Simple concepts.
Since I have been commuting in “rush-hour” for the first time in years, my opinion of Darwin’s theories of evolution are markedly declining, and my belief in Entropy is on the rise.
I have determined that South-Floridians simply do not know how to drive; worse, they do not care to learn.
At least twice per day, five (5) days a week. people by the hundreds of thousands clog the arteries of our public hiways and biways. Simple concepts that you supposedly are required to know and utilize to obtain and retain your Driver’s License are not widely apparent.
Concept 1: Merging. Getting on the interstate. The speed limit on the interstate is 65 Miles per hour. That means that the traffic is trying to go somewhere between 60 and 80 MPH.
What does this mean? This means that you should not try to merge with Interstate-speed traffic while driving 30+ MPH slower than the traffic you are trying to merge with.
Some on-ramps are shorter than others. That means that you must accelerate quicker on these than you need to on the longer on-ramps. You still need to accelerate to match the general speed of the traffic you are merging with.
To sum-up “When in Rome, do as the Romans.”
Concept 1a: Exiting the interstate. Off-ramps rarely require that you stop short. They provide enough time for you to hit the ramp at 65 MPH, and stop safely well before the end.
When you start slowing-down to 45 MPH while on the interstate, you are inconveniencing everyone behind you. You are one of the ones contributing to the whole traffic-jam problem.
Concept 2: Law Enforcement / Police / Sheriffs / State Troopers / Cops / 5.0 / Po-Po — Whatever you choose to refer to these people by, there is absolutely NO reason to slow-down when you see one. If you can see the Officer, chances are that (s)he has already seen you. Especially if you are speeding or driving erratically.
Drive with the flow of traffic.
Do not speed.
Do use your turn signals.
Do not drive impaired.
Do not be a prick on the hiways.
Concept 2a: The aforementioned rule goes double for an Officer who has pulled someone over. They are occupied. There is nothing to see, mind your own business and move along. And do not stare. You tend to drive where you look. They have a tough enough time risking being shot by who they pulled-over, they don’t need some paranoid idiot staring at them, and running them over.
Just like “Alice’s Restaurant Masacree Movement” . . . A single person won’t make much of a difference. If many individuals adopt better, safer, more conscientious driving practices, then and only then will “rush hour” no longer be such a bane. Our roads will be safer. Death tolls will lower. Insurance rates will stabilize or decrease. Speed Limits may rise again. Most importantly, we will be spending less time stuck in traffic, and more time to live our lives.
Please, please people. Rise-up. Stop accepting the mediocracy that rules our lives. Do your part as a member of this global society. Be responsible and accountable for your actions. Spread the word. One world, people. This is all we have. We don’t have to accept this ‘reality’.
Stepping-off my soapbox for now.
Thank you,
Frosti