1 year ago
Monday, June 1, 2020
THEY'VE FORGOTTEN HOW TO DRIVE
I am not a road rage person though once I came close. I have ridden with folks that snarl at every perceived violation of road courtesy. Sometimes the language in the car turns quite blue with their anger.
I am normally mellow behind the wheel. If someone cuts me off I do not point out their lack of legitimate birth, or describe them as either a female dog or the son of one and never do I inferred that they do unnatural things with their mother. The most you will hear out of me is a soft "Really???"
Now I may have made others question my lineage but I hope not. I try to drive alert and carefully.
One of the beauties of this area is the amazing road manners that I have witnessed for the past 16 years. I have only heard a horn honked anger once.
Almost always horns are used for when an animal is too close to the road. The friendly times to use the horn are when you see a friend mowing their yard or are at their mailbox. For the friend, it is a mild tapping of the horn.
The day after Memorial Day, I had to pick up a prescription so I went to town to enjoy the early shopping for seniors. I was a little surprised at the amount of cars on the road. Previously when I ventured out I rarely saw another vehicle.
Here is where my public service announcement comes in. Folks, do be careful out there. In less than 10 miles I had to lay on my horn twice. People were entering the highway from their driveways with no care to see if the road was clear. I would be 100 feet from their drives and they would start to pull in front of me. Yes I laid on the horn. Twice!!
I am assuming they've just gotten so use to no traffic that they assumed the road was all theirs. They had forgotten how to drive. I am hoping in the week that has past that their memories have returned. We will see tomorrow. My hand will be ready over the horn anyway.
So I beseech you to be careful out there with your own driving but mainly to watch out for that other guy. Seems like not everyone is plugged in these days.
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In Jersey there are many drivers who do unnatural things to their mother. Still, not much honking in anger, except in the city where honking is almost required, honking is just asking for a fight. My biggest pet peeve is for the people who just do not know how to cross a street, head down and slow walking just daring you to run them over...I look both ways even on a one way street, and then scurry across.
ReplyDeletejoeh,
DeleteI know what your mean about one way streets. I look both ways when I enter one driving for every now and then--someone gets going down the wrong way.
Excellent advice. It has often seemed that some people appear to believe they are the only one on the road (or the supermarket aisle) and now that has been reinforced by a period of
ReplyDeletestay at home."
Olga,
DeleteThink we all got use to the bare roads, I know I did. But things are picking up these days so we need to get our minds in gear. Me too.
This is a good warning, but I want to share something else. I didn’t get my drivers license until I was in my late 30s and living in the city for 15 years. (I grew up in a small rural town.) Here in Pittsburgh, all people do is honk. I’ve been at red lights where I got honked at because the driver behind me knows the light is ABOUT to turn green, and I haven’t shown signs I’m moving!
ReplyDeleteA few years ago I drove back home for the holidays, and was going down Main Street and slowed down to see what was playing at the Bijou. About that time, my cousin Mark was coming out of the Shoe Repair Shop (next to the movies), saw me and came over to my car to wish me a Merry Christmas. I said I’d better get moving before another car came along and honked me. Mark said “Whaddya mean? You’ve got a row of ‘em behind ya.” I turned around & yep! 5-6 cars behind me and NOT ONE HONKED THEIR HORN. That’s small town living :-)
Doug,
DeleteAren't small towns wonderful? That was so cool and at Christmas time yet. Small town people just aren't usually in the frantic--got to get there right now--mood.
Defensive driving! I had one when I was coming off the freeway ramp veer in front of me from the frontage road the other day...they didn't even notice me less than 20 feet away. I laid on the horn!!
ReplyDeleteNow, truthfully, I have erred in driving. Ixm not perfect and horns have alerted ME.
Annie,
DeleteIsn't that scary when that happens? Well that is what horns are for.
You did a good deed by honking. Hope the other driver pays more attention next time.
ReplyDeletegigi,
DeletePretty sure it jostled them out of the feeling of being alone on the highways. We all need that reminder.
Oh Patti, you don't know this about me but I am like all the quite verbal drivers you describe. I can let out a torrent of expletives whenever I am behind the wheel. Roger does most of the driving, and I still do most of the yelling. It amazes me how many people do not pay attention when they are driving or walking.
ReplyDeleterobin,
DeleteHa ha, I'd have never guessed that. How funny. At least Roger gets to drive while you vent for him.
Yes, it's going to be different once we return to our driving days. I think I use my horn a couple of times when I'm out and about. Usually to alert somebody to my presence. :-)
ReplyDeleteDjan,
DeleteIt will take some getting use to. Kind of like getting use to waiting to get into a store we always just walked into freely.
Very good advice! I have also noticed a lot more traffic on the roads lately. I must say it was not a happy sight. I liked feeling like I was the only one out and about. Oh, well, the bubble is about to burst.💖
ReplyDeleteSusan,
DeleteThank you. I know. I live on a fairly busy highway and was thrilled with the lack of traffic noise.
Road rage people scare the crap out of me. I rarely beep the horn but when I'm tempted to it's always when I'm behind someone at a light who is on their phone and not paying attention to when it changes.
ReplyDeleteJean,
DeleteI know with so many people packing these days it is dangerous to say or do too much.
I always let someone in. But I am not someone who doesn't swear at them. So many people just aren't paying attention as everyone has said. While I don't honk my horn I do swear a lot without hand gestures I might add. :-)
ReplyDeleteMargaret,
DeleteHa ha, try "Really??" sometime. It oddly is satisfying. No hand gestures is a good practice. That seems to push people over the edge.
I remember when my nephews came to visit us in Chicago from Hawaii and Art had to honk at someone who hadn’t noticed that the light had changed for quite a while. My nephew was shocked saying, “Is that legal?” People just didn’t honk at anyone much in Hawaii. Even now, in our small town, everyone will wait quite a while if someone doesn’t notice the light change.On the other hand, we ummmm.... do have quite a few bad drivers in Hawaii that go through red lights, run over pedestrians in crosswalks, etc. Tsk.
ReplyDeleteKay,
DeleteThat is funny about your nephew wanting to know if it was legal. That just goes to show how polite the Hawaiians are. Kind of like here. I'll bet your bad drivers are tourists. We had a bunch of that in Florida. People just not being familiar with the area to know where they were going.
I don't drive, I walk or catch buses, so none of this is relevant to me, but I do hope 'they' very soon remember to look before pulling out onto the road.
ReplyDeleteRiver,
DeleteI wish things were close enough here that I could walk. As for "them" I'm sure it will come back to them. It has just been a while.
I realized I was a bit rusty with my driving when I actually drove myself last week. It must have been about a month since I had driven. I get it.
ReplyDeleteLinda,
DeleteWell it has been a while since we were on the road regularly. I remember a car coming around the corner gave me a start. Something I was normally use to.
Good warning. In our town, when people cannot have a birthday or graduation party, their friends instead drive slowly by the house and wave and shout and honk their horns. It's the first time I've ever LIKED the sound of a horn honking.
ReplyDeleteTom,
DeleteI have seen events like that on TV and that is how horns should be used.
I'm not proud of it, but when my kids were little they thought every other driver in Regina was named a$$hole. I do have a tendency to holler at people, from the confines of my vehicle. And occasionally make a hand gesture. That got me into a bit of frightening situation once when a driver who cut me off followed when I turned off to head towards home (he was in left lane, I had moved into the right at a red light). He followed me to my house and actually got out of his vehicle screaming at me. Fortunately I was able to get the garage door closed before he reached me.
ReplyDeleteI don't honk often but when I do, they deserve it!
Eileen,
DeleteThat is funny about your kids. People will take being yelled at but they really get riled up at a hand gesture. That was a narrow escape you had.
Hi Patti: and thanks for your much needed comment on my latest blog. I try to stay away from politics but yesterday I lost it and your Amen meant a lot to me. As to the drivers I have been isolated for 13 weeks now and it's been wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI sneak down to the post office about every 5th day but that's around 7 pm when it's almost always empty and the streets are too.
Ginnie,
DeleteI always appreciate it when someone vents my spleen for me. Thank you.
Sure has been nice with no traffic but that is ending here.
I no longer drive since stroke, but my husband and I are noticing more people engrossed in their phones while in the driver's seat of their MOVING vehicle. Thank goodness my husband is an alert, defensive driver.
ReplyDeleteLC,
DeleteSometimes being the passenger is not all that good for you do get to see all the people driving while distracted.
I find driving in the States a very different experience from driving in the UK. Okay the obvious one is driving on the other side of the road but it's the subtle differences that I found could cause a punch up. In the UK if someone lets you into their lane you thank them with a quick flash of your hazard lights. When I do that in AZ I think they think there is an issue with my car. Also in the UK if we are going to let someone go through a space before us or let them come out onto the main road you flash your head lights, again I don't think you do that in the States.
ReplyDeleteJoey,
DeleteInteresting about the flashing lights. If anyone flashes their lights to me here it is to let me know a patrol car is up ahead with its radar gun on. Kind of a nice way to let you know to watch the speed limit.
It's quite concerning how some people drive. Some believe the road belongs only to them. We drive a PT Cruiser and I really don't think people see us all the time so we drive with our lights on. There is a whole lot less traffic where we live right now, but things are slowly opening up and people are hungry to get out again, so I suppose we need to give each other some slack.
ReplyDeleteSnickelfritz,
DeleteYep, the traffic is really picking up around here so we have to pay attention more. Kind of liked it when I had the road to myself.
Aww... you just heard "a horn honked anger" one in 16 years?....you are so lucky...
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your driving experience....exciting.
Tanza,
DeleteHa ha, I guess that is rare in most areas. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
The beginning of this post really made me laugh! As for road rage, I'm pretty laid back on the whole although my partner is of the firm opinion that every driver is an idiot, apart from him!
ReplyDeletewww.aroundmykitchentable.co.uk
Yes, it's as if not only did they forget their state was open again but that everyone had forgotten how to drive. We see that here too.
ReplyDeleteMy driving days are over even for short local trips as my eyes no longer work well enough. I do miss it, get better fast .
ReplyDeleteHope you are mending well. I read a post about honking. The blogger was in a fast food drive thru and the person behind her seemed to think she was taking too long to and hit the horn angrily. She pulled up to the first window and told the cashier she wanted to pay for the person behind her. The cashier apparently told the person that her order was paid for and she yelled a big "thanks". The blogger then picked up both orders and drove off, forcing the horn honker to go back to the end of the line.
ReplyDeleteI have to write you here since you suspended comments on your later posts. You should just keep your post comments open. People like me like to write you without expecting an answer. I just want you to know I’m thinking about you and hope you feel better soon. I hate tooth problems. I was supposed to go to the dentist in March, but then COVID struck and I’ll wait until I have a real problem before I go again. My friend here cracked two teeth eating popcorn and had to go to the dentist as an emergency. Good thing they were open. Please take good care of yourself, dear friend.
ReplyDelete