Ok folks, here comes one of those rants I warned you about in my introductory post. Unfortunately, it will not be as humorous and witty as some of the brilliant writers that I follow, but it WILL be honest and straight from the hip.
As I get older, I find myself having less and less patience while I am driving. The world is just so full of inconsiderate, rude and dangerous people and unfortunately, most of them get behind the wheel of a car once in awhile.
Much to my dismay, I think most of them live within 100 kilometers of my house.
Here, in my opinion, are the worst driving faux pas‘ you can commit and if I had my way, you’d get jail time for this. Counting back from annoying enough to get a ticket, all the way to death row, here we go:
10. Leaving your high beams on. Its not hard enough to see the road when its dark outside, but to have some idiot who, even as he approaches you head on, leaves his damn high beams on and just about blinds you as he passes, makes it impossible. I’ve actually swerved to the side of the road on a few occasions because I wasn’t able to see anything for a few seconds.
9. Not using your turn signals. They are NOT a decoration for your car. Don’t know how many times I’ve almost rear-ended someone because he gave me no warning at all before stopping abruptly and turning. Its ok buddy, the windshield broke my fall.
8. Leaving your turn signals on. Is it here you’re going to turn? Here? Maybe here? If there’s a way to turn them on, there’s a way to turn them off. Read your manual.
7. Driving too close to the side of the road when someone is walking or biking in the area designed for this. You don’t see me there? Bullshit. I’m almost 6 feet tall. I always give bikes and pedestrians as wide as berth as possible, just because it’s safer. Driving within one foot of me just makes me want to bike or walk holding my keys a foot away from me.
6. People who ding your doors in parking lots. What the hell is up with that? Can you not park properly? If the only parking spot close enough so that your lazy ass (which is also twice the size that it should be) doesn’t have to walk more than a few feet, is the size of a smart car and you drive an Escalade, then keep looking! I’m getting tired of having to park a mile away, just to make sure that YOU do not put dents in my car doors.
5. People on their cell phones or actually trying to text while they drive. Hello?? You can NOT look away from the road for several seconds at a time and still expect to drive properly. Listen people…that vehicle is heavy and it’s going fast and any amount of time spent not looking straight ahead of you, is too long. Keep your eyes on the damn road.
4. People who park in the handicapped zone who are obviously not handicapped. Even those with the card that hangs from their rear view mirror, are often not worthy of the coveted spot. Leave it for the truly disabled lazy.
3. Those who drive UNDER the speed limit. Get stuck behind one of those and I’m so tempted to actually use my car to push you ahead. I’m not talking about when it’s necessary to drive slowly like in the case of bad weather, I’m talking dry road, nice day, going at snail’s warp speed just to piss me off.
2. People who dare to cut me off. You are asking for trouble and you’re lucky I don’t have a license to carry a weapon. Nuff said.
1. People who dare to cut me off and then slow down to purposely raise my blood pressure. Quebec has to be the worse province for people who pull shit like this. Do you really think I’m going to just sit there behind you, smelling your toxic exhaust fumes, trying not to stall in 2nd gear? Move your ass before I pass you and push you off the road as I do.
And although I said I’d only list 10, I thought of one more that I just can’t leave off the list. People who take someone else’s turn at a 4-way stop or don’t have the courtesy to give you a wave, nod or even a lousy smile when you let them in in front of you. If there were someway of knowing beforehand that this is the thanks I’d get for helping them out, I’d be helping out a lot less people. I ALWAYS wave my thanks when someone has done something nice.
Ok….I’m stepping down from my soapbox now and will let you tell me that I’m the crazy driver that your parents warned you about. If you leave a comment, let me know if I’ve forgotten anything else that pisses you off. 
Photo courtesy of: http://www.991themix.com
Wendy,
Great list, and I’m going to have to make up a sign like that!
Thanks for sharing!
(btw-started reading your bedtime stories at work…had to save it for a better time when I can read it aloud with my lovely wife!)
John
hehehe….I’m going to give away a signed copy shortly.
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Yep. What you said.
And apparently I missed another 4 or 5 things…Although, I am happy to say that while I was out today, I let 3 drivers in and ALL 3 waved a thank you. Hallelujah!
I think you’ve covered them all, and I agree with every single one of them! I can breathe deeply and let most of them not bug me, but the people who drive 45 mph on the highway make me CRAZY!!! They’re more of a danger than the speed demons.
I just want to applaud Donna B. McNicol for taking up the motorcycle at 55 and all those solo rides! You go, girl!
Thanks for your input and for visiting. And I agree..Donna’s got guts!
I think you hit most of them…try dealing with them when you’re on a motorcycle. I learned to ride when I was 55, will be 65 this year and still ride (rode 42 states, 27k miles in 2005, the year after my husband died…oh, rode solo).
I quickly learned to never trust that a driver has seen you…even when looking directly at you. I always watch the front wheels…you’ll see them move before anything else. Has saved me from getting t-boned more than once!
Yikes – I can imagine its all that much worse for you. Drive carefully and stay safe!
I hate it when I’m driving down a highway at a good clip and then cars from side roads peel out in front of me and then, of course, slow down.
I also HATE for people ride my bumper. I usually give them (and me) quite a fright by stepping on my brake. That’s just the way I am.
2 more excellent points and they BOTH irk the hell out of me as well. My husband does the brake thing too but I’m too afraid to have them ram into my rear end!
Mine would be impoliteness – no acknowledgements, no letting people out and then aggressive tooting in other circumstances. If there’s something to which you wish to draw another motorists attention flash your lights, don’t toot. It scares the life out of me!
You are right Margaret. Horns are only supposed to be used to warn other drivers of a possible accident. Thanks for your comment and your visit!
When ppl don’t use their turn signals I want to ram them w my car. Seriously.
lol…a woman after my own heart! Thanks mother and I definitely agree!
Cab drivers! You forgot cab drivers! They stop anywhyere, any time they like. Usually with their arse end sticking out into the road. Then you have wait while they attempt a U turn but can’t because of on coming traffic.
Hell yes…cab drivers…didn’t come to mind right away cause I live in the boonies and there are hardly any cabs here (lucky us – there are enough boneheads on the road…lol). Thanks for stopping by and commenting Bill!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for saying what must be said! Another thing that “drives” me crazy is when a driver cruises at a leisurely pace in the passing lane!
Oh yeah….that’s another good one! I think I could have made 20 points instead of 10. Glad you like my post!