Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Atlanta Traffic and Self Entitlement

Why is it that every driver in Atlanta drives and behaves as if the streets and roads were put there for THEIR use and you are in THEIR way causing them delays by using THEIR road?

If there was ever a reason to Work From Home (WFH) it is so you don't have to put up with arrogant Atlanta drivers and their abusive habits. Now I'm sure that its similar in other major cities so maybe this post should focus on arrogant drivers and their sense of self entitlement to the road and all its lanes but I live around Atlanta so those are the idiots I see every time I take a drive.
Its not everyone, I acknowledge that and salute the polite drivers out there. The ones that pay attention, use turn signals, stay in their lane for more than a mile, and generally SHARE the road. Its the other guys and gals I'm focusing the full force of my disdain and loathing at.

You know the ones

-They have 2 speeds, Stop and FLOOR IT!!! with the former used only when forced to by obstruction
-They are 1/4 mile from a Green light just turned Amber and they floor it.
-They speed constantly even in neighborhoods and school zones
-They change lanes 5 times in a mile because the next lane over might just get them a few extra inches ahead of you or the car they are screaming at for going "too slow" even when its bumper to bumper traffic for miles ahead
-They assume that because THEY need the lane you're in that its YOUR job to look out for them because they aren't going to signal or even look, they are just going to merge right into you expecting you to let them over
-Even with no cars behind you for miles they will speed up, pass you, and cut in front of you to make an Exit ramp or immediately turn on their turn signal and stop to make a turn. They can't be bothered with slowing down and getting behind you, Nooooo that would be polite and not bother anyone. They have a inate desire to make sure that you are inconvienenced so they can feel superior for causing you a delay.
-They see the same construction signs that you see yet insist on being the car that flys by in the rapidly decreasing merge lane so they can get ahead of all the other people that planned appropriately and got over with plenty of time.
-They can't plan to save their life. They make right turns from the left lane or stop dead with a turn signal on because they just now realized they were right next to their destination. This is usually caused by constant and mindless yakking on the cellphone. Since they have no regard for others they just stop traffic to achieve their goal with no thought of the inconvienence they are causing others.

These are the people that need to have their license revoked and be forced to a life of public transit.

What is it with these types of drivers? Do they really think that their insane driving habits will truely get them to their destination any faster? Take a look next time you spot one fly past you. 9 times out of 10 you'll be sitting right next to or behind them at the next redlight. Most of the time I am breezing past them at the same redlight that just went Green while they were sitting at the Red. Since I wasn't going their speed earlier I did not have to stop but only slowed down to stop when the change occured thus leaving my momentum in tact and able to continue on while they had to start from a dead stop. I'm sure this infuriates some of them to no end causing them to floor it and race past me only to lather, rinse, repeat at another redlight down the road. This has been my experience on many occassions.

"Drive it like you stole it" is an expression for the racetrack, not the public roadways. With fuel prices on the rise yet again people should really relax a bit and try and squeeze every MPG they can out of their vehicles. An old Mickey Mouse comic book taught me as a child that driving like a madman only waste fuel and doesn't really get you anywhere that much faster. I try to remember that comic when I drive. I'm not always perfect but 9 times out of 10 my attitude is a direct relation to the amount of idiots I am confronted with.

Relax.....

Breathe....

And show some frickin courtesy out there people.

1 comment:

  1. RE: "-They see the same construction signs that you see yet insist on being the car that flys by in the rapidly decreasing merge lane so they can get ahead of all the other people that planned appropriately and got over with plenty of time."

    They KNOW that it's coming up, they are taking advantage of others. They do that "oh my God I'm stuck here please let me merge act" knowing some idiot will show mercy and let them in. Because you see, they are too good to wait in line like normal people.

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