I'd take a snowstorm, a wicked 50 mph white out, 40 below, bone chilling blizzard to drive in anyday than having to drive in the rain out here. Back home, the first snowstorm does tend to bring out the forgetfulness in drivers. They drive like the roads are dry and the visibility is a mile, when it's exactly the opposite. This happens ONCE, people! Then the brain remembers the crazy winter driving and for the rest of winter, for the most part, people drive under the speed limit, with caution, and a trunk full of winter survival gear.
I wish I could say the same for the idiots (no offense to my CA friends) who drive the highways and biways out here. When I listen to weather and traffic in the morning, which has now become a must-do prior to my commute, I cringe when I hear the word rain. It takes all of ten drops to turn the freeways here into an oil-slicked skating rink, one in which every driver wants to be a part of. Well, I guess they don't have a choice in whether or not they want to be a part of it, but I get the feeling that many of them enjoy this type of weather-induced craziness.
My commute takes anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes, one way, on the 15 North. I have it down to a science now, since I've been driving this route for over a year. As soon as I merge onto the freeway, I want to be in the #1 lane. For those who drive on the INTERSTATE back home, that's the passing lane, the go lane, the hurry up and get by that dang slow driver lane. So, I have to make my way across three lanes of traffic to get to the #1. If I get stuck in the #4, don't ask me how I will get to work because it's a forced exit and I would be totally screwed. Once in the #1, I physically relax, sitting back in my seat, turn up the radio a bit, and start on my second coffee of the day.
That's on a normal day. Yesterday was anything but normal. See, those 10 drops of rain materialized overnight into lots and lots of rain. I knew as soon as I turned onto the off ramp that it was gonna be one of those days. A sea of brake lights was all I saw. So, my merge into the #1 took a bit longer than usual. I did the slow and go thing for quite awhile, sipping my coffee, checking my mirrors often for crazy drivers. When you are putt putting along you see all kinds of things. People on their cell phones, which is totally illegal and in my opinion, the fine is not nearly high enough; people eating their breakfast, and one chick was putting on her make up!
We finally get up to 65 mph which is good enough for me on rain slicked roads. Others are creeping along slower than that, causing many to go whizzing by them, shooting them a dirty look. Maybe even the finger. I know my license plates get me lots of dirty looks and no doubt, the finger. I still have my North Dakota plates on my car. It's so expensive to register a car here and as long as they continue to let me do it, I'm gonna keep on doing it. Now if only I could flash them my CA driver's license when they flip me the bird, maybe the dirty looks would stop. If only...
About a half mile from my exit, traffic starts to slow again, although only in my lane. This has happened before and totally freaks me out because I feel like a sitting duck out on the freeway, exposed to hundreds of cars flying by me. I'm hoping this delay won't be a long one. I leave early enough for work so at this point, no worries there. I just hate feeling like a target with a big bullseye on it.
The lane to the right of me has also started backing up and I see a huge line of cars behind me. This isn't looking good. We are moving at 1.5 mph, inching ahead, slowly. Not surely, just slowly. Many people probably use this opportunity to text somebody or update their Facebook status that they are stuck in traffic, but not me. I keep my eye on my rear view and side mirrors, looking for potential disaster.
A full 30 minutes later, I am finally off the freeway and at the top of my exit ramp, waiting patiently through the 10th red light. I still have no idea why traffic backed up like it did. This particular ramp is always kind of a nightmare. On days with no traffic problems, I do a little cheer when I get to sail through the green light on the first go.
Up ahead, I see the problem. And it makes me angry because this is not the first time it has happened. When we get a good dousing of rain, one of the stop lights on this street always goes on the blink. And I mean literally. Blinks red, red, red, red, red. Turns it into a four way stop, which is not a good thing on this street because it's a busy one. Trying to get people to behave in a civilized manner when they've just sat through 30+ minutes of gridlock, knowing they are probably 20 minutes late for work, for it is now 8:20, could mean tempers flaring and an accident or two.
Surprisingly, when I get to the dang blinking red light, it's a breeze. No stuttered starts and stops by anybody, no tires screeching or black marks left from somebody slamming on the brakes. Just a nice easy flow through the intersection. I shake my head, wondering if I'm really in San Diego, California or if I got dropped down onto a street back home. Sure, noboby was smiling and waving you through because they actually know your boss and are aware of the fact that you're gonna get a butt chewing when you get to work, but all the same, it kind of felt like it. It didn't quite give me a warm fuzzy feeling, but it definitely made me think about how I might react the next time some idiot cuts me off in traffic or does a quick lane change in front of me without using his blinker.
And for the record, I was about two minutes late for work. Boss was so busy she hadn't noticed that I had texted her that I was stuck in traffic. Hey, in my defense, I did this once I was off the freeway, waiting for an actual red light to turn green. I hear that is still an illegal use of a cell phone but there are billboards up here that tell you to call 9-1-1 if you see a drunk driver. Now that's just crazy talk. Report a drunk driver but get a ticket for using your phone to do it. Not sure it would actually happen that way but one never knows.
PS...My almost warm fuzzy feeling didn't even make it 24 hours. This morning, some bozo went around me in a turning lane and then cut me off! I can only imagine the words he was using. I'm sure they were similar to mine!
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