I’m sad to report that I am that person; I sometimes fit into the category of people who races past a line of patiently waiting drivers. I caught myself doing it yesterday. I surmised from the really long line of people in the right lane that you had to be in that lane to turn right, which I wanted to do. However, I was careening past all those people like everybody else in the middle lane.
While in the act, I decided to go straight instead of cut into the right-turn lane. I figured it would only take me a minute to do a U-turn after the light, instead of stop traffic while trying to nose into the right lane. Then, miraculously, a truck in the line made a very slow right turn, creating a wide opening for me. So I got to skip waiting without having to cut in front of anybody. It was a bittersweet break, knowing what group of people I’ve fallen in with.
I usually leave the house 10 minutes early for everything (unless I’m with somebody who is always running 30 minutes late) so that I can drift along at a leisurely pace and not worry about how long I sit at stoplights. I usually let most people cut in front of me, unless they seem to be skipping waiting in line. Then I drive aggressively, and make sure they don’t get in. That is arguably worse than what they’re doing, so I usually chastize myself afterwards for being so petty. Then repeat.
I look forward to a day when I can take mass transit to work, with a 10 minute walk at each end. I will surely have to leave Texas to realize my dream. ¶ 12:11 PM
