I have become a much more relaxed driver since moving back from Charlotte. I pretty much think it’s all the years of cdl driving. I wasn’t ever the aggressive, bumper riding, gesturing jerkoff. But I’d pull some sketchy moves to pass a slow vehicle after a while. Of course pretty early on I accepted 4cyl pickups as my ideal. So no super hammer down passes on double yellow 2 lanes will happen anyway. I even respect folks who wish to run the speed limit on backroads. Yes I get annoyed by the ones who slow to 15mph in every mountain curve but just resign myself to hope and the occasional headlight flash to indicate I’d like for them to move over when it’s safe. Still no bumper riding. All big trucks or super loaded vehicles typically get a pass as I get what’s going on.
These days everyone seems to think the road is there just for them. No knowledge of the “rules” much less common sense. My daily commute ends in 30 min of two lane. For whatever reason there is always someone at the front running 45 in a 55. 20 cars behind. So I leave several car lengths between me and the car in front. Why “push” them. We aren’t gonna gain anything..... but every couple weeks there is some jackass who uses the rare dotted line to whip in front of me....... I mean we’re 20 cars back from the slow car, wtf did they accomplish....
The part of that that truly pisses me off, is 9 times outta 10 that idiot hits the curvy second half. Then those 20 cars ahead pull away and I’m stuck behind this asshat because curves are scary I guess. I rarely go 5mph over on the roads but there are few curves I need to slow way down on. People are annoying and care about nothing but themselves.
Fun story from last week. Hope I taught them a lesson about following people to seek “justice” when they think they’ve been wronged...
I have to turn left on the way home from work to get to my driveway. 4 lane street with open center turning lane. 100’ before my turn is the second entrance to the hs on the right. With a light. 50’ past is the entrance to the gas station with the cheapest gas in town. Across from my turn they just put in apartments and a dr office. A few hundred feet past that is a cookout and a Verizon store. Yep a cluster. I try to watch for signals and signal early for my left turn but since people will be people they use the turn lane as a deceleration lane and get over with no signal right about Verizon and cruise all the wAy to the light. At least once a week I get into the turn lane, stop for my left turn and have someone come in in front of me heading for either the gas station or the HS road and look confused or self righteous at having to stop before they get to their turn. 99% of the time they realize what’s happening and get that sheepish look. Even when they gesture with the wth, look. Me pointing at the drive way registers and they revert to embarrassment.
But oh that one percent lol. Always mad, indignant, self righteous. Honk and make faces. It cracks me up. I tease them back. But this last week was the best yet. They get in the turn lane above Verizon, no signal, no idea where they may turn so get into my lane as usual . Stop, watch this car speed up, slam on the brakes in front of me and go to making the motions and mouthing that I’m in the wrong. Still no signal. I do the usual point at my driveway, then mimic their motions and mouthing. They mouth, they are calling the cops. I laugh, then back up a touch as they are so close I can’t turn without hitting them.
It’s clear, I turn left. I hear the passenger scream “your running from the cops!!”
Then as I glance in my mirror I see them whip across the busy lanes from the center divider to follow.,..
I pull past the gravel road where some other college kids rent a couple trailers (oh didn’t mention that. Boy and girl in a blue Subaru from our local institution of higher learning).
I stop as I damn sure am not showing them where exactly I live and they stop behind me still yelling that they called the cops and I’m “running” from the law
. So I step out and say I broke no law but they are on private property and aren’t welcome (it’s a neighborhood so not my property but I have great neighbors and we stopped on theirs). Hysterical shrieking and such leads me to let them be with the statement that if they won’t leave they better not approach me until said popo show up. Stupid histrionics continue as I lean on my hood with my cell camera going to capture the moment from behind the truck. Not blatantly filming just recording for the words.
Town cop shows up shortly. Doesn’t even turn on the lights. I presume they know what a cluster that intersection always is. They instantly set in on the poor kid about the wrongs done to them by some redneck “me”.
After a minute he tells them to hang on, comes to talk to me. I walk to the end of my truck to meet him. Say hey officer sorry you had to come out. Before we go any further. I want to let you know I’m armed, on my right hip.
He says ok, no problem. But I see the kids go ashen
. Then tell him what happened and I just didn’t want them to follow me home. He says ok thank you. Have a nice day.
I never even closely felt in danger of much more than an annoyance headache. Despite the threats and intimidation tactics
So why even mention, show or otherwise that I was armed
It never occurred to those kids (college students) that following someone home is a good way to have a bad day if they get all righteous on the wrong person. One more reason to respect everyone on the road