I Love America - 99%!
So here’s the thing - I concede that if one is in Equestrian Sport, Europe has it all over America and we have a very long way to go before our shows and the sport in general catch up to their standard. But sitting here on Lincoln Road sipping my watermelon mojito with the ocean breezes and the beautiful people strolling by makes me certain why I love living here beyond all other places.
Is America perfect? Of course not. As a matter of fact, I do have one major gripe which I feel obliged to mention since returning home the other day. DRIVING!
Why is it that American’s seem not to have gotten the memo that if one is going to inhabit the furthest left lane on a highway, going faster than a semi or broken-down Beetle is mandatory. I mean really - people will go along with a stream of cars behind them trying to pass, totally oblivious to what in Europe is absolutely know to be the rule of driving. Slower cars move immediately to the right, lest they be rammed off the road by a big Mercedes or BMW. It’s bad enough to come home and feel like going the speed limit is tantamount to driving in reverse, but sitting behind some old man with a hat going 10 miles per hour under the speed limit while firm in the belief that this is one of his God-given rights as a U.S. Citizen puts me pretty much over the edge. I think there should be a national “Driving Etiquette Campaign”, the result of which would be safer, faster transportation and a lot less road rage.
Cheers!
RD
jeff — July 24, 2010 @ 10:14 am
It would seem that mojito is not working out to well for you!!! Breath and let it go. Remember, you cannot change someone, but you can change how your react to them.
RDover2 — July 24, 2010 @ 11:03 am
Hi Jeff. FYI. My post was also meant to be 1% serious and 99% entertaining. So don’t worry - I’m not having a meltdown …. this week, anyway.
RD
KellyA — July 24, 2010 @ 1:04 pm
We have the same problem in Canada Robert!
Kim — July 25, 2010 @ 12:18 am
OMG You sound like me on a MOnday morning trying to get to work! I swear to god it’s a good job I don’t drive for a living as by now I would have committed suicide or murder or both LOL.
Sandra McGuire — July 25, 2010 @ 12:48 pm
LOL. Robert, have you ever heard an old George Carlin routine about the music people listen to while they drive? Basically, the farther right you are, the slower the music, because we went to drive along with the pace of our tunes. He ends with “and if you’re in the fast lane, you’re “tuckus” had better be on Rock and Roll”.
And have you ever been in rush hour traffic that was clipping right along, everyone following proper etiquette, with the left lane traveling approximately 10 miles over the limit, 5 miles slower per lane to the right, when everyone slams on the brakes, things get too tight for comfort, and you think to yourself “I’ll bet there’s a patrol car with radar aimed this way to make things safer”. And when you get to the scene of the clog, that’s exactly what’s up? Unless they are handing out “Thank you for keeping things moving”, or clearing those who got pushy, they do not need to be there during rush hour.
CarolG — July 25, 2010 @ 11:17 pm
The rule is: Anyone who drives faster than me is a maniac and anyone who drives slower than me is an idiot.
marci brown — July 26, 2010 @ 8:12 am
CarolG - I am stealing your rule…. I LOVE it !
Janelle — July 26, 2010 @ 10:29 am
Sometimes I think half the people on the road either can’t read or can’t count. Besides people who do -10 in the fast lane, there are those folk who do 10+ in the slow lane. Fast cars should move to the left and slower cars should move to the right. How difficult a concept is that ?? And in california where there is this cellphone law, I still see a lot of people talking on the phone while driving.