PeopleareParked.com

Taking a break from politics for a rant on the road.  There’s always parked people to find or find me while driving.  On my way home from work on a single lane highway, another driver wanted to get up close and personal.  Behind me was a woman in an SUV only inches away from my bumper.  She was so close, I could see her hair color, facial features and that she had her cell phone glued to her ear, so really driving badly one-handed!

Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t travel any faster because of cars in front of me.  At one point the cars in front of me braked, as did I, but the idiot behind me almost didn’t slow in time.

So, what does it really accomplish?  Do you think you’re really intimidating me into going faster - nope.  Do you really think you’ll get there faster - nope.  You might accomplish an accident and then you’d be crying “poor me” after you get hurt or have to pay a higher insurance bill.  You probably wouldn’t care if you hurt someone else, since you’re so selfish.

(Deep breath)  OK, now I feel better, thanks.

On my way home from work today, I came across yet another parked driver or two. While traveling on a single lane highway, I had just passed an entrance lane, where a truck was trying to get on. He was speeding up, since there was plenty of space after me, but before the long line of cars following. Just as this was happening, the car behind me already on the road sped up, as if to block the truck trying to merge. They were both determined to beat the other one out. The scary part was that I was watching this whole thing through my rear view mirror, and having two vehicles coming at me at a high rate of speed. I had wished I could speed up to get away from them, but there was also a car in front of me.

Thankfully, there were no accidents, but what were they thinking? Especially the person behind me, speeding up to prevent someone else from getting in front of him - parked, parked, parked!

The other day on my lunch break, I went to the local gas station, pulled in the side with the “Enter Only” sign. Of course, there are always people that go in through the other side, clearly marked, “Exit Only”.

There are four lanes all marked with arrows in the same direction - forward. I was wishing my tank was on the passenger side because the driver’s side tank lanes were full. Why can’t the car makers split this more evenly? Not every vehicle make is the same, so why are most tanks nowadays on the driver’s side?

The real issue is the way people drive to get to the appropriate pump. They squeeze around you, back-up, cut you off, face the opposite direction, and park every which way. It’s crazy! It’s a wonder there’s not more accidents trying to get gas. It’s a headache enough with the rising prices.

Some of the craziest antics are on the highway gas stations. There’s no end to what people will do to save a few minutes. They actually turn around and face toward the oncoming traffic, who is exiting at a high rate of speed. How dangerous is that?

I figure it’s better to be parked in line than driving chaotically-parked at the gas station.

I have a pet peeve about people who stay in the left lane on the highway when they are not passing any other vehicles. What’s worse is when they are going slower than me and I can’t get by. For these parked people - the LEFT lane is for passing and the RIGHT lane is for traveling. Maybe they don’t know their right from their left, in general, which is a different story.

So… maybe I do drive a little fast at times and perhaps above the speed limit (won’t admit it with any kind of certainty, in case there are any troopers reading). Unless you are passing, pleeease move to the right. I don’t really want to pass you on the right for safety’s sake.

I’ve seen many traffic tie-ups caused by none other than someone going slow in the left lane. There’s no reason for it and actually is a safety hazard. Not me, of course, but many others who are just as frustrated as I am, will pass on the right. Help keep the traffic flow flowing, please!

It really bugs me when people don’t use their signals when turning. Not only would it keep them safer, but all the other drivers around them. Sure, I shouldn’t be driving too closely behind another car and would be my fault if I hit someone from behind, but help me out a little here, give me some warning!

Just the other day, I was driving behind someone who was traveling at a good clip, then all of a sudden braked and took a right turn - of course, without signaling. If they were going slower it would’ve been easier to react, but thankfully I was far enough behind to brake in time. If you don’t know where you’re going at least drive a little slower.

Here’s another example of poor signal usage. We have rotaries where we live and drivers in the rotary have the right of way. The ones entering it are supposed to yield. Of course, some think they have the right of way wherever they drive, so will forever remain parked. Anyhow, when I’m driving in the rotary, I find that people entering will yield to me if I have my turn signal on indicating that I’m leaving the rotary near where they want to enter. It actually works most of the time. Lots of drivers are scary, so I figure anything I can do to warn them of my presence is the way to go. These parked types of people need any help they can get.

Do people look at lane markers or what?  At our local dump, there are 3 lanes along the right side of the dumpsters.  The left two are for cars to park and make their garbage deposit and the right lane is a traveling lane.  What parked people don’t understand is that traveling lane, means forward movement is allowed.  Instead of using this lane, many people wait in line in only the left-most lane and the backup of cars block the middle and “travel” lanes. 

They act like it is a line that will constantly move forward in succession.  For the parked people to know, this does not happen.  Some people actually have more than one trash bag to drop off and take longer.  Therefore, it is not a “wait for everyone in front of you” kind of thing.   These people need to stop parking in a non-existent lane and start traveling with the flow.

I have been waiting a long time to find the right place to vent about idiot drivers. They come in all types - automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, mopeds and bicycles. Besides stupidity, they all have some common traits. My all time favorite stereotypes are listed below, but feel free to comment about any I may have missed or list your favorite “parked” driver.

“Macho Man”
Macho Man is the guy in the big truck, usually it’s a Ford F150, but can come in other varieties such as Tundra, and GM. So what are Macho Man’s characteristics? You’re driving at a good clip in the fast lane, but Macho Man still barrels down the highway like they are the only one on the road. They have a mission and it’s to get there 7 seconds before you or at least be in front! They want you out of their way so they try to intimidate you out of the lane by driving so close to your bumper, you think they are going to rear end you. They push you into driving fast or moving over because Macho Man has some place to go and they “gotta” get there first/fast.

“Pre-Madonnas”
Pre-Madonnas are the ones who just don’t look. You know them. They have a cell phone attached to their ear, or they are constantly brushing their hair. They cut you off, try to run you over and narrowly avoid getting you killed all the while chatting away. “Oops, I was supposed to stop – oh well, no one got killed, chuckle, chuckle”. Pre-Madonna’s are sometimes know as “airheads” and are not gender specific.

“The Tailer” (AKA The Gator)
The tailgater is the one that gets me the most, since I am on guard for the Macho Man and the Pre-Madonna. If I am traveling 80 MPH the tailgater is right behind me. They don’t want to go around you, because they are comfortable traveling at 79.9 MPH and 3 inches from your rear end. Speeding up doesn’t slow them down, pumping the breaks is just a light show and raising your hand in the air means hello. They are PARKED, and shouldn’t be able to get out of the lot.

This is not final comment on this topic, but enough to get me started. I’ll have plenty more to say since like most of us I drive the roads everyday. For now all I can say is………if I were a cop everyone one of those id10ts would get a ticket.