Traffic Laws

I really don't enjoy driving that much. It seems like most people on the road are really stupid. If it weren't for the fact that I live in the suburbs, which despite gently winding roads, well manicured lawns, and tons of leafy trees are not designed for pedestrians, I would rather not drive.

 

Fortunately, I do not have a horrific commute.Still the other day on the evening commute I became frustrated with my fellow drivers. Getting onto the expressway can be triccky. The road that leads directly onto the expressway is turns into a tollbooth. Three lanes of tolls merge into one lane which becomes the onramp. Unfortunately, the on ramp also becomes an off ramp for the next exit which is only a short distance away. Everyone is merging and cars are crossing each other's path to get on and off the expressway.

 

I usually am more concerned about jockeying for my own position without taking off someone's bumper or having my own bumper removed by some distracted SUV driver yapping on their cell phone. This day I noticed that the guy in the Suburban in front of me ignored all the people merging and simply made his way across the solid striped lines, onto the expressway, and off into the far left lane. How bold! How self-important! What a jerk!

 

After muttering a few not so nice expletives to myself, I began to feel like that crewman on the Titanic who began scolding Jack and Rose for damaging White Star Line property even though the whole ship was going to end up on the bottom of the Atlantic anyway. I felt like the kid who tattles to the teacher at every minor infraction his classmates make.

 

Here I was mindlessly obeying the rules, crawling along the onramp, staring at the bumper of the Corolla in front of me, while that guy in the Surburban was happily zipping down the highway home. I felt like just another cow in the herd. Perhaps there was something to just saying to heck with this and plowing my way onto the road.

Even though I was secretly contemplating following this guy's lead, I knew that I am too much of a rules guy to do it. If everyone just did what they pleased then we would have anarchy. Rules do have their purpose. There is one school of thought with anarchy thatsays we really don't need formal rules and government because humanity would level itself off, abiding my some set of mutually agreeable unspoken set of rules.

 

As nice as that sounds, it just isn't going to happen anytime soon. Until then, I think I will just stick to the rules and visualize that driving past that guy in the Suburban who is pulled over on the side of the road with an Illinois State Trooper's car right behind him, lights spinning on the roof, and his pad out giving the guy a ticket for crossing the solid white line.