Thursday, December 20, 2007

Rules Of The Holiday Road Season

I love Christmas. In fact, I love everything about the holiday season - the smells, the snow, the gift exchanges, the music, eating too much and spending time with everyone I love. However, there is one thing that I despise about this time of year...holiday traffic during rush hour. People who never leave their homes for the rest of the year decide to gear up and head out to shop, eat and visit, much to the chagrin of all of us who brave the roads every day. It's easy to spot these folks on the road, you just have to know what to look for so you can avoid these people, as they will hinder your ability to navigate properly. Here are just a few of the signs to look for...
  1. The car who is traveling at 5-10 mph below the speed limit in the fast lane on the expressway during rush hour...and when you speed by angrily in the middle lane, you notice shopping bags piled up in the backseat. (They must not have been able to see me about one inch from the back of their car because their view was obstructed, right?)
  2. The car who sits first at the light in the right lane with their right turn indicator on, but will NOT turn on red when traffic is clear, even though there is no sign forbidding it. (When you drive by, you see the check book they were trying to balance while holding you up during your commute.)
  3. The car whose driver believes that when a green left turn arrow pops up, only the two cars can make it through that light before they must stop at the newly yellow arrow. (Obviously, those of us who drive every day know that you MUST continue turning until the light has been red for 10 seconds, otherwise, you will sit at that same light and wait for it to change about 20 times before it's your turn.)

Those were just a few of the cars that I've experienced recently, and although they are annoying on an everyday basis, I've noticed that they are much more prevalent during the holiday season. Has anyone else noticed this???

2 comments:

Unknown said...

This is why I'm glad I don't drive anymore...although I do get sidewalk rage, now.

Hitman said...

I agree with the above comment. I have only driven a handful of times in the last year, so my memories of Michigan traffic and construction are slowly fading. Along with all the idiots that take to the road in the holiday season. My sidewalk range is at its highest in New York. Walking through Times Square is one of the most frustrating acts of my life. BUt some areas of Chicago are just as bad. I beleive that this etiquette should not just be reserved to the road but to the sidewalks as well.