Wednesday, October 05, 2005

The Space Cushion

Listen up drivers!
Since this has happened to me now THREE times in the past week, I feel obligated to remark upon it...
When the driver ahead of you slows down to make a turn, that is not the signal for you to erratically swerve your vehicle around them thus giving little to no indication to the drivers BEHIND you that someone is essentially stopped in the roadway ahead.
I know you are a big, important person, with big, important things to do and big, important places to be, but that is no reason to cause traffic accidents in the wake of your haste.
Drivers executing this manuever have nearly caused me to collide with other vehicles THREE TIMES in just seven days. Just over two years ago, some &$^#&@ driver executing this manuever caused our vehicle to collide with a cow who was apparently grazing in the roadway at midnight.
Please drivers, I beg you, use your brakes! It is perfectly acceptable to travel BELOW the maximum speed limit should conditions warrant it. I would think that a vehicle stopped in the roadway ahead of you would be one condition under which you would at least perform a brake check to make sure that you COULD stop your vehicle if necessary.
It is OK to slow or even fully stop your vehicle someplace IN BETWEEN your home and your destination, however big and important that destination is.
Even ambulances and fire trucks have been known to slow down if other vehicles are blocking the roadway ahead of them, and they are potentially transporting dying people and/or much needed flame retardants.
You are not playing Grand Theft Auto every time you enter your vehicle. This is the real live world where the people and things you hit and kill do NOT simply disappear, nor is there a cheat code you can enter to restore MY vehicle to its *pristine* condition after your reckless driving causes me to crash.
So please, think before you swerve.
And hang up the phone.
Thanks!

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