Driving us crazy

There are a lot of crazy drivers in the world. I'll never forget one day in Fort Worth when Jeffrey and I were going to the mall with his mom and we witnessed a true case of road rage. A van cut off a guy driving a big truck, and at the next stoplight, we stared with slack-jawed amazement as the driver of the truck got out, grabbed the van driver by the collar and screamed his lungs out at him. Two words for him: anger management.

Here in San Antonio, though, it's a whole new world...and not the nice kind of "Whole New World" that Aladdin and Jasmine sing about in the Disney movie. I'm talking about the ugly new world where all drivers are offensive (meaning both rude and aggressive/unaware of others), the "fender benders" require ambulances, and all roads lead to traffic jams.

Ridiculous driving example 1: A few days ago I was traveling along a five-lane road to pick Jeffrey up from school. The traffic was really bad that day--cars backed up for miles, but only in the west-bound lane adjacent to the turning lane. Like all impatient drivers, I quickly switched into the faster-moving one and went on my way. About a mile up the road I saw the cause of the traffic backup. An accident? No. There was a van waiting to turn left from the west-bound traffic lane. Not in the turning lane. Not even partially in the turning lane. Just hangin' out in the traffic lane, holding up traffic, being obnoxious.

Ridiculous driving example 2: Jeffrey and I ate at Freebird's tonight and on our way home we had to pass what I lovingly refer to as "The Alley Of Death." The Alley of Death is the stretch of road between the exit off I-10 for our apartment and the stoplight at the road to our apartment. It's less than a 1/4 of a mile, but it's trecherous. Many a good fender have been lost there. Anyway, coming off the highway at 65 mph, we were shocked when a car pulled out about 100 yards in front of us at a speed I estimate to be no faster than 20 mph. Cue honking horn.

So to all of you silly, law-breaking, frustrating, crazy San Antonio drivers, I have one thing to say to you--and it's written on the sign below...