A Quick Vent

I'm really sick of driving... and it's not because I'm getting lazy. If you want to know the truth, I prefer driving myself over being driven. Long story.

The reason I get so frustrated on the road is that I feel a VAST MAJORITY of people driving SHOULD NOT HAVE LICENSES. Reasons why I feel this way? See below:

1. The other day Brian and I were driving to the Hillsboro Costco to pick up some pizzas to feed the masses. We were headed down the on-ramp for 26 westbound when this maniac comes zooming up behind us so we couldn't merge onto the highway. He got mad that we were exiting the ramp in front of him (because we were SUPPOSED to be in front since we got to that part of the ramp FAR before he did), which is why he sped up- so we wouldn't be in front.

I need to pause here and remind people that there is a left lane of traffic as well. If you don't like it when people from the on-ramp get in front of you, MOVE TO THE LEFT LANE. It's not even like we weren't going the speed of traffic, either.

Anyway, as soon as we were on the actual highway, the guy that had just kept us from merging smoothly SLAMS on his brakes to try to get us to rear-end him. WHAT???!!! Yes. He purposefully slammed on the brakes and looked at us in his rear-view mirror as if to say "F- You". We tried to ignore, so Brian pulled into the left lane to give the guy his space.

Oh, but wait. The guy sees that we moved over, so he slows down until his rear end is paralell with our front bumper and then proceeds to swerve forcefully into our lane. WTF. So Brian slows down even more so the guy wouldn't hit us with his car as he barges over into the left lane. Brian now moves back over to the right lane and we are trying to find a way to get out of this guys way... clearly slowing down and getting in a different lane is not helping. What does the guy do? He moves over in front of us in the right lane AGAIN. And SLAMS ON HIS BRAKES AGAIN. He looks in his rearvie mirror at us- but he's an older man with wispy balding gray hair and it is NOT intimidating.

I've had enough.

I pull my cell phone out of my purse and start dialing the Hillsboro Dispatch number because this crazy man needs to be pulled over for trying to use his vehicle as a tank. I call and report the whole situation to the dispatcher. The dispatcher could not believe what I was telling her. She says," Really? Okay, so he's intentionally TRYING to hit your car?".

We took our exit and was glad to not be on the same road as that man anymore.


2. I was driving to work the other morning and this little maroon Honda was a couple of cars ahead of me going 35 miles and hour ON THE HIGHWAY. Of course, I cannot move lanes because we are approaching the tunnel on 26 and I need to be in the left lane. Plus the cars to the right of us are going normal speed so we can't even get over if we wanted to. We are all stuck. People start beeping at the little Honda and trying to get the driver's attention to either speed up or pull over. She does nothing. We all continue to go 35, despite the folks around us doing 55.

If you can't go the speed limit, put your flashers on and don't drive on the highway if you can help it. For the love of all that's sane.

3. Young people in expensive new cars that their parents gave them. I have noticed that more often than not these are the kids that don't pay attention to traffic laws and just do what they want on the road. Case in point- 4 way stop on the backroads on the way home. I stopped. The two people to the right and left of me go because it is their turn. The car (new Land Rover with a teen boy driving) behind the car that just passed through the intersection to the right of me approaches the stop. Now it is my turn. The Land Rover does not stop even though the person in front of him just went. I pull out a little into the intersection but hesitate as I realize that the LR is not stopping. He doesn't even acknowledge that there's a stop sign or people waiting to go... he just goes. I beep my horn- because clearly he needs to be alerted that he could have hit me and caused a major issue.


4. People that go slow because they are looking for their turn. I understand you are looking for something and you don't want to miss it, but that does not mean you can go 25 mph on a 45mph road. Pull over if you must go that slow to let us pass. Or speed up and if you miss your turn, take the next one, turn around and come back to it because now you know where it is.


5. People that race through a parking lot. It is a PARKING LOT, not a racing lot. I hate going slow too, but there are pedestrians and children running about and cars trying to pull in or out of spots. Just be safe!


Ok, I'm done for now. My list is far longer, but I'll save it for the next time I give up on driving.