Travel Headaches

This morning, I had to be at a meeting at 9:30, so I left my house at 7:30. It is 8 miles from my house to school, so I of course thought I would have plenty of time to get there and get some work done before the meeting. Little did I know that some idiot driver would try to make the 2 lanes of I-405 into 3, attempt to drive between two trucks in his imaginary lane, crash his pickup into both trucks, burst into flames, and die, thereby shutting down the entire freeway and making my 15 minute commute into a 2 hour nightmare. I know, that is COMPLETELY selfish. I am aware of that. But I am venting.

Which brings me to my pet peeves - traveler's version:
1. people who change lanes without signalling
2. people who drive 2 miles under the speed limit
3. people who drive 2 miles under the speed limit in the left lane with their right hand turn signal flashing
4. people who drive in the carpool lane, but aren't in a carpool
5. people who somehow have bypassed the emissions test and asphyxiate all drivers in a 50 foot radius at a stoplight
6. people who text or read while driving
7. people who don't pay attention at stop lights
8. people who speed through school zones
9. people who don't use the left turn lane, but turn left anyway whenever they feel like it
10. people who play easy listening music at high decibels (SO NOT COOL)
11. people who consult maps while driving
12. people who don't get out of the way of emergency vehicles
13. people who don't buckle up
14. people who run red lights
15. people who invent fake parking spaces
16. people who don't park straight - the lines are there for a reason, people!!
17. people who open their doors into my car, especially WHILE I'M SITTING IN IT.
18. people who open their doors into my car, scratch or dent it, and don't leave a note.
19. people who drive on the shoulder in order to cut into traffic when it's slow
20. motorcyclists who drive 95 mph and weave in and out of traffic because they can

There's probably more, but this is bordering on curmudgeonly as it is, so I leave you with one final thought.

It is one thing to endanger yourself in a motor vehicle, but something else entirely to endanger everyone else on the road because you are impatient, rude, or simply absent-minded. Pay attention to the road. If you can't, TAKE THE BUS.