ROAD RAGE

Twice a week I drive to and from the county building. It is all on surface streets and about 15 to 20 minutes depending on hitting red lights and construction. By the time I get to the parking garage ( sometimes in the garage) I find many people I would willing kill. Some because of their stupidity I have almost accidentally killed.

A typical drive:

About 90 seconds from my house is a 4 way stop sign. People don't know what to do, so they roll through, don't wait their turn, pull out and then stop. Another 90 seconds we come to the golf course that is on both sides of the road. It has lovely trees and hedges that hide the golf cart drivers and walking golfers who dart out across the road. They never look, they just go. Scary for me, I have come very close to hitting them.

Let's continue, we pass a high school letting out for lunch. Dozens of teenagers crossing 6 lanes against the light. Then we have downtown office workers with a death wish. They are crossing against the light while talking on the phone. And they saunter. At least walk fast as you hold up my world.

We have UPS trucks, armored cars, mail trucks, parking enforcement jeeps and regular cars all double parked. By California law your cell phone must be hands free while driving. Half the world doesn't care, talking, dialing, not watching the road, weaving into my lane. Did I mention the people reading while driving? Not just maps either, books, newspapers, laptops. These people are crazy dangerous!

But the thing that gets up my nose the most, bicyclists. They blow through red lights. Cars swerve to miss them. As I swerve I figure if I hit a car I won't kill someone, just mess up the car. If I hit a bike, no chance for the rider. They ride on the street, then up on the sidewalks, and then back on the street to beat traffic. You are either a pedestrian or not. Pick one. They make no hand signals, just change lanes and you pray you will miss them. And they ride two and three across and block lanes. Rude, and cause me to really want to just keep going and let them swerve. But I never do.

In the garage we have what I call Parking Garage Virgins. I have seen drivers not know how to get the ticket from the machine. So we are backed up onto the street waiting for the attendant to show them what to do. What part of the sign Push Button, Take Ticket do they not understand? They expect to find a spot as soon as they enter and are creeping up the ramps. If they see someone in a car they stop in the middle so you can't get around then and they wait for the car to pull out. It is lunch hour, jurors are in the cars eating lunch, sleeping what ever. Move on. Go to the sixth floor, there are lots of empty places up there, you can see the empty spots from the street.

Lots of opportunity to hurt someone. Thank goodness I don't tote a gun as many do. I for sure would have released my inner rage 5 minutes into my drive.