Well, we've gathered our courage, strapped ourselves in, and we're headed down the onramp - that's right, we're a-goin' on the freeway! Everything's going good so far, just driving al.... oh no! My lane is ending! Panic!!
No, no, don't panic, that would just be silly. We just need to practice the fine art of merging into traffic. You see, as we enter the freeway we match our speed to those in the lane next to us and find an empty spot in the next lane that we can safely enter (you didn't forget about the turn signal, did you? Good work!) Now, some of our more adventurous readers may come from the 'slow down and wait for someone to let me in' school of merging. To which we reply - please stop!
So we're on the freeway, cruising along with the top down, singing along with the radio, remembering that we don't drive a convertible - quick put the top back on!
Now on the freeway, especially through town, we've got our choice in lanes. I'm going to name those the slow lane, the middle lane, and the passing lane. That's right, not the fast lane. You see, fast is such a relative term - all our relatives have different definitions of fast. To grandma, anything faster than a horse qualifies as fast, where dad isn't going fast until at least 88mph (maybe he's trying to go back in time?) So let's keep that far lane open for passing, not for driving 'fast' (and here I'm talking directly to you grandma - that line of cars behind you is NOT there to read your collection of humorous bumper stickers).
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
The Freeway - Part I
Ah the freeway - serving America proudly since 1956.
If the idea of traveling above 50 miles per hour frightens you, perhaps the freeway isn't for you. Please consider one of the many convenient alternatives to freeway driving. For example: public transportation, asking your grandkids for a ride, and of course walking. Remember, the speed limit, unlike the speed of light, can be safely approached without worrying about any of those pesky relativistic effects.
Of course, we should all remember that the speed limit is an upper bound, not a lower bound. I-15 in Salt Lake County is NOT the autobahn, the salt flats or the Indy 500. While we are all curious as to just how fast your nifty new motorcycle can go, none of us wish to scrape bits of you off of our cars. Also, we all know that you have places to be, often far more important places to be than the rest of us suckers going home to our families, but we prefer not to be treated as obstacles preventing you from reaching 100mph. Leave early and slow down! Better to be a little late than a lot dead.
If the idea of traveling above 50 miles per hour frightens you, perhaps the freeway isn't for you. Please consider one of the many convenient alternatives to freeway driving. For example: public transportation, asking your grandkids for a ride, and of course walking. Remember, the speed limit, unlike the speed of light, can be safely approached without worrying about any of those pesky relativistic effects.
Of course, we should all remember that the speed limit is an upper bound, not a lower bound. I-15 in Salt Lake County is NOT the autobahn, the salt flats or the Indy 500. While we are all curious as to just how fast your nifty new motorcycle can go, none of us wish to scrape bits of you off of our cars. Also, we all know that you have places to be, often far more important places to be than the rest of us suckers going home to our families, but we prefer not to be treated as obstacles preventing you from reaching 100mph. Leave early and slow down! Better to be a little late than a lot dead.
The Turn Signal
Ah, the magnificent turn signal - flashing so pretty on the front of our cars. And look! There's one on the back as well! How droll. However shiny the turn signal may be, let us not forget the many rules of the signal -
1. Turn signals let other cars know when you plan to turn. Yes, we know that sometimes you yourself don't know when you plan to turn. Sometimes swerving across three lanes to make a left AT THIS INTERSECTION seems like proper driving procedure. However, for the sake of those around you, please turn on your signal at least three seconds before you madly swing your car around.
2. The turn signal is an indication of what you'd LIKE to do. Turning on the signal does not automatically clear a space in the lane next to you on the freeway. Weird, I know. Actually, you still have to wait for a space to open up - preferably a space large enough to fit your car. Remember, blinking a little light doesn't give you the right to cut somebody off - driving a huge, expensive car does.
1. Turn signals let other cars know when you plan to turn. Yes, we know that sometimes you yourself don't know when you plan to turn. Sometimes swerving across three lanes to make a left AT THIS INTERSECTION seems like proper driving procedure. However, for the sake of those around you, please turn on your signal at least three seconds before you madly swing your car around.
2. The turn signal is an indication of what you'd LIKE to do. Turning on the signal does not automatically clear a space in the lane next to you on the freeway. Weird, I know. Actually, you still have to wait for a space to open up - preferably a space large enough to fit your car. Remember, blinking a little light doesn't give you the right to cut somebody off - driving a huge, expensive car does.
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