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Mid-afternoon today found me heading for the highway to head to the airport (an hour's drive away) to pick up Hubby from an interview trip he was on this week.
Now, the approach to the ramps in this area involve a two-way four-lane road with a light-controlled intersection, followed by about 10-15 cars' worth of space before the light that controlls the T-intersection with the on-ramp. The left-hand lane on my side has a red light that turns to a green arrow when it's our turn, while the right-hand lane has a green that never changes (because there's no traffic that ever needs to take away that lane's right-of-way. Oncoming traffic has standard lights with no arrows, since from that direction it's a right-turn onto the ramp.
Just as I passed the first intersection, I saw the arrow ahead turn yellow. If I gunned it, I could've squeaked under the light onto the on-ramp at the risk of possibly rolling the Jeep with the sharp turn. I'm not that dumb, nor in that much of a hurry, so instead I slowed to a stop. I reached the stop line right as the light turned red, and suddenly heard a honk behind me. I glanced in my rearview mirror to see another SUV behind me, the woman driving having a silent gesture-fit at me for not racing the light. Thing is, if I had gunned it, the light would've been red when it came her turn anyway, and the oncoming lanes both had vehicles in them who would want to go as soon as they got their green. So no, I was not going to give up sensible and safe driving just so she could blow a red light.
When our turn came again, she proceeded to tailgate me all the way up the ramp onto the highway, then merged over two lanes as fast as possible and floored it, driving through spaces just barely big enough for her vehicle and ending up a good distance ahead of me. I thought nothing of it.
Until about ten exits up the highway, when I passed her. Sensible me, passing Ms. Impatient. Go figure. I then proceeded to remain ahead of her to some degree for a good half hour before she finally got off the highway.
Now, the approach to the ramps in this area involve a two-way four-lane road with a light-controlled intersection, followed by about 10-15 cars' worth of space before the light that controlls the T-intersection with the on-ramp. The left-hand lane on my side has a red light that turns to a green arrow when it's our turn, while the right-hand lane has a green that never changes (because there's no traffic that ever needs to take away that lane's right-of-way. Oncoming traffic has standard lights with no arrows, since from that direction it's a right-turn onto the ramp.
Just as I passed the first intersection, I saw the arrow ahead turn yellow. If I gunned it, I could've squeaked under the light onto the on-ramp at the risk of possibly rolling the Jeep with the sharp turn. I'm not that dumb, nor in that much of a hurry, so instead I slowed to a stop. I reached the stop line right as the light turned red, and suddenly heard a honk behind me. I glanced in my rearview mirror to see another SUV behind me, the woman driving having a silent gesture-fit at me for not racing the light. Thing is, if I had gunned it, the light would've been red when it came her turn anyway, and the oncoming lanes both had vehicles in them who would want to go as soon as they got their green. So no, I was not going to give up sensible and safe driving just so she could blow a red light.
When our turn came again, she proceeded to tailgate me all the way up the ramp onto the highway, then merged over two lanes as fast as possible and floored it, driving through spaces just barely big enough for her vehicle and ending up a good distance ahead of me. I thought nothing of it.
Until about ten exits up the highway, when I passed her. Sensible me, passing Ms. Impatient. Go figure. I then proceeded to remain ahead of her to some degree for a good half hour before she finally got off the highway.
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