thing about a highway is that it is designed to allow for all types of drivers to get where they need to go at the speed they wish to get there. The speed demons can take the left two lanes, those that are in no rush, trucks, and all of the idiots should stay in the right two lanes. Period. And if you don't know which lane you belong in, then you definitely belong in the right two lanes. Remember that.
3) Complete Stops - I totally get it. It's the law! You must stop at stop signs. It's really a no brainer. But, if there is no one around, and no one else is at the adjacent stop signs, give your courtesy brake tap and move on! I mean seriously. I know I could get some criticism for this one, so I will cut you a little slack if you stop for a millisecond, but then move forward. It's the people that get to the line, and act as if they have to wait their turn when there is no one else around!! Silly. So silly. And while we are on the subject of stop signs - when you approach a multi-way stop sign, and two of you get there at the same time SOMEONE GO! I don't care who goes, I don't care if it is your turn or not! Someone HAS to go. Don't sit there and stare at one another and then one of you says go, and the other says no you go, no you go, no you go...It is like the world's worst Ping Pong match. Just go!
Now, to be fair, I am very grateful that there are people out there that want to take things slowly and everyone isn't just driving recklessly all the time. I do drive with a sense of urgency, but I am not reckless. There are some people that are able to separate the two; there are others that have an an inability to separate out this duality. To those of you that think that having a place to go means you should drive like an a$$hole, I have news for you! People hate you just as much as they hate the slow drivers. You are not doing anyone any favors by being a jerk on the road.
So in short - all you slow drivers out there, for the good of the people, step on the gas! And all you crazies that find the need to bob-and-weave through traffic...I'll see you at the stoplight. You'll just be waiting there a little longer than the rest of us. Safe travels!
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