7.21.2011

Driving


I've never been a "car person..." (car person= a person who border line has romantic feelings for cars and knows what "horse power" means). No, I'm not a car person... I just love a good drive. Seriously. A drive up and down the Wasatch Mtn range listening to music or just sitting in silence is my idea of an awesomely good time. If someone is with me, even better.

A few things I've observed about drivers and driving:

I believe that everyone's true self comes out on the road. I laughed about this thought out loud the other day while driving. I mean think about it-- we are confined to one, two, three lanes at most, and limited to the speed we can go. Lights tell us to stop, orange cones direct us, and yield signs force us to be kind. Yet with all the rules on the road we still have the freedom to flip someone off at a 4-way stop, ride another car's bumper, and honk at a bicyclist drifting into traffic (disclaimer: I do none of these... correction-- I try not to do any of these). Because we are safely within the confines of our own car it somehow makes outrageous behavior acceptable and then quickly forgotten. Are we closet angry people?

Speed says a lot about drivers and definitely goes hand in hand with the type of car driven. I'll be the first to admit that the very second a van of any kind pulls in front of me I am immediately outraged and swerve into the next lane. If any of you are psychologist or analytical in anyway please analyze that and also what it means if I feel the need to be the first to punch my gas and take off at a green light, leading the pack of cars behind me...Every Single Time. Posible control issues, yeah probably. And vans... issues with inevitably needing one someday? Also yes, probably.

Music and driving, what a good combination that can turn so wrong so fast. Example: The other day I pulled up to a light and the fella in the next lane is listening to grunge music so loud that I can feel it pulsing through my steering wheel and subsequently into my head. I won't tolerate grunge and believe only the worst kind of people enjoy it (many of whom are faking it)... but without warning I'm sucked into this guy's world. He looks over at me banging his head and assuming that I'm seeing life through his eyes. Green light-- eat my dust.

Lately I've considered the idea of flying lessons just to take this whole experience to the sky. Most likely that won't happen for a while-- if it even does... I still believe that planes are held up by magic.

My last thoughts on driving: always buckle up, and remember that car stickers are like body tattoos-- most if not all are regrettable.

2 comments:

Mallory said...

My mom and I were talking about this very thing recently. People get behind the wheel and suddenly they are invincible--nothing bad could ever happen while they are in their machine. They are willing to run red lights, cut people off, and go 90 mph to get to Walmart first.

Remember when you had car stickers? Yours were pretty cool, though.

Ashley and Ezra said...

My favorite thing about this post (It was hard to choose a favorite, but i did) is that planes are held up by MAGIC!!! I sure love you!