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June 21, 2006
Road rage
Whoa, the self-righteous indignation I felt while waiting at the light that leads from my neighborhood at Lyons and McNab Roads as an eighteen-wheeler pulled onto McNab eastbound from Lyons north, just as the light was changing from red to green. The monster then slowed to a crawl as he made the turn, and only a few of us waiting were able to pass under the short-lived light as the truck finally cleared the intersection.
Being one of the ones who made it, I considered it my holy duty to tell the driver just what we all thought of his action, not for myself of course but on behalf of the suffering commuters left behind as a result of his carelessness. As the truck still had not yet achieved driving speed down McNab Road, it was easy to pass him on the right, and as I did so I shouted out my window, "that was fouled up!*"
*Paraphrased
No doubt the truck driver paused to reflect on my actions, thinking, "Yes, that was indeed all fouled up. I shall be more considerate of my fellow human being in the future." More than likely he laughed at my objection as he spewed some foul insult, heard only to himself and whatever else might be crawling about his cab.
Nevertheless, I was on my worst behavior. The best I can do in such situations is to accept that nothing will change the three facts of the road:
- There will be assholes on the road.
- I will encounter them.
- I can either let them be or become one of them.
My fellow travelers were little aware of my indignant actions, so what purpose did my outrage serve? While venting my frustration, I run the risk of causing the consternation of not only the truck driver but also other drivers on the road who may perhaps mistake my rage at being directed at them. Nay, better to say a little blessing for the trucker and go on my merry way. All parties will be better off because of it.
But how much further down McNab Road did I have to go before I encountered yet another truck driver making disturbing maneuvers, causing havoc to the traffic flow around. This rig was nearly blocking all three lanes of traffic, as McNab Road widens at Powerline, attempting to back into a side road and having very little success at it.
Not having learned anything, I pressed my horn for a solid two seconds as I passed him in the only free lane on the road, hoping by that this one feel the full sting of my fury.
I soon counted my blessings—as I looked in my rearview mirror, I discerned that this new truck had now obstructed all available space, leaving all the remaining traffic, including my first truck driver, at a standstill.
Through no action of my own, justice was served
Posted by Bastique at June 21, 2006 10:00 PM