May Contain Peanuts

Beep!

It's about 7:45 a.m. I'm in my car, driving to work. As is the case in any metropolitan area, I'm dealing with traffic. Here's a blatantly obvious statement: traffic blows. I am fortunate enough to be commuting in the opposite direction than the majority of the DC/Nova area traffic, but there's still plenty of cars on the roads. I am moving along, not sitting in line, which I am thankful for. However, I still have to deal with it. The worst part of it isn't the volume of cars on the road, but rather the assholes you have to deal with amidst the traffic. You know what I am talking about; the guys that tailgate you because you are leaving a 5 foot gap between you and the car in front of you instead of 5 inches; the guys that swerve in and out of lanes and cut you off to make it up 10 extra feet; and my personal favorite, the guys who make left turns right in the middle of the highways instead of going up to the turn lanes, thus backing up a lane of traffic for a mile and promoting the last second lane switching of those cars behind him.

Here is my helpful hint of the day: You will get where you're going soon enough. That extra 5 feet of inching forward may get you through that yellow light ahead, but you'll hit the next red, and I'll be right behind you again. That swerving in and out of lanes may get you to your place of labor a minute early. A MINUTE, NOT A HALF HOUR. Time may be precious or you may be late, but that's no need to be a dick driver. You know exactly when you're doing it, don't pretend you are innocent.

All these dick moves must stem from something. Something in human nature that doesn't like waiting in lines, that likes an unobstructed path from A to B without unforseen hindrances. What is it that makes us so impatient while waiting in traffic. I don't know about you, but bad driving sets me off almost immediately. I am shouting needlessly at the offenders inside my car, and somehow I feel better about it. Then I realize we're all gonna get there soon enough, and that karma is a stickler, and this dick will get his (or hers) in the end anyway.

Patience is a virtue and somehow it is very hard to come by when on the road. I think it is something to do with the idea of roads. You know the path, you know where you're going and how long it should be to traverse it. Anything to get in the way of that is a 'speed bump' (I'm hilarious) in that plan. I think our own self-importance clouds our recognization of PUBLIC roads. Everyone has their errands and places to be, none more important than the other. We all pay taxes, well, most of us do, therefore we have the right to the road. Unfortunately those who aren't payin those taxes usually are those same toyota tercel drivin idiots that piss me off in the first place, but that's another post. Anyways, my point is that traffic sucks, waiting sucks, but we must deal. Realize we're all gonna get where we're going, and that dick moves on the road may save you 5 seconds down the way, but it's gonna suck later when karma comes back and rear ends you.