Traffic Trends That Really Grind My Gears

I mean come on with that title. I giggled the whole time. Anyways, I'm the commuting queen. I spend all sorts of time driving in Atlanta traffic. Just all of it. There are some things that people do while driving that make me all road ragey and I'm hoping I can write something that will go viral and make everyone better drivers. Gotta change the world for the better any way we can right? Without further ado, here are thirteen things that would lower my blood pressure if everyone stopped doing. Plus I'm linking up with Erica for Listed Tuesday!!

snowmageddon walking dead
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  1. being pokey in the left lane :: BONUS douche points if you're being pokey, people are passing on your right, AND THERE'S THE SIGN THAT SAYS "SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT" somewhere super close to you. It's not as safe to pass on the right because blind spots and that's where slow cars who are following the laws drive. That left lane on the interstate is for passing not for being pokey. I understand if you're passing cars but still going slower than me, I'll let you pass those cars and just grumble a little bit about having to turn cruise control off. 
  2. not giving a thank you wave :: listen. I don't want you to send me a thank you note for being a decent human being and letting you over when you get stuck or letting you turn in front of me instead of blocking the intersection, but is a simple "hey thanks for not being a jerk" really that much to ask for? I over compensate for those of you who don't thank you wave by giving a little thank you wave for people who are just minding their own business and obeying the law. Thank you kind citizen!
  3. bright lights on the highway :: hey. so this blows my mind. first of all, on the highway there are other cars around you with headlights AND streetlights. SECOND OF ALL. if you come up in my rear view mirror with your blinding bright lights on I'm probably going to hit my brakes because I can no longer see in front of me. Why do you even need them? You're just being a jerk. If you're going the other way -- you're going to blind me momentarily. My eyes don't adjust to drastic light changes very quickly, so please turn your bright lights off. 
  4. speeding up when I try to pass you :: if I've said it once, I've said it twenty million times, if I'm driving on the interstate/highway, I'm using cruise control. so I couldn't care less if you're going faster or slower than me, I just don't want to have to take cruise control off. 
  5. not speeding up to merge :: HEY so the concept of merging is that you're supposed to join with the already moving traffic. So if you're merging onto I-75 S + the speed limit is 65, you're not going to be able to get in there going 45. some of the merge lanes in Atlanta are about fifteen feet, so you gotta get your act together pretty fast. 
  6. not getting over when you know the lane is ending :: so we all know this person. this jerk who sees the whole "left lane closed in 1000 feet" and thinks "cool, that means I can gun it for 999 feet and then cut someone off" I'm not gonna let you over, bro. When you come super close to hitting me, I'm going to yell at you but slam on my brakes because I don't have time to be in a car wreck. 
  7. coming to a complete stop before making a right turn :: okay. I know you can't hang a right at 65 mph, I drive a high profile vehicle and it will roll over if I take a turn too fast. HOWEVER there is no reason you need to come to a complete stop to turn, okay? turn on your blinker, slow down, but don't act like there's a stop sign to get in the damn turning lane. 
  8. talking on the phone :: so there are two types of people in this world, those who can talk on the phone and drive, and those who can't. If you can't maintain your lane, speed, and not being a jerkface while also talking on the phone -- good for you! [I can, but because I use cruise control, duh.] 
  9. slowing down because there is a cop, traffic, or something else happening on the OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD :: hey, that police officer running radar for cars going northbound isn't going to cross four lanes of traffic and then the median to give you a ticket for already going under the speed limit. that state patrol who has someone pulled over on the other side of the road can't give you a ticket for failing to slow down and move over BECAUSE THE MEDIAN IS BETWEEN YOU. [turns out the trend here is slow drivers. obviously I missed my calling to drive in NASCAR.]
I really wanted this list to have 10 traffic trends because alliteration. I almost added "being pokey in the left lane" again for emphasis. Seriously, just get over, it'll help with traffic and make the world a better place. Like, it might be the key to world peace. If everyone was a more courteous driver, maybe we could work all of our other issues out.

What traffic trends grind your gears? Did I miss an obvious #10?

2 comments :

  1. Ummmm yes, to all of these! I definitely have a bad case of road rage... and people are just dumb sometimes! I think when you get on a major highway everyone around you's IQ drops by 50%. It. Is. Awful.

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  2. Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes yes! Just, YES! This list is perfect and awesome and I completely agree with all of it! My commute for work was 40ish miles one way before I moved, and now it's 50ish miles one way. It's brutal.

    Here's something you could add for a #10 -- driving side by side with another car so that no one can get around either of you. Speed up or slow down or something. Just let the rest of us around you!... And granted, this really kinda comes back to being pokey in the left lane, but still.

    Also -- I've found that listening to audiobooks while i commute helps combat my road-ragey-ness. :-D

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