Courtesy Wave

By Chris Trout

Troutster52

Driving home from work, I was in the midst of an excellent day. My day at work was a pleasant hybrid of enough to do to keep busy, but not so much to be stressed. I didn’t get barked at on the phone by a customer and the day passed remarkably favorably. Commuting home from work in the outskirts of Cincinnati is about a 45 minute drive, and although I can almost completely avoid major highways and interstates, that time of day often produces some crawling stop-and-go traffic through town. I run into this often but am usually able to maintain good spirits.

Unfortunately, on this day, I spotted a series of traffic signs destined to ruin my day: Construction Ahead, Merge Left, Detour. Flashing arrows indicated which direction to merge and how to navigate this alternative route. I felt in the pit of my stomach and the core of my bones that all the nimrod drivers in the area were going converge on me at once.

Continue reading after the jump!

Despite well-placed signs as much as a half mile away, and a traffic pace that could be championed by the average big-wheel-toting toddler, many drivers continued on at normal speeds, flying past the row of parked cars waiting in the correct lane for things to get moving. One such person, who I will refer to affectionately as Turbo-blaster, almost creamed the flashing indicator light that indicated the merge, and waited impatiently for someone to let him into the flowing traffic lane.

I now had a choice as to how I could respond to this driver–with empathy or rage. I could get over the obliviousness. I occasionally rock out to my music, or plug my phone into the charger, and I would be lying if I claimed I have never been distracted. Although it irked me, I forgave Turbo-blaster for being oblivious. Others in front of me were less forgiving. When it got to my turn, I exercised all the gracious generosity and undeserved mercy I could give to another driver and let him in. At this point, he proved the suspicion that I had that his foundational core was evil: he didn’t give me a courtesy wave. No nod or recline of the head, no lift of hand from the wheel or hang it out the window to appreciate my generosity. I was enraged. All the forgiveness and empathy I extended to him was rescinded. All he had to do was lift two fingers from the steering wheel, or raise a hand but he was too arrogant. I felt as though I gave him a gift of mercy and he stole the gift, spat in my face and fled. I understand that I don’t drive an intimidating dump truck but I don’t feel that it is wise to be unappreciative of a 4-wheel drive pickup truck that has your destiny in their hands. Don’t worry. I did not run him off the road, or anything of the sort. Instead I have decided to channel my rage into this blog.

Everyone has their own pet peeves about other drivers. Being raised driving in the Midwest potentially spoiled me. I feel that if someone extends courtesy to you, it is not so much to ask that it be acknowledged. What are your pet peeves?

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Posted at 1:46 am in Traffic

Comments

GTwildfire
Oct 24, 2009 at 6:03 pm

Oh and my merging solution, taken from my motorcycing days. Floor it. Worry about what’s ahead. Unless the onramp is ridiculously short, it works every time.
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Yet another peeve – and one that really, really, really sets me off… stopping at the end of an onramp.

GTwildfire
Oct 24, 2009 at 5:55 pm

I left work early on Friday. My GPGT has been laid up for a half a year with transmissionitis, but is nearing full recovery from that and some other maladies. I really miss driving it, so I left with 1 hour and 30 minutes to travel 44 miles. It wasn’t rush hour for another hour +/-.
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Everything started out fine, then it was 3 cycles of this light, then 3 cycles of that light, then this backup then that backup. I’m strategizing route options, time is ticking away, I’m a boiler with a bad pressure relief valve and a steady flame beneath… and wham wham wham more and more as if some higher power didn’t want me to renew the registration instantly for the Prix at my destination.
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Along the last legs, the piece de resistance, a sloth with a driver’s license in a large pickup – of course coincidentally making every turn I need to – all two lane streets with solid double lines.
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Ever see the water dance off the back of a growling crocodile? I could’ve done the same thing if submerged. I made it with 5 minutes left. 5 &#$(^@ minutes.
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I understand road rage. Yes it is stupid. Yes it cannot be condoned and is never justified but sometimes its like pouring acid into a metal cup and expecting the cup to hold it, then complaining when the bottom drops out.
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The timing of stop lights is so wasteful in so many places, not everywhere but too often in high volume locations where improvements could be made. Toll booths are evidence that mankind’s mental capacity has limits and drivers… so many drivers have no concept or even the desire to conceive of roadways where passing is done on the left and nonadvancing traffic keeps to the right.

beefyboy242
Oct 23, 2009 at 7:23 pm

Imagine that one impatient person waiting until the last second, but every single person on that road trying to get out of the correct lane and cut in front of everyone else.

also I hate people that travel in the left lane, especially when they go 50-55 mph. total crap.

74Furyous
Oct 23, 2009 at 3:21 pm

This is the one situation where it is perfectly acceptable to tailgate. I glue myself to the car ahead. No way we’re following the rules and you’re going to benefit as a result.

PsychoVolvo
Oct 22, 2009 at 3:58 pm

The thing that bothers me most are the people that don’t keep a constant speed on the freeway. If everybody used cruise control, we wouldn’t have to slow down every time a car is on the shoulder or you’re driving past a semi truck. I also live close to the Canadian border and it seems like most Canadians go either 5 under or 15 over the limit.

Chris Borrelli
Oct 22, 2009 at 3:36 pm

I definitely agree with you, it happens all of the time. And in my opinion that is why drivers are becoming less generous when sharing the road, because no one appreciates a kind gesture. I also hate when you let someone in and they drive like 10 under the speed limit and make no effort to speed it up.

Nessababy
Oct 22, 2009 at 12:34 pm

I live right in Cincinnati and I must say when someone’s crossing your dotted line on the highway because they are talking on their cell phone. I have plently more but it’d turn into a rant.

PureBusiness
Oct 22, 2009 at 5:18 am

I am sure i have a pet peeve that i could mention,but i’m more incline to say that if it had been me that you had allowed to merge effortlessly that i would have given you a few quick bursts of a emergency flashers and then i would have been well on my way and moving along.
Cool article,good for you!

Bourkemaster
Oct 22, 2009 at 4:28 am

Oh so many. Here in State College, we have those who stop pretty much anywhere to let a passenger in or out, people who cant drive without a cell phone, young guys with parent-owned muscle cars that think town is their race track, and construction that could pop up anywhere at any time without warning or result.