Ramble Ramble

To my fellow drivers,

Look, I know we’re all in our own little worlds in our cars. I get that when you’re stuck in traffic, you can get wrapped up in your own circumstances, where you need to be, and forget that there are other people in other cars out there. I understand that we all have places to be.

However, I feel like there are some simple rules of the road that many of you have forgotten. I feel like some of these are so much worse here in Southern California than anywhere else I’ve ever lived, but maybe that’s just an illusion because I have to spend more time driving here than anywhere else I’ve ever lived. Regardless, I’d like to remind you all of a few simple rules and concepts that would truly make life easier for us all!

1. There’s a little stick next to the steering wheel that operates this thing called a “blinker”. I know, I know, some of you have no idea what this is–and others of you seem to think it’s only to be used AFTER the fact. But here’s how you generally operate this: when you decide that you are going to turn, merge into another lane, pull into a driveway off the road, or anything of the sort that might require other drivers to react in some way, you flick this little stick BEFORE this action. This turns the blinker on the outside of your car on to notify other drivers of your intentions, allowing them to react appropriately–say, to decelerate, or to move out of your way.
2. In addition to the blinker, if you are planning on merging into another lane, it is your responsibility to look and make sure there are no cars in your way. I know, I know, it seems crazy that the responsibility of making sure the way is clear is on the merging car, but that’s how it works. The other drivers can’t read your mind, so if you just start to pull over without looking, bad things can happen.
3. One final little note about merging, and this one is really nitpicking I know: You really should allow more than 6 inches of bumper room before you merge. Particularly if you’re merging in front of a semi, who may not have the stopping power of my car or yours. A good rule of thumb is to wait to merge until you can see the headlights of the car in that lane.
4. If you see a cop who has pulled someone over, I promise–you don’t have to slam on your breaks. If that cop is currently giving someone else a ticket, it’s highly unlikely that he’s going to stop what he’s doing, get in his car/on his motorcycle, and chase YOU down. He’s otherwise occupied, please just go about your business.
5. You also aren’t required to slam on your brakes if you see brake lights 2 lanes over. If you see brake lights in front of you, sure. But two lanes away very likely has no influence on your lane of traffic.
6. On the same note, just because the lane next to you or two lanes over is accelerating doesn’t necessarily mean that you can. It’s a pretty simple equation–you can go when the cars in front of you are going, and you should stop when the cars in front of you are stopping.
7. Speaking of stopping, I know that stop signs are a pain. Trust me, I get it. However, you are still required to stop at them–particularly when there are other cars at the intersection. Here in California we’re all aware of the rolling stop, and we all do it, but it doesn’t work as well when there are multiple other cars at a four way stop.
8. Here’s something that’s apparently a secret: just because you have a super fancy car doesn’t mean these rules don’t apply to you. Your Lotus doesn’t give you the right to ignore every other car on the road. Your Lamborghini? Does not excuse you from the rules of the road. I know, crazy talk, but it’s the truth!

While there are other rules and concepts of the road, I think this is probably enough for you to try and digest for the day. I know, you think I’m full of crazy talk, but I promise, these are things that would make sharing the road with all of you so much easier. Try to learn these, and we’ll all get along so much better.

As always, more lists can be found over at abdpbt:

So, I may have mentioned before, but hubby and I share a car. Yes, here in Southern California. Yes, with our commutes. No, we’re not crazy.

I’d like to say it’s because we were thinking about the impact of two cars on the environment, but the reality is, we’re cheap. When we moved to San Diego from New York, we didn’t have a car, so it was an almost immediate purchase upon landing in the sunny state. Proof: we drove the Uhaul right to the car lot (you just know the sales guys were seeing dollar signs), though we were smart enough to not buy on that first trip.

Anyway, we didn’t have enough money set aside to buy two cars, and given that neither of us had jobs, it just really didn’t seem necessary. I always assumed we would eventually get another car, when we both had work and could justify the cost. And then, when I got a full-time job a few months later, N.C. was working freelance jobs, and it still didn’t seem necessary. When he started working long-term contract work, we thought briefly about it, but his office was on the way to mine, so we just made it work. We just couldn’t see spending the additional money, when our income ebbs and flows depending on his freelance work.

When gas started going up, and up, and up, we decided to shelve the idea indefinitely. Honestly, between the car payments, the insurance, the maintenance, and gas, we just couldn’t afford another vehicle. And since we go everywhere together anyway, it’s not a problem most of the time.

Oh, sure, on days when we have doctor’s or dentist’s appointments it can be a pain, since we sometimes both have to take the time off. Or when we’ve got art stuff that requires the car and it means I can’t go run errands instead. Or if he picks up a new contract gig and we have to rework the schedule to make it doable. Or there are times when N.C. has to go up to LA for business which usually means dropping me off at work, him driving up, and then he drives back in time to pick me up from work. Makes for long days.

But being a one-car family hasn’t been that bad to date. We’ve definitely saved some money, we always get to use the carpool lanes, we are reducing the environmental impact a little, and even better–I don’t have to drive all the time!

Sharing the car all the time can be interesting though. On mornings where we’re both tired or grouchy, the car can be a little…quiet. Sometimes, one or the other of us will just ramble on and on and on, while the other one would prefer to just sit and stare out the window. We both do things while we’re driving that annoy the hell out of the other person–we have to be very aware to not always backseat drive all the time.

It can be a lot of fun at the same time. It gives us plenty of time to talk about our days & allows us to rehash the crappy stuff before we get home, which is kind of nice. Sharing a car also means we both get to see the crazy stuff at the same time, like the truck we saw with a 4 foot pirate flag on the back, or the crazy runner guy we see everyday on the way home, neither of which could be fully explained without seeing.

All the people at our respective jobs think its weird, and it can be, but mostly it’s…nice. I like the time we have together in the car, with no other distractions–no tv, no internet, no art, no blogging, no business, no cleaning, no nothing but time with each other. Everyday I have an hour and 1/2 of time just with my husband and I, and just for talking. Whether we’re talking about our days, about our weekend plans, about our families, about zombie overlords, whatever, it’s time for just the two of us.

Which is a pretty nice perk to sharing one car.

Yes, it took me 2 hours to go 20 miles this morning. Someone shoot me. Or better yet, everyone else. I know how to drive!

I did realize that I’m one of those people that everyone laughs at on the road. Given the right music, I sing, dance, bop, scream, bounce, gesticulate along with the song…and I don’t care who sees me. It’s one of the reasons I disliked public transportation–I like being able to belt out the tunes and bop along with the radio. Kinda hard to do that on the subway, without people moving away from the crazy lady. Hmm..come to think of it, maybe I’ll have to use that trick the next time I’m back in New York!

Hey, and don’t laugh too hard, it might be what keeps me from going ballistic on the road!