(Public Domain)
For all my life, I’ve tried to explain away my minor road annoyances to bad drivers.
The last few days, though, my true Grumpus has emerged. Enough, already. Perhaps it’s the cold. Maybe it’s winter. Could be the lack of daylight. I’m certain, however, it’s not my fault.
Two days ago, I’m driving my dear wife Karen to work so she won’t have to walk in the deep freeze from the parking lot. We get to the end of our Syracuse city neighborhood street, needing to make a right turn onto the major, busy street. There are two No Standing signs more than a car’s length from both side of the corner, to keep the view of the turning path clear.
Of course, one guy has to park his car illegally, snug to the cross street, to run into the deli on the corner.
That forces me to swing left around him to make my right turn. Luckily, nobody’s trying to turn into my road. The guy comes out of the deli as I’m turning. I beep my horn and raise my hand palm up in the international what-the-hell gesture. He doesn’t react.
He’s not a bad driver. He’s just a selfish jerk. We all live in his world. Excuse me for wanting to drive safely and legally.
Today I’m on my way to pick Karen up and bring her home because it’s still freezing in Syracuse. I make it further down the major road this time, ready, in fact, to make a left from a turning lane onto an equally busy street. Before I can make it to the intersection, though, I must stomp on my brake. Somebody has made a left from the cross street in front of me, deciding it best to cut 10 feet into my lane instead of taking the proper turning radius to stay in his own lane. I beep my horn, but it’s too dark to give a gesture.
He’s a bad driver and a selfish jerk. The next fellow trying to live in this idiot’s world may not stop quickly enough to avoid the collision.
Every day, I must bob, weave and dodge around people taking the easiest way for themselves possible, rules of the road and common sense be damned.
They don’t put on their turn signals and suddenly swerve in front of me.
They don’t put their headlights on at dusk, forcing me to jerk my steering wheel when they seem to suddenly appear.
They ignore alternate-side-of-the-street parking and block the plow driver’s path down our street.
Why are so many people oblivious to the rest of the world?
What type of selfish behavior from the self-centered has made your life miserable lately?
Mark Bialczak 
Mark, I don’t envy your driving experiences in the winter. I remember being on Teal Avenue and not being able to stop on the icy road. My car just kept sliding. Thank heavens I was far enough away that I didn’t run into any one – nor they into me. Drivers – and every one else – really do need to think of the world around them, and how what they do affects others.
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Yes, in any condition, selfish driving can be hazardous, Judy. Oh, the Teall Avenue hill. Living in Eastwood, we deal with either that or the Midler Avenue slope on a daily basis.
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I don’t know about Syracuse, but immediately after it snows here we only have one good set of tire tracks on our two-lane roads. It’s fine because there’s not much traffic. But some people don’t seem to understand that when there is an oncoming car, we both need to move to the side, not just me. That’s very sweet to drive Karen to work.
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Failure to share the single-groove winter road is another selfish act, for sure, Cat! Not to mention dangerous as can be.
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for some reason, i don’t really get road rage, but wonder what other people are thinking while driving at times, based upon the decisions they make, if it makes you feel better, try to remember it is not intended in a personal way towards you, but they are just not thinking beyond themselves which is stupid and frustrating. hang in there – only 6 more months of winter!
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You are so calm and collected, Beth. With me it’s more road disgust than road rage. Your last line is precious. Yes, it does seem like we’ll have six more months of winter this year, doesn’t it?
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oh, i have my moments, believe me, and i love your hand signal )
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I “love” the ones who think that slamming on the brakes and THEN putting on their directional is the way it’s done. sigh…The blinker is supposed to be an indication to the car behind you that you will be slowing down and turning! Grrr
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Yes, you have it right, Kim. Grrrrrrrrrr.
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Well…since you did ask…. I make home visits as part of my job. Today I was returning from one. On a 55 mile an hour road. Person in front of me is turning right. But far enough ahead of me that I don’t have to slow down. But as I approached, I could see the driver of the car stopped at the stop sign waiting for me to pass so he could turn left on to the road I was traveling. He would have to wait for me to pass to make that left hand turn. Or, he could pull out in front of my 55 mile an hour traveling vehicle because the look of disgust on his face showed how irritated he was at having to wait for the car that turned in ahead of me and then me pass before he could pull out.
He chose the latter. It’s only be an angel’s wing that I did not T-bone him.
I cussed.
Loudly.
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Repeat after me. Right of way. Right if way. Right of way. Now let’s click our heels, Colleen, and that impatient turner goes to Oz. Glad the angel kept you from T-boning his car.
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I will do so, Mark, and I hope it works.
And I appreciate that angel as well!
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Serenity now! Serenity now…
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I will not invite any of these people to participate in this year’s Festivus, JJ.
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I don’t usually think of myself as having road rage… I tend to sort of wave that frustration away unless it’s something huge, BUT! It drives me ABSOLUTELY CRAZY when someone parks in two parking spaces– whether out of laziness or because they think their car is special. This behavior activates what my close friends like to call “Street Aussa” and has led me to make all sorts of dangerous decisions like double parking behind them or squeezing right in to where they can’t get to their car until I’m ready to leave. It’s immature but I mean………… they started it.
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I will not say that I blame you one bit for Street Aussa! Yes, indeed, they started it. But be careful because you never know when other people’s driving-nuts can shift into everyday crazy and dangerous,, my friend.
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I know. This is very true… and I should know better because I work in the mental health field, hmm
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I used to love driving around town… now I hate it. Too many people, too many cars, too many drivers in a hurry going nowhere. So I take public transportation as much as possible. But I fear for my life crossing the street to get to the bus stop!
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Yes, the relationship between pedestrians and traffic is a whole other story, RMW!
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When I was taking driving lessons, there was this one time when the roads were wet, and slippery, and I was on a one lane road (two lanes, but cars parked in the right) and this huge truck was right on my bumper the entire way honking at me to drive faster. Meanwhile, I’m in the car with my instructor and I’m driving just under the speed limit because of the slippery conditions. I don’t understand what the truck driver was thinking, especially honking at a person learning to drive. We could use more drivers like you over here, Mark!
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Yes, that so pushes the limit, dangerous drivers forcing others to drive dangerously by tailgating and such. Makes me furious just thinking about it, Paul! I’m glad you drive on the side of caution!
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The people who do not walk on the sidewalks. This is a definite aggravation, and I cannot seem to find the justification in walking in the middle of the road. If snow is abundant and businesses have not shoveled or taken care of their duty, I can see walking to the side of the road as passable (in every definition of the word). But the bridge at the intersection of Fayette Street and Geddes… c’mon, people! If you can’t walk on the sidewalk–it’s a narrow, narrow sidewalk–then just don’t walk there. There is no justification to walk in the middle of the street.
On a high note, Mark, I think you should sign up for Don Charisma’s next writing challenge. You’d probably get a kick out of it, and you’d write well. I put in a word for you, but he told me that you have to sign up. (Just saying.}
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I indeed spot too many middle-of-the-road walkers in our fair city, Chris, you are so right. And FYI, Don’s improv indeed caught my eye, but this week I’ve also been working on some non-WordPress projects. Maybe the next one, like you say.
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I rarely enjoy a drive in the car anymore, for exactly the same reasons you wrote about. Selfish jerks out there, everywhere you turn.
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It is maddening to me lately, Mer.
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I have a bit of a foul mouth, I admit.
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I yell in the car and my dear wife Karen must put her hands over her ears. She does not like that one bit.
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I bet not. All we can do is try to be safe out there. And learn how to mumble.
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Entitled drivers, parkers, etc. Drive me crazy every day. Thank goodness for the sane ones like us, though that doesn’t help us when everyone else is taking up the parking spaces.
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Last night a police car cruised past the illegal parkers across the street from my house. Twice. Maybe he was talking down the plate numbers. Tickets would be a start, but how often do we read about folks who let fines pile up into the thousands! Let’s just keep driving smart, NAPR. Thanks!
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I don’t know why some people are oblivious to the rest of the world, Mark. I’m just glad that you’re not.
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Thank you, Ann. It’s so tiresome, these scofflaws.
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