You've Been Owned

[Nashida]

Bit o' backstory: I'm finishing up my bachelor's degree in elementary education, and as such have to travel to area schools for field study. There is this woman I keep having the unfortunate pleasure of dealing with every time I leave the campus who must live in the immediate area. She rides my ass even if I'm doing 10 over the limit and backs off for nothing, not even the many cops in my area.

So this morning she's doing her usual thing; tailing me all the way down rt. 9. I know she gets on the Pike at the entrance 4 miles down the road. I didn't know this morning that those 4 miles would be the best ever.

I get onto rt. 9 where I usually do and she's following close behind. Next thing I know, a car coming in from the right crosses two lanes and into mine, forcing me to jump on the brakes. She honks, then tries to pass me on the right, but gets herself stuck behind a semi. My lane keeps moving, so she jumps back behind me and rides my butt yet again.

A little further down, near the college, they are doing necessary bridge repairs. So of course traffic slows down to a crawl. I see no problem with this and just enjoy my music and coffee. She, on the other hand, starts honking and yelling and waving at me. She jumps into the right lane yet again, taking out two traffic cones, only to get stuck behind a Jaguar with a very ancient driver inside it. I managed to zip about 3 blocks down the road before...oh. Missed you.

I get past the bridge traffic and move into the right lane myself, hoping she'll just pass me. She does....then gets stuck yet again behind a slow driver. I couldn't help but wave as I drove past in the slow lane. Oh...great...she's behind me again....

I made it through the next town, despite her honks every couple of seconds because I refused to get my front hood in the person ahead of me's backseat. I can see the exit for the Pike, where she normally goes. I try to keep to the left, because the road splits here to either go down rt. 9, or go on the Pike. I can't really move, but I can still go down rt. 9; I just have to watch the split.

Next thing I know she nearly sideswipes me riding on the shoulder, honking and flipping me off as she speeds along...only to find that the entrance is completely backed up due to an accident. And she has nowhere to pass.

Ah, that was a good laugh. See you next week, angsty Rav 4?

[spookysonata]

Ooooooh, people like that are why I avoid rt. 9 like the plague.

[derangedperson]

Where is this Route 9 you speak of?

Nashida--your avatar is making me laugh. PLAY THAT MANDOLIN, MIGUEL!

[sms001]

Where is this Route 9 you speak of?

It's a primary feeder that runs from downtown Boston west to (at least Worcester?). Good alternative to the Massachusetts Turnpike (the 'Pike' in Nashida's tale of EW Road Rage).

Seriously Nashida - every day? I'd put a sign in my rear window: "Hey L4C-9E3! How's my driving?"

[AriRashkae]

Which is really funny, because for the most part, odd #'s run N-S, and evens (the Pike is part of I-90) E-W.

Rt. 20 runs the length of the state from Pittsfield to Boston, and some parts of it are called Boston Road or State Street here in the west end of the state.

[LillFilly]

Awww, don't blame the car, I love the RAV4 (90's version) it's not ITS fault it has her as a driver!

[ditchdj]

Hmmmmm, if you have to deal with bullshit from this twathead everyday perhaps you should rig a video camera on your windshield and post copies of her dangerous antics online and forward a copy to the police department.

[Nashida]

That's a suggestion...especially since there's at least 4 free police cruisers on my way that aren't there because of the bridge repairs, and not one of them has pulled her over yet.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Don't play that game. It's unsafe and pointless.

I get someone like this, I just slow down. They can back off or pass, I dont' care which. But if an asshole refuses to adjust their safe following distance for their speed, I will simply adjust my speed to correct it for their safe driving distance.

In other words, if you have your nose up my ass, I will be going slow enough that if you do hit me, there will be minimum damage and no injuries. (Well, no injuries other than the asshole's airbag going off in his face and those injuries that an accident of this sort will do to the tailgater's bank account and insurance premiums.) If that means we go 10 in a fifty, so be it.

If they don't catch on, I simply stop. I dont' jam on brakes, I don't stop suddenly. I just roll to a safe stop.

Again, they can either back off or pass, their choice. If I'm on the highway, I do the minimum in the slow lane untill they, again, back off or pass.

Either way, I'll only go so far with a dipshit on my ass.

[Dips]

I get someone like this, I just slow down. They can back off or pass, I dont' care which. But if an asshole refuses to adjust their safe following distance for their speed, I will simply adjust my speed to correct it for their safe driving distance.

That's what I do too.

My Auntie Ree (yes, the name similarity is a coincidence ) lives in Ashland and boy do I HATE driving on Rte. 9. It's not just a four lane divided highway with exits. It also has lots of traffic lights, counterintuitive turning lanes and multiple strip malls and restaurants with driveways lining both sides. It's like the designers made up a list of the good bits and the bad bits of Rte. 1 in Saugus, then the contractor used the wrong list for the road design. It's horrible.

But anyway I love this story because Nashida was trying to ignore her and let her pass and she kept thwarting herself with her own impatience. Self-inflicted karma is rare, but awesome when you get to see it.

If you have the license plate number you can call the police. They obviously can't issue a citation without witnessing it, but they can call HER and give her a lecture about her driving. Not all police departments will do that, mind you, but some will.

For instance there was someone in a white car who was constantly driving like a moron in our neighborhood. Everybody bitched about it to each other and finally someone decided to just call the police and report it. The police looked up the license plate and called the car owner. It turned out it was her son driving her car. She was very interested in that information and grateful that she was notified. That day she took away the kid's driving privileges. It was for real, too. Nobody saw the car being used that way after that.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Observing other drivers, I have noticed that tailgaters are in the minority. At least here. I've also noticed that that a pretty good number of folks do exactly what I do...slow down when someone's on their ass.

I have seen this scenario more than once: Tailgater on my ass, so I slow down. Tailgater gets all frustrated. Eventually manages to pass. Runs up on the ass of the guy that was in front of me and tailgates. GIFOM slows way down. Tailgater gets all frustrated. Eventually manages to pass. Runs up on the ass of the guy that was in front of the GIFOM and tailgates. Repeat ad nauseum, ad infinitum.

Some people are not teachable.

I've seen a similar phenom on two lane roads. Two lanes, heavy traffic. Everyone the dipshit tailgater gets behind slows down because he tailgates them. He never gets ahead because everyone keeps slowing down, and the heavy traffic keeps him locked in his lane. If the traffic is moderate to heavy, you can't speed if everyone is observing the speed limit. There is nowhere to go. It's a no-brainer. And yet, they never seem to learn.

I'd love to know how much stress these people accept as part of daily life. And it's all their fault.

[Erin]

Awww, don't blame the car, I love the RAV4 (90's version) it's not ITS fault it has her as a driver!

I love the 90s version of the RAV4 also! I have a 99 RAV4-L. My dad has the 2000 RAV4 (same body style as the 90's version...they changed it in 2001)

Best car I've ever had. Also the longest I've ever had the same car. (got it in 2002) I'll drive it until it doesnt drive anymore, I'm hoping it lasts forever.

A car is only as good as it's driver. I feel bad for that poor RAV4...it has an asshat as an owner.

[Nashida]

I've got nothing against that poor ickle RAV4, I'm just terrified of anything bigger than my midget car. I've posted before that I have a 2003 Hyundai Accent GL. It's tiny. So when I see this giant car come charging at me, I feel like I'm gonna get squished.

[Salted Grump]

Get a Bumper sticker that says 'If you can read this, I can slam on my brakes and sue you'

[Arcade Man D]

Which is really funny, because for the most part, odd #'s run N-S, and evens (the Pike is part of I-90) E-W.

That really only applies for Interstates, though.