Ok... another rant. It's Monday after all and there would be a ton of subjects I could pontificate on (Thumper encountered one of my own pet peeves just recently so I won't revisit that one... yet...) one repeatedly annoys me on a daily basis...
I drive to work ~ 30 miles each way which gives me lots of time to review and critique the driving habits of others. On my stretch of I95 in northeast Florida, no matter the time of day you will see many vehicles with tags indicating various points of origin. I find myself wondering if these folks are headed toward their vacation destination, headed home from vacation, off to visit family members, heading south for the heat or heading north to get away from the heat... whatever. Those NOT from the state of Florida tend to invariably ride in the middle of the 3 lanes - whether they observe the posted speed limit or not. Around here, 18-wheelers are directed to use only the middle and far right lanes for travel. I have a lot of respect for truck drivers and try to stay out of their way, give them as much space and notify them of my intentions well in advance. It does not seem to be the practice of all other drivers, however, and we are all admittedly different in our driving habits and style.
But when you have a massive multi-ton truck behind you, in the middle lane, on your a$$, then you should MOVE and move quickly. Engage in a battle between your car and their truck, you will NOT win. They are bigger, they weigh dozens times more than your vehicle and are far less controllable than you. Do yourself a favor - MOVE. Find an opening and change lanes. When you see their grill in your review mirror, it is no longer a battle of arrogance - the truck wins. And do you have any idea how much these guys (and their respective companies) pay in road taxes?? As a matter of fact, they do own the road!!
But I digress...
The original purpose of this post was to identify a fact that has failed many, MANY drivers even as I was on the road this morning: your turn signals are not a suggestion!! How difficult is it to reach down (...yes, that's right... if you aren't on your cell phone, this would not be a hassle!) and flip that tiny little lever up or down to turn your blinker on to let those who follow know your intended path of travel?!?! A simple gesture, really, and one that indicates that you don't have your head up your a$$, you have come to terms with the fact that you are not the only driver on the planet and the world does not revolve around YOU. It is considerate. And I suppose in some places, a LAW.
And Part B of this rant - for God's sake, don't leave the turn signal on blinking incessantly as if you are in a perpetual state of left-hand turning... It's just stupid. It's like a little blinking indicator to all those behind that the driver of the vehicle is admitting "I'm a moron... I'm a moron... I'm a moron..."
It's dangerous, too. Take it from someone who rides a motorcycle and who relies heavily on the consideration and forethought of others. Be considerate. Use your turn signals - and remember to turn them off. We are all on our way to somewhere and a little courtesy can make for safer travels for everyone.
7 comments:
Good morning! Michele sent me. I totally agree with you; I swear, drivers are getting worse. As a motorcycle rider, that must scare you senseless at times.
I've got a good friend who rides a motorcycle, and I've got another friend who rides bikes (and is getting me hooked, too) -- road safety is taking on a new meaning for me.
Hey girls...thanks for the visit today!! I am DROOLING over your Harleys!! I LOVE motorcycles, and am totally jealous *pouts*. I hope you're having a great week!! :)
Hey Girls,
Thanks for visiting my blog. After reading a couple of posts I added you to my roll.
1st, I have to have my other half read this post. She has been driving trucks for over 15 years and the center lane and turn signal issues are two of her biggest pet peeves. It is really nice to see that a regular driver understands some of what the truckers go through. She is constantly amazed by stupid drivers.
2nd. The perpetual blinker usually prompts her to say "They are going to run out of blinker fluid"
I give you credit for braving the interstate on 2 wheels.
Hey biker girl!
I basically drive as if I am invisible to others. To many people, you ARE. Not because you ride a motorcycle, but because People Are Stupid.
Truckers, yeah, I respect them and stay out of their way, and/or change lanes or don't ride right next to them. They got enough going on without people doing dumbass moves in front of them.
You know another thing we sort of have in common with truckers that people don't realize is that we can't just SLAM on our brakes the way a car can.
Ooh, a rant after my own heart! I hate bad drivers. Hello via Michele. :)
I wandered over from Michele's and I'm happy to give you a big "ME TOO!" on this one. We call them "blinker turkeys" as in "Use your blinker, turkey!" It would have been a lot more colorful, except that we coined the term when we were driving around a lot of pre-schoolers who were not our own children.
The only part worse than not using the turn signal at all is when someone uses it to blink ONCE as if they are trying to save the bulb to use in the car they are going to get after they crash the one they are currently flinging from one lane to another.
my husband was born and raised in north central florida (Bartow actually) and we recently traveled there to visit his grandmother. I came home with a fuller understanding of his initial inability to drive in (my home state of) Oregon. I discovered that turn signals and stop signs are not only optional in Florida, but they appear to be discouraged! I feel for you!
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