To Those I Commute With on Hwy 69/US 96 and the SHS Drop Off

I don't rant very often.  But this past week a couple of things have truly gotten under my skin.  Well, actually, they have been under my skin for quite a long time. I suppose I've finally decided to speak up about it.

Many mornings I drop Bug at SHS.  First, I want to say the people who designed things there were way too worried about aesthetics and not enough of functionality.  All the little twists and curves leading up to the drop off point is ridiculous. The fact that all these vehicles have to drive through the student parking lot to access the drop off and that students who drive to school have to hike up hill and cross the line of drop off cars to enter the school puts them all at some degree of risk.

And then once you get up the hill and onto flat ground to drop your student, idiocracy takes over.  Parent after parent comes to a complete stop to let their student out just as soon as their car is on the flat surface.  Never mind that 3 to 4 vehicles could be on the flat surface and dropping theirs at the same time.  Oh, no.  I suppose their child is special.  Or lazy.  Because they  can't pull up far enough to allow others to disembark at the same time.  Get over yourself already, move up and let the flow, flow!

The second part of my rant involves 80% of the drivers on the road into Beaumont in the morning and coming out in the evening.  (I'll proceed this rant to say that I'd rather be on the road with you guys then on the road with the 9am-3pm crowd who has no clue what they are doing.  As a whole, your driving skills set is to be commended.) But I have this one thing against the majority of you:  you follow to closely all the time!  At every speed! In every road condition!  This is absolutely not necessary and will get you no where any quicker.  It sets the stage to be involved in an accident that was TOTALLY avoidable!

There is an oh-so-easy and simple solution.  Whatever speed you are traveling it works!  When stopped in traffic, leave a car length between the car in front of you and your front end.  That way, if you are rear-ended by someone when your foot is slack on the break you will have time to react and avoid being pushed into the vehicle in front of you. 

While moving, as you adjust your speed and traffic moves in and out in front of you, do this simple count.  Pick a line on the road or sign post on the side as the car in front approaches it.  Then as the back bumper of the car in front of you passes that mark start to count "one thousand one, one thousand two."  If your front end reaches that mark before you finish counting:  You are too close!  Back off, pick another spot and try again.  With minor adjustment for wet/icy roads, or carrying a heavy load this will allow you to come to a complete stop if necessary without "slamming" on your brakes, skidding or taking other evasive actions.  Again, it works with every speed.  It is a staple part of defensive driving and it saves lives.  Use it!

And now a word to the 1% I travel with.   Zig-zagging through traffic with the throttle down is a hazard to every life around you.  The road is not yours!  You may be late, but what good is this doing you if you don't arrive because your are dead!  You getting there on time or being in front is not worth sacrificing a human life of someone just trying to get to their job and make a living.  Someones daddy or mother.  Someones son or daughter.   Get over yourself already and start leaving earlier.  

I'm all done ranting now.  Please share this everywhere!  Save a life, it might be your own.