Recently I’ve come to the realization that many people who do drive shouldn’t have the right to drive. Then again, nearly getting run over three times at an intersection in the time that would normally be taken to cross the street can do that to you.
I was walking back toward school from the Lincoln Village shopping center after checking Borders for some more school-related materials. I get to the intersection of Peterson and Kedzie. As I see the green light and make my first attempt to cross the street, a guy talking on his cell phone while driving and checking out the lady in his passenger-side seat almost hits me and I jump back onto the curb.
It’s still a green light and I try to cross again. The second driver tries to merge in non-existent oncoming traffic and I have to jump back up onto the curb to avoid being hit again. By trying to merge into non-existent traffic, he is the only one trying to turn to head west onto Peterson and the traffic already heading west on Peterson stopped because of their red light. There are also no sirens indicating the presence of emergency/law enforcement vehicles whose right of way trumps the right of way of normal drivers. Lastly, there is no turn arrow light at the intersection.
Third time, you’d think, would be a charm. An absolutely furious man decides to speed up when he realizes I am in the path of his car. Since I was over halfway through the width of the car I had to dive in front of another car, rather than dive back and still risk getting hit by this case that shows some Americans should attend mandatory anger management workshops. Luckily the fourth driver had half a brain and stopped once he noticed the person-sized obstruction in the path of his car.
Here’s advice to the multi-tasking driver that falls through in some way: You’re driving. There is something you have to do and it’s called paying attention to everything outside of the car as well as how you are driving. If you’re distracted, you’re a danger to yourself, anyone else in your car and the world outside of your car. If you’re a bad driver because you’re multi-tasking, don’t multi-task. If you don’t notice that multi-tasking in such a way is affecting your driving, you shouldn’t even have the right to drive.
Here’s some advice to the bum with wheels that is inattentive through being overly cautious. LOOK IN FRONT OF YOUR CAR. The only times you’d have to keep an eye out for oncoming traffic while turning right and you have a green light is if you hear the siren of an emergency/law enforcement vehicle coming, or if the intersection has a turn arrow light. Yes, you still have to pay attention to your surroundings, but if you’re the only one headed in the direction you’re turning, the most important traffic is in front of you. Remember, even if you’re trying to avoid an accident, hitting someone with your car ruins at least two people’s day. Yes, one of the people is you.
Here’s some advice to the angry arse. Anger and cars don’t play well together, especially not for the people outside of your car when your judgment is already impaired. If you’re pissed off, walk because it’s safer for everyone else. It’s also something that most people in America seem to forget about, known as exercise, which can act as a stress reliever. Trust me. Everyone will be better off if you just walk when you’re angry. If you happen to be generally angry, taking the bus would be a wiser investment for you anyway. Walk or take the bus and your potential organic hood ornament will thank you.
Really, hopefully three out of every four drivers realize the impact that they can make while they’re driving. Yes, that sounded like a pun but it wasn’t. If your judgment is impaired or you’re distracted, you’ll end up hitting something or someone sooner or later. Sometimes you’ll get lucky with no injuries on either party. However, you shouldn’t want to chance it.