• Home
  • Blog
  • Contact
The Screaming Moderate

The "joys" of driving

5/30/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
               
When I turned 16, I could not wait to get my license so I could drive my mom’s '65 white convertible Chevy Nova with the brown leather upholstery. I’m sure I looked as cool as I thought I did but then again maybe not because I quickly learned that good-looking cars don’t automatically get the girls. I thought that was the key.
                
Today, I hate driving. Well, I don’t hate the act of driving a car, I hate that there are other cars on the road with drivers who seem to not follow  the laws or etiquette of driving – like stopping at stop signs. Also, used to be, on a highway, you passed on the left and the right was left for “slower vehicular
traffic.” Not anymore. More cars pass me on the right than on the left. Which means, I  have to keep  both eyes on the road and my other eye on the passenger-side mirror looking for would-be Jeff Gordons speeding up to get past me. 

Then there are the drivers who pass me on the left, and cut sharply in front of me so they can take that exit that we just almost passed.
                
I live in a neighborhood of streets that have a stop sign on every corner. You’d think that would be safe. On my drive to work this morning, two cars ran stop signs where I had the right of way. One slowed only enough to make the turn, he never even faked a stop at the sign.  I remember when policepersons used to stop and ticket folks like that. Can’t remember the last time I saw that happen. And, I don’t see many troopers patrolling the highways anymore either (budget cuts, I’m sure). 
                
Being a pedestrian isn’t any safer. On those same streets in my neighborhood, I have to watch out for cars when I’m IN the crosswalk. And, when I reach a more major intersection with traffic lights, when the light switches to red, I count to five before I cross because inevitably there is a car (or cars) that will run the red light (presumably to be sure he gets quickly to the  next red light before anyone else because, idiots, THE LIGHTS CHANGE AT THE SAME TIME. You ain’t gaining time at all, if that’s your  goal.)
                
There are routes I drive that, when I get to my destination, I kiss the ground I’m so thankful I got there safely – I just make sure I wait till I’m inside to do it so no one runs me over.


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

     
    Follow @bjaycooper

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013

    B. Jay Cooper

    B. Jay is a former deputy White House press secretary to Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He also headed the communications offices at the Republican National Committee, U.S. Department of Commerce, and Yale University. He is a former reporter and is the retired deputy managing director of APCO Worldwide's Washington, D.C., office.
    He is the father of three daughters and grandfather of five boys and one girl. He lives in Marion, Mass.

powered by bjaycooper.com