Guys, Las Vegas is not a fun place to drive. Neither is Utah. But add to the obliviousness and stupidity of Utah drivers the bad and uncertain driving of countless tourists (I'm lookin' at YOU, California) as well as a general tendency to imbibe, and you have a cesspool of bad driving.
I spend roughly two minutes of my commute on the freeway, and by the end of that two minutes I'm glad I don't have a gun in the car. After that, I spend fifteen minutes trying not to kill or be killed on Flamingo Road. So much weaving in and out. So much tail-gaiting.
Surprisingly few accidents...
But to the point! SO MUCH BAD DRIVING.
I didn't notice it at first. I was too busy trying to get from point A to B. In fact, now that I think about it, I was once probably one of those oblivious out-of-towners making everyone else nervous with my erratic driving.
Now it may surprise some of you that I have anger issues. Oh yes. I get pissed when people do things in cars that put me in danger. My commute is neither long nor arduous--a mere 20 minutes both ways--but I realized that 40 minutes of anger everyday was kind of ruining my day. I realized I can't control what other drivers do, but I COULD change the mood in my own car. So here's what I do. And because I love numbered lists...
1. Music.
DUH. Music is a huge mood changer. It can make the most monotonous drive epic. Or wondrously melancholy. Or surprisingly fun. Also, I sing in the car--and I don't mean to brag or anything but I'm pretty great. <*sarcasm*>
2. "Car Talk."
Not all NPR. Specifically "Car Talk." It's on every Saturday on my drive to work. You would think a radio show about cars would bring my attention back to my drive, but on the contrary. It is very agreeably distracting. I can't help but start my day in a good mood.
3. Leaving with plenty of time.
This is a huge one. My road rage is exactly proportional to my lateness. The person going 55mph on the freeway goes from Kind of Clueless to The Worst Human Being in the Universe. When I've got time and to spare, who cares if I just missed the twelfth light in a row? (Well, I still care. But I feel less inclined to yell at inanimate objects.)
What do you do to stave of Road Rage? I need all the help I can get.
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4 comments:
I just wish that people would learn that in most cases, bad driving = aggressive driving. Sure, everyone forgets to look over their shoulder every now and then, but its the tailgaters and the weavers that really create stress. Ironically, these are the people who think that they are "really good drivers."
car talk is a great program! i hope they will continue to replay it for years to come! i'm with you on listening to NPR while i drive (which ends up being a lot of my day, unfortunately or fortunately-depending on the traffic). keep it cool while keepin it safe, pear!
Definitely giving myself plenty of time is the key. It's also my greatest weakness. Thus, the rage turns inward!! But, to me, that's what I can control the best and that's where the key to success lies. Working on it!
Word to the plenty of time thing - I just take the bus and read a good book. Takes more time, but I never get road rage. (Bus rage is a separate issue altogether)
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