Auto Parry

The road was very wet yesterday morning.   A light rain was falling.   I left for work a few minutes early, in case there was traffic.  I drive much more cautiously in the rain, turning on headlights, allowing extra space,  and reducing speed.  

Lots of people like to drive aggressively, even in the rain.  Maybe the slick conditions add to their self-satisfaction, since they have brand new vehicles with brand new tires, and think they are smarter in general.  Most people believe they are better drivers than average, which is statistically impossible.

There is a connecter ramp from 125 N to 8 W.  There is always a backup on this ramp, with cars driving on the shoulder, and slowing in lanes, making general hazards of themselves.  This is because there is a signal at the bottom of the ramp, controlling flow onto westbound 8.  A completely unnecessary signal, because there is always excellent traffic flow on the 8, and because there the ramp doesn't merge into traffic, it has it's own lane on westbound 8. 

When I approach the ramp, I always reduce speed, because it's unpredictable.  People are always entering the freeway from Spring Street on the ramp, and this adds to the mess.  Lots of people evidently took this Monday off, because there wasn't a single car on the ramp.  A car pulls in right behind me, probably thinking to themselves about what a slowpoke I am.  I don't care, because I don't want to spin out on the wet 270-degree curve.

The ramp signal was still controlling traffic, and flashed red as I approached.   I almost never stop for a ramp signal if there is no one in front of me.  The freeway I am merging into is going to gain one more vehicle anyway, what does it matter if I stop and wait or not.  I knew I could jerk around my tailgater by pretending to stop.  I tapped my brakes as if I was going to stop at the signal, but then just kept going.   I crack myself up.

Then I gassed it and merged onto the westbound freeway, which was clear of traffic.  I saw my tailgater friend stop for the signal, then punch it.   He closed a two hundred yard gap in less than a quarter mile, rain, wet road and everything.  He signaled that he wanted to get around me, but I was already going for the number three lane, so he sat on his horn, took the number two lane, slowing as he passed so I could see how furious he was.  He cut into my lane,  then back into the number two.  His female passenger must have been terrifed.   

I shouldn't behave like that, but I was still pleased with myself.  I'm probably just jealous of his car, and what I perceived as his exaggerated sense of self-importance.  I was happy that he almost hit my car, because it would have been his fault.  "Gee officer, he just came out of nowhere and hit me from behind."