Let me first address, that I do realize the post before this is about having compassion. I probably should have more compassion for the drivers around me, who knows what insanity they are dealing with or have found no way of dealing with. Before I reach that point of enlightenment though, my list of pet peeves.
1) Blinkers. Cars now-a-days (possibly since the beginning) have blinkers. It’s amazing, they come with them, and even a handy lever off the steering wheel for easy access. Use them! Not only do they help you to remind you where you’re going but they help all of us around you know what your plans are. Best practice, is to turn them on before actually moving your vehicle in that new direction.
2) Drive Right, Pass Left. It’s an entire campaign for a reason. You’re not a cop, you don’t have the right to police the left lane. Just because you don’t think anyone should go above 65mph doesn’t mean you get to enforce this on the rest of us. Maybe we’re going to hell for it, but let me get by and I’ll find out. Note: if there’s a line of cars ahead obviously you can’t move over, but when you’re all by yourself toodling along in the fast lane, move over! I don’t like to use my horn and I’m not a light flasher, and I don’t like to pass on the right.
3) The Wave (Cell Phone Style). So you’re following behind me, and you get really close, then back off, then really close, then back off, rinse and repeat. I’ve been able to prove 100% of the time, you are on your cell phone. Get off the damn phone, if it’s distracting you that much. You’re not safe to yourself or me.
4) Hoppers. Are you the kind of person who likes to try to get ahead of a pack of cars by hopping from lane to lane, slowly increasing by one car at a time and cutting people off? If you are, get a freaking life, because you’re bound to lose yours at some point with that crappy driving. Seriously? it doesn’t work in video games and it rarely pans out in real life.
5) Slow Red Light Runners. While you seem to have an aversion to going the speed limit particularly in areas where it’s only 25-30mph to begin with, how is it you manage to not touch your brakes and roll right through stop signs and red lights. Does the vehicle scare you that much? Is it a safety factor motivating your desire to drive under the speed limit? If so, how is it safe to roll through stop signs and red lights?
6) Park Like You Just Don’t Care. Now parking is not a science, especially the pull in straight type. Parallel, backing in, I’ll cut you some slack, but pulling straight in? You don’t have to be perfect, but getting a relative even distance between you and the cars next to you is respectable. Because as we all know, when you’re in the car, you can tell if you’re too close, and you can certainly tell by the time you get out of the car. Do you really want to end up on a website like youparklikeanasshole.com? It just takes a few moments to care about your fellow driver.
Disclaimer: I am not a perfect driver, and do not claim to be one. I spend roughly 2 hours a day on the road, 5 days a week, and then travel usually on the weekend. I’ve done road trips through the mid-west and south east, I feel I’ve gotten to see a fare amount of drivers out there. All of these items, can be summed up simply, pay attention to the other people around you. Be considerate of your other drivers. Be safe. If someone wants to go faster, let them go!
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