Driving Recklessly Doesn't Get You There Any Faster: "a Personal note to ALL Dumb Drivers out there"

There are many things I hate, when it comes to commuting.

These past few weeks as my mom was driving me to work, I noticed how stupid people get when driving. It's like a whole new world, sitting inside the car looking out. I look to my right and there's someone who's talking on the cell phone and smoking, (that's a nice way to go out), and to the back, some idiot riding our ass, and in the front, the person keeps braking when there weren't any other cars doing the same. I just can't believe how the basic concept of driving can be so difficult for some people to grasp.

When I'm a pedestrian, I hate it when people cross against the light, egging on the drivers to hate me when I do cross, when the light permits. What's even worse is, as I'm half way across from my start point, heading towards my destination, these idiotic drivers would drive past me just a few feet away. What if I dropped something behind, and had to go back and grab it? If I didn't get hurt, that item would sure be a goner. Come on drivers, as my mom says, "It takes years to gain intelligence, and only a mere second to become stupid." I have to agree with her on that. I rarely walk across the streets, or intersections, and even walking on the sidewalk seems dangerous. There are so many crazy drivers out there.

That's not to say I hate driving, no, I, myself, prefer to drive as a main choice of transportation. But it's never quite as enjoyable as I'd expected. (I never really wanted to drive when I turned 15, but thanks to my dad, I had to). There are a ton of responsibilities when you're a driver. It's sort of like a game; you're main problem is having to deal with many repeating issues on the road.

First, you have to make sure to spot out all the crazy pedestrians that feels like they own the road, and that they can cross at any time they feel, because if they don't see you, they're not at fault. Well, "mister or misses pedestrian", WRONG! You don't own the road, and I would appreciate it if you would think about your safety, as well as the mental and emotional well-being of your families and friends.

It's even worse at night, when everyone feels fancy, and decides to dress up in dark to black clothes. Did we magically developed night visions without me knowing about it?! If we did, I sure am behind on the sudden evolutionary trend. I wear glasses, and my glasses doesn't have a scratch resistant coating on it, so do you know what that means? That means, they have scratches on them, and it causes a bit of problem, when "all-dressed-up-in-black pedestrians" leisurely cross the road, between parked cars near areas where it's lowly lit. Hey, it's the fashion we are all trying to set for our future generations. Instead of, "Look both ways before you cross", it's probably going to be something like this, "Cross when you feel like it, and just be sure to survive when you get hit, so you can sue." (That's the way of getting rich on quick, painful, but easy big bucks!)

Not only do I have a problem with the color choices of clothing, and pedestrians walking against the light, what irritates me a lot, is when parents don't punish their kids correctly when they violate the rules on playing it safe as a pedestrian. On numerous occasions, I would see kids running ahead of their guardians, and then realize that they've put themselves in a dangerous situation, and just stand there, waiting for something to happen. Then the guardians would run over to the kid, and give you the 'evil eye', and just lecture the kid and continue their walk as if it was your own wrong doing, and "Shame on you!" If that was my kid, we'd have a long talk, and several examples of what happens when you let your head go before your brain.

As a driver, I also have to deal with other drivers. Here are a list them:
(the bold has no significance, just to differentiate the listing)

1. Slower than the speed limit drivers
2. Speeding above the speed limit drivers
3. Constantly putting on their breaks of no reason drivers
4. Constantly changing their speed limit when no signs enforces it drivers
   
5. Changing lanes without signaling drivers
6. Changing lanes with the wrong signal drivers
7. Keeps their signals on but keeps driving drivers
8. Weaving through lanes drivers
9. Blocking an intersection when they know traffic ahead isn't moving anywhere drivers
10. Lane-hog drivers
11. Too afraid to pass a car because they can't measure the distance drivers
12. Likes to ride up on another car's ass drivers
13. Talking on the phone or texting with barely any hands on the wheel drivers
14. Booming loud, obnoxious music drivers
    
15. and many more...

Sometimes I feel sorry for myself for having to deal with these types of drivers, and I'm sorry if any of you have dealt, dealing with, or will deal with these types of drivers. Have I ever been one of those, myself? *Thinks about it*, yes and no. I might with the talking on the phone way back before the law on hands-free was passed in Oregon. Now as an adult, I rather keep my life than to risk it, physically and emotionally. I like to enjoy my car ride with the music for my ears only, and take in the view of my surroundings. Life is too short, and the more I can take in, the better. Everything never looks the same twice, and why waste an opportunity? Also, my parents has taught me well. I also stand up for myself, against people who think they can do whatever they want on the road. That'll be a different story for next time, *evil giggles*.

The one thing I think, that a majority of drivers and pedestrians can agree with me on, is that we don't really like bicyclists. The reasoning in my perspective is, more than 50 percent of bicyclists do not obey any traffic rules. If I'm wrong, then I just keep bumping into the wrong people. In Portland, we have a large number of bicyclists near the Burnside, Morrison, Belmont, Hawthorne, Division, Holgate, Woodstock and so forth, areas. This is only in areas where I, more than often, travel through (I can avoid it, but that's not beneficial for me in saving time and money). A small number of other bicyclists actually obey traffic laws, and make commuting enjoyable for almost everyone.

Bikes can travel through narrower spaces. Capable of traveling on different surfaces, and lack a lot of important tools to protect the rider, (only if the rider decides not to invest their money into those needed tools for their safety). Bikes, themselves, cannot create a problem. It's the people who ride them that creates the problem. How?

I'll list you the different types of bicyclists there are, just as there are different types of drivers:

(again, the bold has no significance, just to differentiate the listing)

1. Hogging a whole lane on a one-lane road bicyclists
2. Crossing an intersection while the light is red bicyclists
3. Turning without proper signalling bicyclists
4. Slow annoying and creating a large car pile up bicyclists
5. Swerving left to right bicyclists
6. Weaving between parked cars and idle cars bicyclists
7. Not wearing or having proper tools at all times bicyclists
8. Putting themselves, pedestrians and drivers in danger bicyclists
9. and many more...

I just don't get how people can gamble their lives away, er, I mean, risk their lives, just to find the most fastest and convenient way possible to get to their destination faster. In honest truth, you MIGHT get there faster, if you weren't dealing with traffic lights, stop signs, pedestrians, bicyclists or drivers on a less busy road, but face it, chances are, you won't. Plan ahead, leave a couple of minutes early, and remember, it's not only your life that you're risking, it's everyone else AND yours. So don't let your head go before your brains.