THANKS...
To the guy who flashed his headlights to me, the other morning. Sure, it was a 35 mph zone, and I was... pause while I plead the 5th... but you saved me. Not 100 yards down the road, there was the bear, drinking his coffee, reading the paper, and clocking the cars. This particular occurance made me start thinking about two things: 1) the appalling lack of common courtesy while driving (except for this one instance) ; or 2) the blatant ignorance with regards to "rules of the road."

I recently saw a headline (somewhere) that stated "road rage on the rise!" I have often (not to say unjustly) been accused of road rage. I'll admit to being a little tightly wound (at times), but as one of my sisters said, "the rise in road rage may be inversely related to the decline in drinking and driving." - for those of you who know me, this is all in good fun. For those of you who don't, I do not endorse drinking and driving. However, I digress. I can honestly say, my "rage" is always as a result of some numbskull doing something that is either disrespectful or downright dangerous. I'll admit the first is a much lesser offense than the second. But, who is addressing the "rise of driving discourteously and/or dangerously."

For the record, I always make an effort to drive courteously. For those of you out there who aren't certain about what this entails, see the following list:

1. Yield the right of way, when you're not entitled to it. This means, if you're pulling onto the highway, and there's a car in the entrance lane, do not try to beat them or to push them over into the middle lane. Your visibility is not as good as the driver already on the highway, and you don't know what you may be pushing them into.
2. If you are at a multi-way stop sign, the person who was there first is entitled to pull through first. If you arrive at the stop sign at the same time that another car arrives at his stop sign, the car to the right has the right of way.
3. If you are making a left-hand turn, oncoming traffic has the right of way. Wait for all cars to pass, before making the turn.
4. Indicate to cars behind you that you intend to turn by using your turn signals BEFORE slamming on your brakes. What's the use of using your turn-signal AFTER you've slammed on your brakes, to let me know why?
5. Take the right of way, when you're entitled to it. It's frustrating to be at a stop sign and after a lot of pantomining gestures between drivers, take a chance that they really ARE yeilding. Thanks, but we would both be through the stop by the time we worked it all out.
6. If you are going inordinately slow (below the speed limit), pull over and allow other cars to pass you. In Washington state, it is the law that any car with a five car line behind them, must pull over and allow those cars to pass (I just loved that, while I was there). In Arizona, the drivers just did it out of courtesy (Thanks, Arizona drivers!).
7. If the driver in front of you is going (at least) the speed limit, do not tailgate them, just because you're a little more daring. Wait for a legal chance to pass, and well... always obey the laws of the road ;)

Now, say some jerk decides that he DOES own the road, and to heck with everybody else on it? Are the rest of us just supposed to "take it?" Perhaps a better man (woman) would. But, I'm afraid I am not a better woman. With regards to discourtesy, what is the appropriate reaction to the guy in the left lane who just won't pass, and won't get over? Usually, I'll flash my headlights a couple of times, just to let them know I'm there. BTW, for all of you ignorant drivers out there, this IS considered a courteous way of letting you know I'm there, and would like to use the passing lane for the purpose for which it is intended! If that doesn't work, I'll pass on the right, pull up in front of them, and go even slower. Invariably, it makes THEM get into the right hand lane, after which time I, and the many cars lined up behind him can continue on our way.

If a driver cuts me off, I'll honk the horn (length of time is directly related to how far I skidded after slamming on my brakes to keep from plowing into the guy). Or, I will confess (blushingly) to tail-gating for a while. My rationalization being that they MUST want me to be that close because why else would they have pulled out RIGHT in front of me? What really gets me mad, though, is when a driver does something that is really stupid, putting me and/or my passengers in danger. Here's my question, what is an appropriate response? Does anything do any good? Do those of us who are courteous and safe drivers just diminish into oblivion because more and more people are ignorant of basic driving courtesy? I invite comments.