Thoughts on Driving

Yesterday I read an excerpt from a novel by Annie Ernaux.  The entire book is random journal entries about common day things.  It was both interesting and funny.  I'm not good with words like she is, nor am I going to write this in french, but I thought I'd give it a try and share my thoughts on Personality and Drivers.

Everyone's personality is reflected in everything they do.  The same goes for driving.  

You have your competitive people.  These are the people that drive 35mph in a 55mph zone.  When you pull into the left lane they quickly speed up so you can't pass and within seconds they are going 70mph right along with you.  Then when they come upon another car in the left hand lane they'll slow down to their speed, blocking you in, and laughing out loud to themselves at your failed attempt to pass.

Next we have our impatient people.  These are the people that weave in and out of traffic and have no concept of personal space.  They are in a hurry whether they have somewhere to be or not.

Then there are those people that are clingy.  They always feel a need for human companionship and can't do anything alone.  On the highway you might mistake them for an impatient driver.  

Why?  

Because these are the drivers that tailgate you when you are the only two cars on the road!!  

So you slow down.  Hoping to piss them off enough to go around you.  

So they slow down.  

All this really does is piss YOU off, so you give up and quickly speed up.  

Yep.  

Still behind you.  

When you stop at a light, you look behind you to see if they are going to turn but unfortunately they've pulled in so close to you that you can't even see their headlights.  

After you begin driving again, as luck would have it, another car pulls onto the road and the clingy driver rushes to be near someone new.  Good riddance!

Your obedient people are drivers that always follow the rules.  Yep.  When the light turns yellow, they slow down, nearly causing an accident because the three cars behind them ALL could have made the light.

Cautious drivers are the ones that never turn right on a red.  

They sit.  

And wait.  

And make EVERYONE wait.

There are also those drivers that sit back and enjoy the ride.  

Nope.  Not the cars with their windows down and their music turned up.  

Those are the smokers.  

They'd have to be.  

Who in their right mind drives with the windows open in Arizona?  It's either too hot or too cold.  Yes, our winters here are cold. When you are used to 115, anything below 80 is cold.  

No, these are the drivers that constantly swerve in their lanes because they can't stop looking out the window to see the view.  

Then, if you're a combination driver (like my dad) where you like to enjoy the ride AND you're impatient,  other drivers beware!  
Or better yet, passengers beware!  That makes for one SCARY ride!  (No offense dad)

Then you have your people that are technologically challenged.  These cars always drive slow.  These are the drivers you think are abusive because you see the passenger repeatedly hitting the driver.  As you pass them you see the driver's face glued to his GPS (always a guy) while the passenger is yelling and hitting him (always a girl).

This is what I get to sit an contemplate every morning as I navigate the 101.  Did I miss anyone?  Please share!