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Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Pet peeves

Bad drivers, or stupid drivers, are one of my biggest pet peeves EVER. I ran into a stupid driver yesterday. Well, no, I didn't actually "run into" this driver (images of carnage and twisted metal), although I wanted to. I came across said driver yesterday. There, better?

I was taking the girls to school yesterday morning, as usual, and I was turning right from Sanger onto New Road. For non-Wacoans, suffice to say that I was turning right at a green light. Across the street from me was a long line of people waiting to turn left at the same green light. People in Waco obviously do not understand that when turning left at a green light, left-turnees must yield to oncoming traffic, EVEN IF SAID TRAFFIC IS TURNING RIGHT. So, as I'm getting ready to make my beautiful right turn (driving Aaron's truck, no less, a standard), a stupid little car turns in front of me. I'm irked, but, no matter. They made it through the intersection before I did, so I wasn't too bothered. So I turn. Green light, mind you. I HAVE THE RIGHT-OF-WAY. And then, I hear this honking noise. One of the cars turning left thought that she had the right of way, and so she turned at the same time I did, and thought that I should have waited for her. Now I'm steamed. She's so wrong! Doesn't she know?!? So I turn my head to look at her (you know the look I'm talking about) as she speeds past me (in a 20 mph school zone), and she FLIPS ME THE BIRD!!!!








See the bird? It's flipped.





(Or, as Amanda would say, she "flicked" me the bird. Sorry Amanda, I couldn't resist. I don't think I'm going to let you live that one down.)

OH!! OH, OH!!! SHE FLIPPED ME OFF? SHE FLIPPED ME OFF! STUPID, STUPID WOMAN!! I was incredulous. I was livid. I explained to her as she drove off that she didn't have the right-of-way! What was she thinking? Unbelievable! I almost wished she had hit me so I could have had the satisfaction of telling her why it was her fault. Almost. Not really.

And yet, as I have already mentioned, this is NOT the first time this has happened to me at this same intersection. I have had people turn left in front of me several dozen times. I know Waco drivers are inherently bad drivers--there's actually a sign at one of the major intersections in town asking people not to run the red light. The police put up the sign (although they don't sit at the intersection and hand out tickets)--but isn't there a limit? How do I lobby to get a sign put up at this intersection that says the obvious--left turn yields on green light? Is this a neighborhood association matter? Arrghh.

I'm totally over it now, though. Yes, I know I just ranted, but I thought it made a good story, and i was going to blog it yesterday and didn't. I'm serious about the sign, though.

And finally, one last peeve. It's not truly a pet peeve, it just irks me. I read this news story about a week or so ago about this guy who killed his girlfriend and his wife 14 years apart.

"Corbin showed no emotion when he entered his pleas and was sentenced to two life terms in prison. The judge ordered that the sentences be served simultaneously, and Corbin may be eligible for parole."

W H A T ?!?!? If the life sentences are served "simultaneously", isn't that ONE life sentence, not TWO? And if you are serving a LIFE sentence, doesn't that, by definition, mean you are in prison for *LIFE*?

I know travesties of justice like this occur every day, but I'm just flabbergasted. If I get sent to prison, I want that judge.

"Amy Maddox was sentenced to 5 years in prison today for acts of road rage. Her judge ordered that she serve the sentence in 10 six-month terms to be served simultaneously, and gave her credit for time served, which included the time she was imprisoned during her trial, so it was determined the state actually owed her compensation for her time and she is now free."

It's just sad, people.

Nice bird, though, huh?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

You're so funny =).

By the way, the bottom line indicates this blog was posted 9/15/06, but I have checked your blog several times between 9/15 and today, 9/26, and this is the first time I've seen it!
What's up with that?

Amy said...

I was just noticing that!! It's because I first started this blog when I read that article, and my blog is set to not update the date if I edit the post. I'm going to see if I can change it, though.

Adam said...

There is nothing more disturbing than a flipped bird.

That's what I always say.

Nice story :)

hoesayfina said...

thanks for flipping us the bird! -m

Brooke said...

I can totally just SEE you telling this story!! :)

Anonymous said...

Love(!) the flipped bird. I'm going to use that on Myspace! LOL.

Anonymous said...

Oh, Aaron. That's a great trick, though. I may try that if anyone ever flips me the bird. (Silly upside-down birds.) It reminds me of the comment my brother-in-law taught me (WARNING: SLIGHTLY CRUDE STATEMENT TO FOLLOW) that you use any time someone aggressively roars past you in a ridiculously large truck. You just say, calmly and in an almost friendly manner: Sorry about your penis, dude.

This fixes my road rage pretty quick.