Road Worrier

There may be something to the idea that, when the weather improves, people drive differently; a bit more carefree as warmer temperatures and abundant sunshine act to spur greater speed and lesser caution. In the 15 minutes, it took to get home, I saw a person driving while on a cell phone (illegal here in New York State) who'd inched out just a bit too much into traffic and stopped, causing a large cement truck to screech to a halt at an angle, blocking traffic in several lanes and two folks barrelling through a supermarket parking lot at a really imprudent 30 or more miles per hour. It was when I saw the, ahem, rather obese man driving his enormous Lincoln in said parking lot that I had the epiphany. This guy had his car seat moved back a good three feet from the steering wheel so he could lean back and relax as if he were on his couch. Of course, driving that way makes it impossible to observe such niceties as the lines painted on the asphalt as you make large looping turns that cut everyone off and bisect the parking space areas. In a sense, this guy really was on his couch, his own personal space in which he was to relax and do whatever the hell he damn well pleased. Cell phone guy and the parking lot speeders? Safe to say that the same principle was operating with them. Individuality is a great thing but, everyone, how about a little more sense of community as we drive?