I rarely use my blog as a place to whine, but today is the day! I claim Nebraska as home and one of the jokes about Nebraska is the orange cone is the state tree. So, coming from a place where we are quite familiar with construction- I have a few observations.
No one enjoys construction. It is a nuisance and can be quite aggravating, especially when you are in a time crunch. However, I think if we are old enough to drive, we SHOULD be old enough to realize that this is one of the downsides to transportation. Just like it really stinks to have to put money into maintaining your car, but that is part of the price you pay to own a vehicle and have the freedom to drive to and fro. So, recognizing that we ALL have to endure construction, why do people have to be SO rude while trying to navigate through it?!?!
This is my 1 pet peeve in driving!!! You're driving on a road that has two lanes, but everyone knows that in about 600 feet, it will merge into one lane. So, what does everyone do? They all get in the left lane and try to merge into traffic at the front of the line. OK- first off- isn't this something we all learned in Kindergarten? TAKE YOUR TURN! Second, is everyone so selfish that they neglect to see that this actually impedes movement for everyone? Not just the people at the back of the line. It drives me NUTS!!!
My solution: I think whenever this is the situation in construction. They should block the whole lane leading up to it. There should not be the ability to merge, and for those who want to try and do it anyway- they should have a nifty little turn-around lane that sends them completely to the back of all the traffic! That'll teach 'em!
I once experienced a semi-truck who blocked the other lane and forced everyone to get over and take their turn like everyone else. I kid you not- I sat in my car and cheered him on!!! I LOVE IOWA truck drivers. It takes a lot of integrity to do the right thing- even when you're in a hurry. So, the next time you think about taking the "quick" route and merging from the left lane- think about all the other people who are doing the right thing and waiting their turn. Is it too much to ask people to grow up and drive with integrity?
That's it for me- over and out.
