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.
