So, I’m driving to work this morning. It’s early. It’s dark. There’s ice on the road, but not much traffic. I’m on a state highway coming into the center of a town. As I approach an intersection (that I don’t have a stop sign for), there’s a woman waiting to turn left. As I pass her by, she gives me the middle finger for not stopping to let her turn. And so begings my morning rant.

When did drivers in New England decide that because they want the right of way, they should have the right of way, and if someone doesn’t yield they’re some sort of jerk?

Let’s remember something: while driving, the right of way is something that you either have or you don’t. It’s not something that you TAKE. If you already have it, you can choose to give up, but you are under no obligation to do so, and not doing so doesn’t make it ok to treat you as some sort of vermin.

If you’re in that much of a hurry that you need to break the rules of the road, or that you expect others to treat you as some some sort of royalty and clear a path for you so you can get to where you’re going, leave a few minutes earlier and give the rest of us a break. You are not that important. Neither am I. This is the stuff out of which road rage is hatched, nurtured and eventually released in obscene gestures, or worse.

While I’m at it, let’s talk about turning left while at a light. You don’t have the right of way here either. When the light turns green, it’s not your turn. The people going straight in the other direction have the right of way. I don’t care how much of a hurry you’re in, or if you’re worried that you might not get to turn left… please go re-read the driver’s handbook!

One more thing… if you’re in a left turn lane, and there’s more than one left turn lane, and you’re not in the one that’s furthest to the left, don’t make a U-turn. If I’m in that furthest to the left lane, I’ll probably run you off the road. See…. my blood is boiling just thinking about it, and road rage could follow.

If we all were just a little bit more considerate and obeyed the rules of the road, the world would be a better place.

Can’t we all just get along? [[:-)]]