Why does driving the speed limit infuriate people?
Driving really bugs me these days. I hate sounding like a crusty old lady, but seriously, what’s up with drivers?
Recently I was driving down Montrose Road in Niagara Falls, mindfully doing the speed limit and aware of the rain. Following me much too closely was a car full of whippersnappers trying to bully me into speeding up by getting too close. When I came to my turn, the driver went around me aggressively and all four teenaged boys gave me the finger and I could see them yelling and mocking.
Sorry, young ’uns, your behaviour will not change mine.
On my way to work, I feel bullied or attacked on a daily basis. Doing the speed limit seems to infuriate people. If looks could kill.
Drivers frequently follow much too closely, and pass at the first opportunity, even if it isn’t safe. As they pass me, I see an angry face, and it takes no imagination to know what they are saying. I always wonder what the hurry is. Rushing to work at breakneck speed? Really?
Best of all, though, are the drivers that get furious with me for stopping at a four-way stop. Stop means stop in my world. Not pause, not slow down, not glance around and gun it, but stop.
One of the volunteers was rearended recently, and the woman who hit her was furious with her because she had stopped, yelling and blaming and out of control.
I was cut off on a busy part of Thorold Stone Road recently. I could see the driver was distracted, so I hung back. If I hadn’t, I would have been hit. The vehicle was a board of education van, and the female driver was looking at her phone. When she glanced up and saw me, she was visibly startled. Hmmmm, bad example, lady.
The other side of the driving thing is the distracted drivers who don’t go at green lights, and who drive slowly and all over the road while they are using or looking at their phones. They look up so startled when they spot you or when someone honks at them. What a terrifying lack of awareness.
The apparent obliviousness is scary. Why can’t we truly just be in the moment any more? The need for constant communication, the need to hurry from one place to another, the lack of awareness of other people … it’s all about a lack of mindfulness.
One thing I’ve learned while spending so much time in the hospital in recent months, is to fully engage in every moment. When I visit my 88-year-old father, I want to soak in every moment I have with him. Often our visits are very quiet. He doesn’t speak much any more, but we are fully present with each other, even when silent.
What are we all missing when we forget that our day is made up of thousands of moments strung together? I’d hate to be on my phone and miss my father’s smile. I’d hate to be in such a rush I didn’t notice the blue sky, the birds, the warm air, a friend’s laugh, a kind word, or someone in need.
I’m going to try to live fully in all my moments. I don’t want to miss any gifts sent my way.