I left campus for lunch today to grab a bite to eat and get back to work. On my way I encountered a Cell Phone Driver. Let me set up the scene for you.
I am on a 6 lane divided road (no not a highway, but a busy road in town). Speed limit is 40 mph (average speed is generally 45-50mph. This is based on 8 years of driving this particular stretch of road almost 2 times a day).
I come to a stop light. I am the 5th car in line. Light turns green. I wait, I wait, I wait... cars in front of me are not moving. The lane next to me has already had 3 cars go through the intersection, but no, I'm still stopped. ???? Count to 10... ok, now slowly I can start moving forward....the truck in front of me, moves to the next lane over, so now I am 4th in line behind the "lead" car. Car's 2 & 3 also jump into the next lane so now it is just me and a big white suburban driving down the road going 25 mph...remember, the posted speed is 40 mph. This is annoying, but I chill out and decide to stay put since my turn is just up the road. The Suburban starts drifting close to the next lane. With a jerk, it comes back into our lane. Immediately I think, "humm, wonder whats wrong, it's not like we are moving at warp speed or anything". We continue on, cars going around us, flying by at the posted speed. Then it hits me. I bet my next 10 paychecks this person is talking on their cell phone! So, in order to know that I am right, I decide to follow the suburban to see if I can get a glimps of the driver. Suburban turns right into a parking lot...not a smooth turn mind you but rather one made with both hand probably occupying some other task and only intermittenly turning the steering wheel. I turn behind it. Then come to a stop because in the middle of the drive/parking lot road, the suburban stops....hummm... ok, definitely a cell phone driver... I sit patiently for a few moments and then the Suburban moves again, ever so slowly. It turns left to go down another parking lot road, I follow. It slooooowwws waaaayyyy down at a turn to go down a parking aisle...driver must have changed their mind and the suburban rolls forward....inching a long, the right blinker goes on. I am not fooled. I know that the chances of that vehicle actually turning right are about 1 in a billion... I'd have better luck winning the lottery. Sure enough, blinker goes off and the Suburban continues......whoops, nope don't want to turn there either (after partially turning down the next aisle). I decide to actually complete the turn for the Suburban, then come back up another aisle so I can get a good look at the driver as they come down the aisle. I am not speeding. I get to the next aisle and see the suburban just making the turn down the one after it, so I go one past it. As we approach each other on separate aisles, the Suburban pulls into a parking space, I slow down and drive right past the front and get a perfect view of the driver; happily chatting away on her cell phone. I WAS RIGHT! With great effort and self control I refrain from pulling in behind the suburban, wait for the driver to exit the car, approach her and SOUND OFF about how not only should she not be driving and talking on a cell, but she obviously flunked Drivers Ed (assuming she ever took it). My blood was boiling.
Why? Well, other than the obvious reason that she sat at a red light that had turned green, was going 15 mph below the posted limit, almost drifting into the adjacent lane, choppy turning, stopping in the middle of the drive, almost turning, not quite turning and just being an overall bad driver... watch this video... .
Drive Safely!
you don't have to watch all of it, say, 45 seconds of it, and you will understand my anger over distracted drivers aka: cell phone drivers.
Every person who drives or will be driving any time soon should watch this video.
Don't txt and drive, don't talk and drive, don't do anything but DRIVE! Pay attention to what you are doing, what the cars around you are doing and be on the look out for sudden danger.
Be Safe, Drive Safe.
Thank you!
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