Driving
I have to admit, I get stressed out when forced to drive in Rush Hour traffic. Unfortunately, this happens to me twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. What about driving stresses me out? Other drivers.
Last night I left work at 3:00, my normal quitting time. Due to Minnesota's other season, Road Destruction, I have to go North, West, and South before I can merge on East bound 494. The exit from Normandale Boulevard onto West bound 494 has its own lane. Nobody need ever stop when entering the freeway. Last night a middle aged swarthy man driving a black State of Minnesota Ford Taurus in front of me did that very thing; stop in a lane of traffic, blinker on, trying to merge into the middle lane. I honked my horn, honked again, and then drove around him on the right as he kept looking back into traffic. The cars behind me followed me. As I took the South bound exit onto Normandale Avenue, he was still sitting there, waiting for all cars to clear West bound 494.
In front of me as I circled onto South Normandale Avenue was a Toyota SUV. The driver of the SUV wanted to leave the exit lane and merge onto Normandale Avenue. This shouldn't have been any huge difficulty because there was NO ONE in the lane that they wanted to merge into. Apparently they had wanted me to pass them because they came to a complete stop in front of the exit, blinker on, waiting to change lanes. Unfortunately, I wanted to use that exit. My blinker was on pointing to where I wanted to go. I had to use my horn to convince the SUV to move. They pulled forward onto the shoulder of the road, merging into no traffic only after I had passed them on the exit to their right.
The exit from South bound Normandale Avenue onto East bound 494 adds a lane to 494, bringing the total number of lanes to three. There is never ANY reason for ANYONE to stop because there is no merging necessary. There was a pickup truck stopped at the entrance to the freeway, blinker on, attempting to merge into the middle lane of 494. This happens every day. Before I actually caught up to them, they caught a clue and drove off. It was all I could do to not start banging my head on the steering wheel.
A few miles East on 494 there is an entrance ramp from North bound 35W. This exit becomes it's own lane bringing the total number of lanes to four. I had moved my vehicle into the left lane because I have a twenty mile trip ahead of me and I like to drive fast. In the middle lane was a younger black lady driving a green Camry. A semi entered 494 on the exit that becomes its own lane. The lady in the Camry screeched to a halt attempting to avoid the large truck that never left its lane, let alone crossing the right lane. My mouth fell open in disbelief. I'll bet that she caused a traffic jam that wouldn't let up for at least three hours.
The other idiotic examples of driving I witnessed last night cannot compare to the prior four people. The guy driving a Cadillac SUV at 55 mph in the left-hand lane down a long hill where traffic normally flows at 80 mph. The pinhead that slowed to 45 mph because he didn't want to pass the semi in the middle lane while driving up the following hill. The doofus that sat at the stoplight talking into his cell phone after the light had turned green until the first three cars behind him were forced to drive around him. Sometimes I wonder if this only happens in Minnesota.
My wife questions me why I want a drink after I get home from work... I guess I'm just an alcoholic.
Last night I left work at 3:00, my normal quitting time. Due to Minnesota's other season, Road Destruction, I have to go North, West, and South before I can merge on East bound 494. The exit from Normandale Boulevard onto West bound 494 has its own lane. Nobody need ever stop when entering the freeway. Last night a middle aged swarthy man driving a black State of Minnesota Ford Taurus in front of me did that very thing; stop in a lane of traffic, blinker on, trying to merge into the middle lane. I honked my horn, honked again, and then drove around him on the right as he kept looking back into traffic. The cars behind me followed me. As I took the South bound exit onto Normandale Avenue, he was still sitting there, waiting for all cars to clear West bound 494.
In front of me as I circled onto South Normandale Avenue was a Toyota SUV. The driver of the SUV wanted to leave the exit lane and merge onto Normandale Avenue. This shouldn't have been any huge difficulty because there was NO ONE in the lane that they wanted to merge into. Apparently they had wanted me to pass them because they came to a complete stop in front of the exit, blinker on, waiting to change lanes. Unfortunately, I wanted to use that exit. My blinker was on pointing to where I wanted to go. I had to use my horn to convince the SUV to move. They pulled forward onto the shoulder of the road, merging into no traffic only after I had passed them on the exit to their right.
The exit from South bound Normandale Avenue onto East bound 494 adds a lane to 494, bringing the total number of lanes to three. There is never ANY reason for ANYONE to stop because there is no merging necessary. There was a pickup truck stopped at the entrance to the freeway, blinker on, attempting to merge into the middle lane of 494. This happens every day. Before I actually caught up to them, they caught a clue and drove off. It was all I could do to not start banging my head on the steering wheel.
A few miles East on 494 there is an entrance ramp from North bound 35W. This exit becomes it's own lane bringing the total number of lanes to four. I had moved my vehicle into the left lane because I have a twenty mile trip ahead of me and I like to drive fast. In the middle lane was a younger black lady driving a green Camry. A semi entered 494 on the exit that becomes its own lane. The lady in the Camry screeched to a halt attempting to avoid the large truck that never left its lane, let alone crossing the right lane. My mouth fell open in disbelief. I'll bet that she caused a traffic jam that wouldn't let up for at least three hours.
The other idiotic examples of driving I witnessed last night cannot compare to the prior four people. The guy driving a Cadillac SUV at 55 mph in the left-hand lane down a long hill where traffic normally flows at 80 mph. The pinhead that slowed to 45 mph because he didn't want to pass the semi in the middle lane while driving up the following hill. The doofus that sat at the stoplight talking into his cell phone after the light had turned green until the first three cars behind him were forced to drive around him. Sometimes I wonder if this only happens in Minnesota.
My wife questions me why I want a drink after I get home from work... I guess I'm just an alcoholic.