There I was, sitting at a red light and inhaling the aroma of my Boston Market side item meal, when the silver Monte Carlo pulled up next to me. I always check out the cars that pull up to me at this light. He had the look in his eyes. He counted the cars in my lane (3) and the cars in his lane (2). He revved the engine a few times and shot me the, "Don't even think about it" look. He was a man on a mission—to be first at the point when the road goes from four lanes to two.
This is a sore subject in my town. The merging point is like the Bermuda triangle for common sense driving. After all, the road has been like this for longer than the seven years I've been living here. It's not like it catches you by surprise. In fact, most people just stick to the left lane. Others see the left lane traffic and speed up along the right lane with their plans to cut in front of the polite drivers.
That's what this guy was thinking. The light turned green, and we were off. That poor Monte Carlo grunted and revved and pushed. It gave the driver all it had. He made it...exactly two cars ahead of me. My congrats to him on that monstrous achievement. And when our little drag racing session was over, just as we neared the merging point, my fellow drivers made me proud. They staggered their cars in each lane so that offending, speeding, line cutters could not bully their way to the front of the line.
I almost cried. It's one of the rare moments Floridians work together on the road.
This is a sore subject in my town. The merging point is like the Bermuda triangle for common sense driving. After all, the road has been like this for longer than the seven years I've been living here. It's not like it catches you by surprise. In fact, most people just stick to the left lane. Others see the left lane traffic and speed up along the right lane with their plans to cut in front of the polite drivers.
That's what this guy was thinking. The light turned green, and we were off. That poor Monte Carlo grunted and revved and pushed. It gave the driver all it had. He made it...exactly two cars ahead of me. My congrats to him on that monstrous achievement. And when our little drag racing session was over, just as we neared the merging point, my fellow drivers made me proud. They staggered their cars in each lane so that offending, speeding, line cutters could not bully their way to the front of the line.
I almost cried. It's one of the rare moments Floridians work together on the road.
Comments
Did you see the Pope's "10 driving commandments?" You reminded me of why they are necessary.