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I got to see some idiots on the way to a car show last weekend.
Most traffic was pretty light. At 9am, most of the city neighborhoods are deserted. At least until you get into Oakland...
I'm sitting at one of the traffic lights on Forbes, near the Carnegie Museum. Those of you familiar with the area know that it's 4 lanes of one-way traffic. I'm in the right lane. To my immediate right, is a little area where the buses can pull over to drop off tour groups at the museum. Much handier than stopping in the street, since it doesn't block traffic. Anyway, I'm sitting there in the MG, when some old fool in a white Lincoln decides to use the bus area to get ahead of me. I know what's about to happen, so I let him go ahead. I'm not about to crack up my car on the way to a show!
His antics didn't stop there. As I'm heading up Forbes (towards Carnegie Mellon University), the street becomes two-way again. Two lanes in each direction. Things usually get interesting here, since CMU students can't drive for shit, and will run out into oncoming traffic. Not the case today--most of the campus is deserted because it's the weekend. Traffic is annoyingly heavy through here this weekend, because most of the nearby park is blocked off for the car show and race.
Still with me? Traffic has picked up somewhat, and the Lincoln asshole is still at it. He got ahead of me a bit, only by cutting off (and nearly hitting!) a CMU bus, several other cars (including a Porsche 911 and a Bentley!), before slamming on the brakes at the next light. I'm behind him, or next to him at that light, the next night, and the one after that. I haven't cut anyone off, I haven't been speeding. I simply know the neighborhood and where the bottlenecks are.
At the *next* light, the fun really started. Forbes narrows down to a single lane once you pass the CMU soccer fields. Lincoln boy decides that he wants to head up the hill, and attempts to force his way into the left lane. He tried...but was thwarted when he saw the cop on the corner.
I still don't know what that guy's problem was. Unless you're actually *in* the car show or the race, why are you in such a damn hurry? If you're heading to the show, you're either parking on the street, or in one of the temporary lots. Either option sucks--you're not going to get a 'better' spot by driving like an asshole. I, on the other hand, because of my car club sponsoring Marque of the Year...allowed those of us with MGs to park on the grass.
As for the asshole in the Lincoln, I'm sure he was fuming when he came up the hill to the park. Why? Not only was the hill choked with traffic, but anyone not participating in the show/race was being forced to detour. Sure hope he enjoyed the dozen blocks detour, the endless parade of stop signs, and the usual lost tourists
Most traffic was pretty light. At 9am, most of the city neighborhoods are deserted. At least until you get into Oakland...
I'm sitting at one of the traffic lights on Forbes, near the Carnegie Museum. Those of you familiar with the area know that it's 4 lanes of one-way traffic. I'm in the right lane. To my immediate right, is a little area where the buses can pull over to drop off tour groups at the museum. Much handier than stopping in the street, since it doesn't block traffic. Anyway, I'm sitting there in the MG, when some old fool in a white Lincoln decides to use the bus area to get ahead of me. I know what's about to happen, so I let him go ahead. I'm not about to crack up my car on the way to a show!
His antics didn't stop there. As I'm heading up Forbes (towards Carnegie Mellon University), the street becomes two-way again. Two lanes in each direction. Things usually get interesting here, since CMU students can't drive for shit, and will run out into oncoming traffic. Not the case today--most of the campus is deserted because it's the weekend. Traffic is annoyingly heavy through here this weekend, because most of the nearby park is blocked off for the car show and race.
Still with me? Traffic has picked up somewhat, and the Lincoln asshole is still at it. He got ahead of me a bit, only by cutting off (and nearly hitting!) a CMU bus, several other cars (including a Porsche 911 and a Bentley!), before slamming on the brakes at the next light. I'm behind him, or next to him at that light, the next night, and the one after that. I haven't cut anyone off, I haven't been speeding. I simply know the neighborhood and where the bottlenecks are.
At the *next* light, the fun really started. Forbes narrows down to a single lane once you pass the CMU soccer fields. Lincoln boy decides that he wants to head up the hill, and attempts to force his way into the left lane. He tried...but was thwarted when he saw the cop on the corner.
I still don't know what that guy's problem was. Unless you're actually *in* the car show or the race, why are you in such a damn hurry? If you're heading to the show, you're either parking on the street, or in one of the temporary lots. Either option sucks--you're not going to get a 'better' spot by driving like an asshole. I, on the other hand, because of my car club sponsoring Marque of the Year...allowed those of us with MGs to park on the grass.
As for the asshole in the Lincoln, I'm sure he was fuming when he came up the hill to the park. Why? Not only was the hill choked with traffic, but anyone not participating in the show/race was being forced to detour. Sure hope he enjoyed the dozen blocks detour, the endless parade of stop signs, and the usual lost tourists