Driving travails

I made a strong brew of coffee at the office today...am kinda wired now :O

Anyway, I used to LOVE driving. My motto used to be, "Will drive, as long as I have gasoline in the tank." Now I just love it. Having to deal with everything and everyone out there on a daily basis takes the fun out of it. To amuse myself, I've begun to label/process the people I encounter on the road. Well, I mostly have thought bubbles that I keep to myself. My top five at present are:

1. You probably don't have an e-pass.

How do I describe it? It's that little device you place on you car windshield or dashboard with pre-loaded toll fees so you just whiz through the toll booth when you enter or exit the highway. In the US it's called a Fastrak (?). I can't remember what they call it in Australia. This label is for people who insist on staying on the e-pass lane then swerve at the last minute to the cash/coupon lane. Sometimes, you can tell just by the model and condition of the car in front of you whether or not it has an e-pass. Then again, some wrecks (such as my own) may surprise you.

2. If you can't read the signs on the road, you shouldn't be driving at all.

This is connected to #1. I feel that if drivers were more attentive to the signs at the toll plaza, #1 would be avoided altogether. This also goes for people who stay on the left turn/right turn only lane and then decided to go straight. Can you imagine how many accidents or bottlenecks could be avoided if everyone just stayed in the proper lane?

3. You're probably not from my village.

Our village used to charge us Php150 every January for an annual resident's sticker that allowed you access to all the roads within. Outsiders were charged Php1000 annually. Our City Mayor decided to destroy this SOP by opening our village to EVERYONE. Now traffic sucks along the 3km. stretch I drive from my home to the next village en route to work, the mall, the club, etc. Hence, every mental driver/cyclist/whatever I encounter within the village earns this label hands down.

4. Rear / Bumper Car stickers = Reckless / Dangerous Driver
I'm dying to put this theory through an actual pysch test. I have noticed that the cars with a number of stickers on the back/bumper/trunk have drivers who just make your life a driving hell. There must be some behavioral correlation between people who like to place a lot of stickers on their cars and people who are not defensive drivers. It's even more interesting to note that the most annoying ones are those with a plethora of religious stickers. Something about God taking care you while you drive like a maniac? Maybe it's just me but I invite you to observe the amount of stickers on the next few cars that push your buttons this weekend.
5. All's fair in friendship and driving ;)
You could be a dear friend but I'm sorry it's every one for himself/herself on the road.
Let's just say you'll hit a nerve if you do something under #1-3 on this list.

* Motorcyclists are also beginning to drive me nuts (pardon the pun). They really should decide how they want to be treated. If they abide by the rules of automobiles, they should just stay in the lane and speed up when necessary. Quit all this overtaking on the side then cutting you off when they're blocked by another vehicle or running out of open road.

Hmmm, not a very bright and chipper entry. I'm not generalizing because there are exceptions to every item. It's just such a bummer to enjoy a drive from the home to anywhere lately. Grrr!

Well, here's to a hassle-free drive today!