I try to be a good person - Stop laughing! Seriously, stop! OK fine, I'll wait until you're done...
Better? Good.
Anyway, I was at the light at Red Lion and Philmont this morning and there was a car in the left-hand turn lane. I notice the passenger crane his head around and, dammit, I should have been looking in the other direction. The passenger makes the universal sign for "I'm a dickhead and got into the wrong lane. Will you be a sucker and allow me to cut in front of you when the light changes?" I gave the "Fine, but I'm not going to smile about it" head jerk. Mistake.
First of all, if someone is nice enough to let you in, you do it with alacrity, right? Don't get all wishy-washy and dither about. This person was NOT efficient. Then they went slowly and loopily down the road. I had hopes that they would go left at 232, but no. They made a, yep, slow and loopy right-hand turn onto 232 and failed to accelerate. I thought for sure they were going to come to a stop and I was going to have to curse loudly. They did not stop, but neither did they exceed 25 mph. Mind you, the speed limit on that road is never lower than 35, except in the one school zone and it was well past that time. So we go putt-putting past Bryn Aythn and Cairnwood and then, blessings upon us all, their left turn signal comes on just before Byberry. Yes, my punishment is ended! Alas, no, it was not quite over.
Instead of making a left-hand turn and relieving me of my ill-conceived good karma gesture, they stop. that's right. Dead. Stop. There was no oncoming traffic. There was no fluffy little bunny in the middle of the road. I can only surmise that there was a vortex in the space-time continuum that only awful drivers could see and they were searching for the best way to avoid getting sucked into a parallel dimension. Luckily for me, I am not a terrible driver (and yes, I know everyone thinks they are a good driver. Just roll with me on this one.) and I was far enough behind them that I could swerve around them on the shoulder. I checked my mirror a couple yards past them, and they were still sitting cluelessly in the middle of the road.
Before you decide that I'm completely uncharitable; I do understand that people get lost and drive around aimlessly like stupid-faced sheep. There is no shame in being lost, just do it with authority please. You don't lose points if you have to circle the block, or double-back. Some of us are familiar with the area and are on our way to work and do not want to get all pissed off (mostly at themselves) for letting some dope cut in front of them at a red light. This is why people are mostly out for themselves.
Showing posts with label driving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label driving. Show all posts
14 September 2009
16 January 2009
Hooray for the Judicial System!
Who's super lucky? Oh yeah, that would be me.
I had my hearing yesterday for my traffic violations. I went into it hoping for, at best, no points. I knew I deserved the tickets, so I was willing to pay the fines in full. Not especially happy about it, but willing. I was early, as I generally am. I signed in and took my seat. I should mention that there is nothing on the walls to stare at and I did not bring a book in.
After a couple of minutes, I hear someone call my name. It's the cop who had pulled me over. Figures that he'd manage to show. We went into a conference room and he offered me a deal. Reduced violation on the running the red light so no points. He gave me nothing on the littering because Bensalem is zero-tolerance. Hey, I got my no points. I took the deal.
Proceeded into the courtroom and sat some more. The judge finally arrived and started calling people up. He seemed pleasant enough, but we all know that looks can be deceiving. My turn comes and I approached the bench. The judge quickly outlined the charges. I also got a fatherly "What happened there?" about the red light. Thankfully I stopped short of scuffing my toe and saying "Aw shucks, Pa. I guess I just wasn't paying attention." For once in my life, I managed to say nothing more than was absolutely necessary. Miracles do happen.
The cop outlined our deal, the judge asked me if I agreed. I said yes. Judge said that he would reduce the littering fine. Oh hell yeah! I was figuring that he'd knock it down by 50% or so. Heh, I was wrong. Maximum fine for littering is $300 - minus court costs, my littering fine was fifty dollars. That's right five-oh. I paid more in court costs than I did on that fine. The red light violation was the same fine, but did I mention the no points?
All told, I was in court for about 30 minutes and only 5 or so of those minutes were spent talking to anyone. If you gotta go to court, that's the way to do it.
I had my hearing yesterday for my traffic violations. I went into it hoping for, at best, no points. I knew I deserved the tickets, so I was willing to pay the fines in full. Not especially happy about it, but willing. I was early, as I generally am. I signed in and took my seat. I should mention that there is nothing on the walls to stare at and I did not bring a book in.
After a couple of minutes, I hear someone call my name. It's the cop who had pulled me over. Figures that he'd manage to show. We went into a conference room and he offered me a deal. Reduced violation on the running the red light so no points. He gave me nothing on the littering because Bensalem is zero-tolerance. Hey, I got my no points. I took the deal.
Proceeded into the courtroom and sat some more. The judge finally arrived and started calling people up. He seemed pleasant enough, but we all know that looks can be deceiving. My turn comes and I approached the bench. The judge quickly outlined the charges. I also got a fatherly "What happened there?" about the red light. Thankfully I stopped short of scuffing my toe and saying "Aw shucks, Pa. I guess I just wasn't paying attention." For once in my life, I managed to say nothing more than was absolutely necessary. Miracles do happen.
The cop outlined our deal, the judge asked me if I agreed. I said yes. Judge said that he would reduce the littering fine. Oh hell yeah! I was figuring that he'd knock it down by 50% or so. Heh, I was wrong. Maximum fine for littering is $300 - minus court costs, my littering fine was fifty dollars. That's right five-oh. I paid more in court costs than I did on that fine. The red light violation was the same fine, but did I mention the no points?
All told, I was in court for about 30 minutes and only 5 or so of those minutes were spent talking to anyone. If you gotta go to court, that's the way to do it.
28 August 2008
Southbound
It is so easy to claim that you are open-minded and non-biased when you aren't faced with someone who so obviously doesn't think the same way you do. It is easy to forget that other people have different value systems, morals and ethics until you're slapped in the face with their deviance.
I started thinking about this earlier today while reading a review of Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What is Says About Us). The other thing that got me started was an incident of some ballsy driving I observed on the Boulevard. I was sitting at the light at Plaza Blvd, patiently waiting for the light to change. I was in the far right-hand lane behind a guy waiting to make the right onto Plaza. Some dude in a black pick-up shoots past me on the left, swings right onto Plaza, flips a bitch, and motors across the Boulevard to the northbound lanes. Did I mention that he was merrily honking to his buddies?
While I was kind of shocked at his maneuver, I was also mildly impressed with his cojones. I can count on one hand the times I have deliberately run a red light and this dude didn't even want to wait 30 seconds for the light to change so he could make a legal turn around. Balls, I tells ya.
The vast majority of us believe we are better than average drivers. No one wants to admit that they often don't pay close attention, or that their driving suffers when they are on the phone. I find it is rather easy to sneer at my fellow motorists and smugly think that my driving skills are far superior.
OK, I guess driving isn't so much about morals and ethics but it is still about a large group of people who have to observe certain rules and strictures in order for things to go smoothly. So many people are of the firm belief that their time is far more precious, and they are more entitled to take up space. The problem is exacerbated by each person thinking that it doesn't matter what they do because, well, who else is going to be looking out for you? That's right, no one. You gotta reach out and grab at any opportunity to speed yourself along: to make that appointment, to get your kids, to hit the 10 for 10 sale at Acme.
Whew. Alright, shake it off. Really, the thing that gets me is that I hate feeling responsible for other people. I shouldn't have to pay attention for that soccer mom in her H3, yakking away on the cell. Why isn't it enough that I pay attention and (mostly) do my best to be a good driver? Sure, I've done, and most likely will do again, some dumb-ass shit, but that's the exception. And now I know you're sitting there saying, "You just said most people think they are better than average drivers. You're no different." I guess I'm not any different, but the human animal has a great capacity to make sweeping generalizations that have nothing to do with themselves.
I started thinking about this earlier today while reading a review of Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What is Says About Us). The other thing that got me started was an incident of some ballsy driving I observed on the Boulevard. I was sitting at the light at Plaza Blvd, patiently waiting for the light to change. I was in the far right-hand lane behind a guy waiting to make the right onto Plaza. Some dude in a black pick-up shoots past me on the left, swings right onto Plaza, flips a bitch, and motors across the Boulevard to the northbound lanes. Did I mention that he was merrily honking to his buddies?
While I was kind of shocked at his maneuver, I was also mildly impressed with his cojones. I can count on one hand the times I have deliberately run a red light and this dude didn't even want to wait 30 seconds for the light to change so he could make a legal turn around. Balls, I tells ya.
The vast majority of us believe we are better than average drivers. No one wants to admit that they often don't pay close attention, or that their driving suffers when they are on the phone. I find it is rather easy to sneer at my fellow motorists and smugly think that my driving skills are far superior.
OK, I guess driving isn't so much about morals and ethics but it is still about a large group of people who have to observe certain rules and strictures in order for things to go smoothly. So many people are of the firm belief that their time is far more precious, and they are more entitled to take up space. The problem is exacerbated by each person thinking that it doesn't matter what they do because, well, who else is going to be looking out for you? That's right, no one. You gotta reach out and grab at any opportunity to speed yourself along: to make that appointment, to get your kids, to hit the 10 for 10 sale at Acme.
Whew. Alright, shake it off. Really, the thing that gets me is that I hate feeling responsible for other people. I shouldn't have to pay attention for that soccer mom in her H3, yakking away on the cell. Why isn't it enough that I pay attention and (mostly) do my best to be a good driver? Sure, I've done, and most likely will do again, some dumb-ass shit, but that's the exception. And now I know you're sitting there saying, "You just said most people think they are better than average drivers. You're no different." I guess I'm not any different, but the human animal has a great capacity to make sweeping generalizations that have nothing to do with themselves.
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