Driving Rules
Some mornings seem worse than others. It almost seems like people forget how to drive.
This mornings alone I encountered 2 strange episodes.
People seem to often freeze at a 4-way-stop. Or become nervous crossing over a busy intersection. While trying to cross over oncoming traffic to the right, people either slow down too much that you lose the gap you were hoping for closes up (do they think you're suddenly going to pull off and go?). Or you're waiting on a gap, and suddenly somebody stops (too far forward for you to actually be able to turn) then tells you to go, gets fed up when you motion there's no space... once again losing your gap.
I saw an odd one a few days ago. Driving behind another car - both of us turning right at the next road, but waiting for an oncoming car who was turning into the same road. Instead of turning the corner, as he had right of way, he stopped and motioned to the car in front of me to go. Obviously not one to argue, she went. But what was his point?
One I encounter often - and I'm sure you do too. The person who ignores the 4 way stop. You're heading up to the 4 way stop, slowing down (as you do - it's a stop sign...) and as you stop, a car comes flying through from the left or right. Their thought is obviously that "it's a 4 way stop, so if somebody is coming from the other direction, they'll stop". Have they never thought that somebody just like them is about to do the same?
As much as I mutter a dozen curse words under my breath, or shake my head, or the best - tapping my forehead to tell them they're stupid. Sometimes, I can't help but laugh at other people's stupidity.
I get it - we all make mistakes. But for many people, it was not just an honest mistake.
*skoroskoro - a typical south african word : an old beat up car - the word deriving from the sound an old car makes
This mornings alone I encountered 2 strange episodes.
- I had just dropped my son off at the bus. It's around 6:35am. Not too many people on the roads, but enough... This does not mean you do not need to stop at a stop sign or ignore road rules and signals. I was driving back home on a straight road with no stops. The stop signs are all from the side roads. I signalled that I would be turning right at the next street (you know with that little orange blinky light called an indicator). A car screamed up to the stop where I was about to turn, obviously planning on continuing through (even though there were 2 cars directly behind me). He stopped at an angle over the entire road - blocking my entry into the road. Ever-stubborn me was not about to let this road hog get his way, and even as I turned, he pulled forward, then realized I was not about to let him through. I squeezed my little golf through the tiny gap between his skoroskoro* and the pavement, and did what all woman do - slowly shook my head while driving - slowly - past him and looking him the eye. He apologized.
- I fetched my daughter from home (daily routine - drop off my son, then come home to french braid her hair ...uhm dutch braid - I do my plaits wrong way around), then drove her to school. I parked in the parking spot to the side, she climbed out, and just as I was about to pull off... some numbskull pulled up beside me (driving area) and stopped to drop his child off. Really? Did that actually make sense to him? (especially since nobody was even parked behind me).
People seem to often freeze at a 4-way-stop. Or become nervous crossing over a busy intersection. While trying to cross over oncoming traffic to the right, people either slow down too much that you lose the gap you were hoping for closes up (do they think you're suddenly going to pull off and go?). Or you're waiting on a gap, and suddenly somebody stops (too far forward for you to actually be able to turn) then tells you to go, gets fed up when you motion there's no space... once again losing your gap.
I saw an odd one a few days ago. Driving behind another car - both of us turning right at the next road, but waiting for an oncoming car who was turning into the same road. Instead of turning the corner, as he had right of way, he stopped and motioned to the car in front of me to go. Obviously not one to argue, she went. But what was his point?
One I encounter often - and I'm sure you do too. The person who ignores the 4 way stop. You're heading up to the 4 way stop, slowing down (as you do - it's a stop sign...) and as you stop, a car comes flying through from the left or right. Their thought is obviously that "it's a 4 way stop, so if somebody is coming from the other direction, they'll stop". Have they never thought that somebody just like them is about to do the same?
As much as I mutter a dozen curse words under my breath, or shake my head, or the best - tapping my forehead to tell them they're stupid. Sometimes, I can't help but laugh at other people's stupidity.
I get it - we all make mistakes. But for many people, it was not just an honest mistake.
*skoroskoro - a typical south african word : an old beat up car - the word deriving from the sound an old car makes
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