Now, Imagine the commute!
A kid started walking across the street today and I had the green. I came to a stop because I couldn't tell if he was going to "book" or "stop" once he realized he wasn't paying attention. His friend yelled at him, he looked up, saw me coming to a stopped, rolled his eyes and kept walking. He was about 12 years old. I rolled down my window, struggled for his attention and said "do you see that green light? That's when cars drive through!" he made me repeat myself and I had. He gave me a dirty look and shrugged and walked away before I could say more. The car in back of me honked. I wanted to shout "see, this jerk behind me would prefer I mow you over!"
He saw me come to a halt and took it for granted that I would remained stopped and not play "stop" and "go" as he momentarily paused. I know how some people would stop, then go, and then stop until they gave up or the kid... But I don't take those chances. I see someone, I stop. At times when I've crossed, I've danced that dance with people.
Later that day, I was driving my mom through a residential section. this particular street is one lane, bidirectional, and this asshole decided to pass me and blow through a few stop signs. A guy like this wouldn't have stopped for that kid. A guy like this could have easily killed a person or a family. This asshole, the only and most important person that will ever matter in this universe is him. I understand "road rage" to an extent, I'd never succumb to it but I understand why it exists. I think there are way to many cases of it where someone made an innocent mistake and someone else who has anger management issues makes it "newsworthy"... Aside from those, I think some of us have more than valid reasons to be enraged with others.
I personally couldn't live with myself if I acted as the driver that passed me did and I was responsible for killing someone. I would go fucking nuts and I just can't fathom why there are douche bags like this out there that simply refuse to give a fuck and I wish there was something I could do to get these fuckers off the streets and get their licenses burned.
Now, Imagine the commute!
It has been snowing here since last night. Wait... I take that back.
First it started snowing last night. Then at some point, it started raining I mean, pouring. Then it began to snow again. I've been told the snow is very heavy and of course it is... The snow on the ground is holding the water like a sponge. I have also been told it's freezing. I haven't seen weather this bad, here in Syracuse, in December, in a long while. Past few winters and perhaps longer than that, it's been mild in December. Snow comes, snow goes. Sometimes we don't have a "White Chrsitmas", but it seems inevitable this year.
In the past, I didn't like the winter because I'd spend many days stuck out waiting for public transportation in it. Where ever I was going, once I got there, I'd end up spending part of the day in partially cold and wet clothes. I am a master of bundling up, but once the snow finds a way, game over. This year, it's not so much ending up wet that bothers me, it's driving in it. It's not easy! I'm a careful guy, I don't like breaking things or crashing, but it's harder to be careful in a vehicle that weighs several hundred pounds (possibly a ton?).... Especially with two wheel drive and shitty all season tires. I take it slow. I'm learning the tricks, but I can't say that for everyone around me. If you've driven or read any of my past posts, even everyday driving can be wrought with problems. I just hope I can get through this season without any accidents. I'm trying my very best to be careful.
If anyone has any advice, even though I may have heard it before, I'd be happy to hear it again.
I know we're all stressed with the givin' and the gettin', but I wish people wouldn't chuck their fuckin' driving skills to the wayside. I've been cut off, passed on the wrong side (which resulted in the driver getting a ticket... haha!) but what gets me are the moments where massive clots of cars forget that green means GO! It happened a few more times on the way to pick my mom up and it happened another two times on our way home. on this stretch of road, you drive with at wait at lights with the very same people you started with. For some reason, at our third or forth light, it turned green and no one was moving (as happened at the few last stops)... NO ONE. A few people in the lane to the left of me turned on blinkers and wanted to get in the lane to the lane on the other side, to the right of me... Others seemed oblivious. I suddenly snapped.
I started slamming on my horn over and over screamed "WAKE *HONK!* UP YOU *HONK!* FUCKING *HONK!* MASS OF FUCKING FUCKTARDS! *HONK!* GREEN GO!!! *HONK!*... GOOOO!!! *HONK!* GO!!! *HONK!* YOU SONSABITCHES!!! *HOOOONK!*!!!"
Then traffic started moving. People changed their minds on abandoning their skills. Things began to right themselves.
I shook out of my moment of anger and I heard laughter. My mom was laughing her ass off! She said "I was going to reach over and do the same thing!" I started laughing too. I just got really tired of it.
And, true... the song's got nothing to do with the post other than the title, but I still dig it.
I. I've ripped two pair of dockers this week.
II. I've spent a load on gas money ... This week alone ... and I may have to buy more this weekend. No, it's not a leak.
III. I approve entries that are most likely submitted by people who are paid much more than I do. They submit these entries on a third-party site. Does it make ANY sense to anyone why their entries are ready to be approved before they've posted corresponding files on their own website? Depending on the choices they make on feedback, going to their website can be optional, if they provide alternate means of contact or pretty much necessary if they do not... They do not. A few entries here and there from varied companies, no big. Many coming from one? Annoying. I make every effort to find a match on their site with no avail.
IV. Driving: Why do some people execute a turn quickly then s..l..o..w.. down to 10 miles below the speed limit? the trickiest part is fucking over with. Why do some people illegally turn on red when they can't see oncoming traffic? this was almost my first accident!!! WAIT! Lets get this right. NOT MY ACCIDENT, some other stupid fuck's accident! (AND he turned slowly.) Tailgaters -- Enough said (and I drive a wee bit above the speed limit). I'm loving how some people don't quite understand the whole 'merge' concept. It's not a drag racing strip and what little space I have between my car and the one ahead of me -- isn't yours! YIELD BITCHES!* Finally, here's tow things you should never presume: when stopped and in the middle lane -- the space isn't for you to squeak your ass between cars and into a gas station... If someone is moving at a decent speen in the right lane... Their car is wrecked, your car is wreck, the car ahead of me is wrecked and MY car is wrecked -- got it? Lastly, don't waste your time waving me on when I refuse to move and don't expect me to wave you on -- a driver can be held partially liable from any accidents that can occur from it (here at least). I appreciate your kindness in doing so, but it ain't going to happen. (Wait!!! I almost forgot the drunk driver ahead of me last week.. There, enough said).
V. When people ask for favors: why is it that the favor needs to be done on the opposite side of the city you just drove to?
VI. We live in the age of 24 hour food stores and restaurants. While internet banking and atms have helped -- why can't they change or extend their hours to accommodate the 9 - 5 people? I mean, I can make the trip during lunch, but it's so very inconvenient... If my bank had a branch where a trip didn't take 30-45 minutes of lunch, I wouldn't bitch.
VII. I'm quitting here. I feel better already.
* - I make allowances for drivers when I see we're neck and neck. I allow people who seem stuck. I'm just not keen on people who think they're fucking nascar drivers -- speeding and flying down a lane that's about to end. SORRY, I've got the right of way!
Now that a few weeks have gone by, I feel more comfortable driving. I'm even beginning to enjoy it. Some of the things I've begun to acclimate to are things none of us should in a perfect world... Like being passed on the drivers side by a SUV speeding well above the speed limit of a residential zone to hit each stop sign at red light before I did. People who think yield is an option so long as you gun it up fast enough to cut off the driver in the right of way. All of that fun stuff... I knew was possible and each time, I happy that I'm not a tailgater and I wasn't freaked out by it. When I made MY mistakes, I'm happy to say that I've taken away things I needed to know and perhaps things everyone needs to experience on their own. In driving from point a to b, I commit to my directional mistakes -- so long as I'm not going to make the wrong turn onto a one way street. I figure each mistakes gives me a chance to discover a new route, a new scenic route at that. While I was learning the fun behind lane changing, I learned to shelve thinking about it. All that's important is focusing on the road and traffic. I wave a sorry if I could.
Now, this all sounds fine... Well, today I was presented with a unique situation. On the way out of the mall, one of the other drivers in the lot I was in decided to be a gigantic douche by revving his engine. By flying down aisles and screeching around corners and peeling out. Now, this is a mall. This is where some people's ones attention isn't on whether or not it's alright to cross. Where occasionally, a child may wrestle their hand free from a guardian to have a spur of the moment race or to meet someone on the other side. Where it pays to take a minute and scan carefully. The guy with the souped up sports coupe, who was most likely playing Vin Diesel for his cupcake, had raced his little heart out around this crammed parking lot to end up behind *ME*. I thought about his actions. I got pissed. Consequently, he ended up behind someone who decided to creep the rest of his way out of the fucking parking lot... Must have been pretty frustrating for him eh? Well, I just hope he was able to get the hint I so subtly dropped for him.
I know, he could have gone around or he could have developed a major case of road rage... I just felt compelled to try to keep him from hurting or possibly killing someone -- all because he had to show off.
Now, I won't be doing this again and I don't/didn't plan on ever pulling stunts... But this just felt right.
Roll through a stop sign... You just surprised me by alerting me that my lights weren't on. They were, but apparently, they're not working. It just surprised me because I just had this vehicle inspected last week and this was the first time I was driving at night. I thought it seemed kind of dim, but I have pretty good night vision.
*Sigh* Please, oh please let this just be a shorted fuse.
On Monday, my sister and I decided to go to the DMV to get the car I've inherited from my father registered in my name. We learned that my mom legally inherited it and she needed to fill out some paperwork, there for proclaiming she was the owner and I had to fill out paperwork register it. After a 2 hour ride to see mom, take her out, and a 2 hour ride back, it was done. The car was in my name.
Tuesday, I called the local Pep Boys (where I used to work) to make an appointment, on Wednesday, for the car to be inspected. It would be the first time it's been inspected in three years. I managed to get it there and prepared for the worst. From everyone's horror stories and bets on it being expensive to get roadworthy again, I thought I'd have to out this on one of my credit cards. The night before I had to take it in, I even had various family members and friends of the family call with tips and concerns. The final call broke my patience as I was told -- after a long while in planning, that I should go see "someone's buddy" who's a mechanic because I was going to get "screwed" *, at the place I used to work at. In a classic snippy fit, I said "thanks so much for waiting till the last damned minute to spring all of this on me, I'm not changing my plans!" Happily, everyone was wrong. All that was needed was a replacement brake light. Since I was getting off so cheaply, since I was also wisely advised, I got the oil changed and a new air filter put in.
Since then, I've driven here and there and I just wish the random people behind me would be a little more patient. I'm either near or a wee bit over the limit or I'm obeying flashing lights on "school signs" that specify a low speed limit and regardless of the horns -- I really don't feel like appeasing 'em. It is summer, but school could be in session. Aside from that speculation, the school grounds are always used by kids to play soccer, use the swings and jungle gym. So, too bad.
I just can't wait until I have some more experience. I can't wait until I'm familiar with the city and longer drives. I don't think I'll ever relax completely, I like being as attentive as possible, but I could do without some of the tension that comes with being a new-ish driver.
* The other reason to take the car to someone's 'buddy' is to get it passed without too much of a fuss. Now, since certain problems with cars can lead to dire consequences if not taken care of, I'd rather have it fail and get it fixed than deal with what could happen if it's not. While I used to work at Pep, I only really know a few people and most of them did not worked that day. The one that did work, didn't work on my car or know I was coming in that day. Wish I still had that discount *pout*