The dynamics of a long drive are usually very easy to deal with and easy to understand. Other times, however, I truly think that people just completely forget common sense while behind the wheel and really need to be harmed in a serious manner so that they can be reminded what good driving is.
This weekend my lovely wife and I took a very nice drive up to the San Francisco Bay Area. I drove sensibly the entire time yet we got to where we were going in only about 5 hours and 15 minutes which I think is an over all best time to date. We had a great time visiting family and all was good.
Now, today is Labor Day… a holiday. The roads this time were filled with maniacal morons who apparently were sacrificing all semblance of safety just to be able to get home just that much sooner. It was really frightening. I can honestly say I witnessed some of the worst examples of driving I have ever seen in my life.
Let me try putting it another way… if you are driving an average speed of 80 miles per hour your reaction time to be able to come to a complete stop safely is somewhere in the ball park of about 13 seconds. On the road that is an eternity. This “safe” number also takes in to account that you are following the three second rule and you have an adequate space cushion between you and the car in front of you. These numbers were completely thrown out of the window while people were weaving in and out of the slow lane in order to get one car length
ahead. Literally. There were so many times this drive home that had I not slowed down to let a rather aggressive driver in the front end of my car would have become a crumpled mess and I might be typing this right now with the aid of a specialized keyboard and a long poking rod strapped to my head.
Thankfully we made the trip home without any serious event. I also now own a cockatiel. His name is Brodie Bruce. More on him another time. Right now I’m all amped up and need to try and either sleep or do about 40 laps around the block (Red Bull is either the nectar of the gods or the Devil’s drink… not sure which). ::twitch:: ::twitch::
-WW