Something I realized today

[Philly-Night-SR]

Some days I really have my doubts about humanity. I have an hour commute to and from work everyday, from Philadelphia to Perkasie. City to country, I know the reverse of most people's commute. Well, most days I get so frustrated by people driving, we are rude, arrogant, ignorant and selfish. Believe it or not I have more issues in small-towns than the city. Rednecks yelling out their truck windows, cutting people off, people standing on their yards yelling at people to slow down, people driving and completely not paying attension to anything around them. It's rediculous what you see when you are in a car communting about 80 miles per day, 5 days a week. But something happened to me last week that kinda made me think...

I am merging onto 309n off of Old Bethlahem Pike.... so I am carefull I look, it's clear so I merge in... I am driving in the slow lane then all the sudden I notice the huge Dodge pick-up truck next to me is swerving into my lane. I am like WTF is this guy doing! There are cars on the right hand shoulder that are waiting to turn right and I am like **** I am going to be in the obituary.

I lock up my brakes, lay on the horn and slam it into 2nd and narrowly miss getting pushed by the Dodge Pickup into the stopped cars on the shoulder. After the Dodge get's all the way into the slow lane I guess he realized I was there (probably from the loud screeching of my tires or blasting on the horn) and he swerves back into the fast lane... umm a little late bro, you almost killed me.

So I take a deep breath and just figure, geez, just another freakin ignorant red-neck in a big ass truck not paying any attention to anything around him. So I continue driving, well the guy in the Pickup pulls up next to me when the traffic slows down and he rolled down the passenger window. The first thing I though of was him screaming something ignorant at me, (insert any mental image of a pissed off redneck in a jacked up Pickup)... So I look over at him and he says, "I am soooo sorry man I just really didn't see you there, you alright? That was completely my bad" ---and I am not sure why but I was just blown away, I just said: no worries bro. And that was it. Kinda stupid I guess, but It's other little things like when someone leaves you a space to merge in, or waves you on when you're at a multi-way stop... I guess it sorta balances out that madness of all the other things. That's all, have a nice weekend!

[Buster]

I know exactly what you mean.

[redline]

Wow! People will usually look at you like you did something wrong! Well I remember this never happened when I was driving my Towncar, I wonder why?

[Action Park]

93
We have people of various ages, different customs, different backgrounds, and different mannerisms all getting together in 1-3 ton blobs of steel capable of speeds in excess of 100 mph. Just like the formation of a language, a set of disciplines are established within the motoring community in order to prevent disorder and destruction of these vehicles and their occupants. Yet, many people still disregard these disciplines and travel at their own selfish discretion. It's any wonder that one's daily commute is'nt filled with images of sundry eyes, stomachs, brains, intestines, and former auto bits scattered across the pavement every single day.
After driving for many years, people start to take for granted the carnage an auto can cause and begin to operate at a level of diminished awareness. I am guilty of such ignorant acts on occasion. Also, when driving, one feels seperated from the outside world as one does'nt know or care about most of the people encountered on the road. They think that they'll never see that person again, it's okay if they cut them off. Another factor is that the modern vehicle and it's creature comforts allow for a more homely experience whilst driving and one begins to sense that driver effort is lessened. Let me tell you this: There would be very few accidents if everyone drove around in broken down $575 runabouts with a plasma tv or their cherished puss fifi strapped to the bonnet.
93 93/93

[drew]

i was taking someone for a ride last week, i went to a sorta-backroad near the ambulance corpse/fire department i volunteer with. i mashed up and down the road, not bothering anyone but definitly speeding excessivly. i got to a light to turn left and an older guy pulled up beside me to turn right, he passed me and was almost through the intersection the backed his car up. he stopped at my window and i looked over expecting a lecture

"be careful, there is a cop up there at the state store"

was a huge shock, not every day you run into a nice guy while driving :]

[james_ls]

A decent, self-responsibility taking; human being??

I thought we were all out...

[Nors]

I actually try to do this. I'll be like hey sorry about that back there, they are ussually forgiving, ussually.

[Philly-Night-SR]

A decent, self-responsibility taking; human being??

I thought we were all out...

Exactly what I'm saying.... lol

[cburwell]

Decent story. If people were a bit more considerate maybe other people would be less high-strung (maybe). If someone lets me merge into their lane I always try to remember to throw a hand up to say thanks. I even do it when 476 is backed up and I have to squeeze my way in since the other person doesn't really want to let me merge in.

Compliments to the guy in the truck for admitting his mistake. IMO, it takes a bigger man to admit his mistake publicly then it does to ignore someone or blame the other party.

[Honest_Bob]

Wow! Awesome!