A morning commute, a gold Mercedes E-Class, and a reminder that aggressive driving isn't just about how fast you go.
I'd like to address the lady in the gold E-Class Mercedes who passed me on the way to work today, and people like her whose priorities are out of whack.
Let's call her Goldilocks.
I was on I-516 in the left lane behind an HVAC service truck. We were both cruising along at 65 in a 55 when I spotted the gold E-Class coming up on me pretty quickly in the rearview mirror.
I thought to myself, If I'm doing 65, Goldilocks must be pushing triple digits.
I decided that if she was driving that fast, she was probably capable of all kinds of bad judgment. So I moved over to the right lane.
If you'd asked me ahead of time whether there was enough room between me, in the right lane, and the service truck, ahead of me in the left lane, for Goldilocks to pass, I'd have said, "Um, no fucking way."
Goldilocks had other ideas.
She carved herself a middle lane and passed me at a rather uncomfortable distance, then squeezed past the service truck, also uncomfortably close from my perspective.
I guess the kamikaze pass shook both me and the guy in the service truck a little, because the next thing I remember, I looked down at the speedometer and saw that I was doing 75.
Wait. What the hell am I doing?
I eased off the gas until I was back around 65.
Goldilocks was already so far ahead of me that I'm guessing she was, in fact, hitting the triple digits I'd imagined earlier.
Now, it's not my job to tell people how fast to drive. It's none of my business—until you endanger the people around you.
I notice when you endanger me, Goldilocks.
I understand being in a hurry. I understand the desire to drive enthusiastically. Hell, I enjoy driving too.
What I don't understand is following too closely, changing lanes without signaling, or driving erratically in close proximity to other people.
If you want to drive like you're late for something, that's your business.
But challenge yourself, Goldilocks.
Think about somebody besides yourself for a change.
