The Secret to Driving and Rude Drivers

The reader will learn the secret to driving by following this text, or by jumping to the bottom of this text. I understand . . . .
As a young man I was fortunate enough to be trained as a Trailways bus operator, a high honor for this working class kid. I operated between Washington D.C. and New York City, as well as points in-between, like Philadelphia, Baltimore, Allentown, Quarryville, Redding, and more. It took 5 weeks of full-time school training to get the Smith System (an approach to defensive driving) firmly into my head. It took hours behind the wheel and observation to learn the practice of sound, operating principals - - one "operates" a bus, and "drives" a nail. It took constant reminders to understand the importance of the following:
1. Get the big picture.
2. Keep your head and eyes moving.
3. Watch out for the other guy.
4. Leave yourself an out.
5. Keep your distance.
6. Maintain a steady speed.
7. I forgot.

Employing these strategic elements of Smith's system probably saved my life numerous times over the years. Now with my eyes going south with the rest of my body, I've slowed way down and taken in the view, anyway. Just the same, the lessons learned while training in Washington D.C. proved more than helpful many times.

What frustrates me are the numerous rude drivers out there. Where do they think they are going, anyway? They drive worse around the silly season, the Xmas dates on the calendar. Do these people really believe that by saving a few seconds, minutes at best, the risk to others is worth the gambling they do with each risky move? Actually, I don't think that they think about it. They really don't care. I would say that their behavior is like criminal conduct, at least a perpetual assault. Are the other countries right about Americans? Is it true that we have little respect for human life?

Speeding and tailgating are two major threats that we all face today from the rude drivers as they place all of our lives at risk. They are, in my opinion, much like the terrorists that President Bush seemed to forget when he discovered and then lost the WMDs in Iraq. They must be, because they terrorize those of us dedicated to saving lives, not risking lives on the highway.

Which reminds me, the California Highway Patrol does a great job and my hat is off to them in their law enforcement efforts. They risk their lives daily trying to educate the rude drivers, but sadly fail by no fault of their own. Well, how are they to educate these rude terrorists when they are fluid, agile, and easily disappear among the innocent, highway
population? So, hats off to the highway patrol and down with terrorists of all sorts. God bless America!

I know that my words place me on the road least traveled, but I am certain that the automobile alone is inappropriate technology for this planet that we call "Home." It is not environmentally sustainable. Just look at Mother Earth today and compare her to her health and beauty before Columbus liberated the land to be freeways. But, there's more to the automobile's inappropriateness than its parasitism. It is also an inappropriate tool in the hands of a species born to be rude by some sort of genetic predisposition or environmental coaching. Whatever.

If everyone would just operate their vehicles like Trailways bus operators we would all live in a much nicer place. They would also understand that the secret to driving is to . . . .
LEAVE EARLY.