Every bustling metropolitan city deals with traffic. It's a part of life and character development. I'm actually pretty blessed, because the route that I take to work is opposite of the flow of traffic. So most days I speed at 70-72 mph (though lately it's been around 60 as I hear you can save gas by doing so..), and I watch the stationary cars "driving" down 45 south thinking to myself, "That realllly sucks. How do people do that day in and day out and THEN go to work?? I'd shoot myself".
Well here's my beef with traffic, outside of the normal congestion due to the fact that we live in a large city with a large population of commuting suburbanites and no great public transportation system (my apologies to those who Park N Ride and LOVE it):
1. Drivers who cut in the merge lane last minute because they refuse to wait in the long line that they obviously know exists half a mile back. One, they are stopping the flow of traffic in the lane they are currently in because they are having to slow down last minute to get in front of a car who has waited patiently for the past 20 minutes and is now very unhappy and will most likely edge into the car in front so that they absolutely can't get in. Two, this can cause backups in the lane they already occupy or even an accident, because there is no reason for them to be stopping or slowing down heading in that direction. There are some people who argue that it's okay that they do so because they transition smoothly and don't cause the car behind them to brake and ripple effect. But this is just simply not true. The cars behind you will most likely panic and brake anyway even if the aggressive merger has "transitioned smoothly".
2. Traffic that is stop and go until you get to the horizon of freedom and realize that there is NOTHING there. There is absolutely no reason as to why you have just driven in 0-20 mph peaks and valleys for the past 7 miles. Some days I'll hear news of a wreck that was previously there and has been cleared for 30 minutes, but most of the time I attribute this phenomenom to people who just don't know how to drive. Why is traffic stop and go when there's clearly free lanes? Because people don't know how to drive. I realize that that is a pretty general statement, but plainly put it is what it is. And this traffic hiccup usually sucks most when I leave for work early only to sit an extra hour or so of unexplained stoppage.
3. Wrecks. There I said it. Call me insensitive. My disclaimer: I know that accidents happen, and sometimes that's just it. So knowing that accidents are likely to occur - pay attention my friends! I have seen a truck drive 60 through sheets of rain only to hydroplane and slam into the divider. Or a '98 Corolla who pulls out in front of a car in swift motion who obviously is going too fast for said Corolla to gain speed and compensate for cutting them off. Make wise decisions Houstonites. Sometimes it gets to the point when I'm annoyed that there are wrecks. I feel like I am going to get run over by someone who's experienced or knows of someone who's experienced any type of automobile accident - and I apologize for that happening to you, but I don't apologize for how I feel. Pay attention people!
Please pray for my safety in driving home today...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
for
#2. I notice..during curves in the road people slow down...and after they get to the top of the hill of the highway...they see all the cars in front of them and shiz their pants because they are scared and instinctively break.
My biggest complaint is slower traffic keep right. Mofos.
I know exactly where you are talking about the long line that people know exist and refuse to be good Americans. It is 59N trying to merge onto 45N. People are just insensitive, which does not jive well with my road rage. I know its a flaw, but something I have to live with.
Post a Comment