You show me yours, I'll show you mine

This is another traffic story (James I'm only doing this because you harassed me into working on my blog in Rochester):

So twice in about as many weeks, I was privvy to some road rage! And people in blog land, for what mayhaps be the first time, I was not the agitated one in the driving situation, but rather I was the agitator! Let me explain..

See, twice in about as many weeks I was given a good view of the back of someone's hand, namely their hand with middle finger extended upward in a mock 'We're #1" gesture. However, I was not being told I was awesome, I was receiving the inflammatory gesture because in someone's eyes I was a horrible person! Imagine that if you can!!!!

I live and drive primarily around Western PA. Here are some common road habits of Western Pennsylvanians:

1) Yield sign=stop sign
2) Green Light=take several deep breaths, center your chi, and press the gas pedal after 7 seconds
3)35MPH Speed limit=25MPH Speed limit
4) A honk well deserved= an excuse to have a heart attack

I'm sure some of you have read my blog about traffic in Western PA so my point here is not to gripe about the traffic again, but rather relay to you all that I got what was coming to me! I'm sure that in reading my blog (or in sitting in traffic with me...and I do apologize if you've had to deal with that) you've thought to yourself, "Dang it Smith! One day someone's going to do something terrible to you if you keep driving all crazy like!" And people, you are right...twice!

1) I was driving out to play golf (my new pastime) and was behind someone doing their typical 10 mph under the speed limit. Let me say on my behalf that I didn't even think twice about this; as of late I've been trying to be much more calm behind the wheel, and you'll all be glad to hear that I've been a lot more chilled out (you'll also be safer when you're driving on the road with me now). But the person in front of me apparently felt that I was driving too close to them. SO! Instead of speeding up to the optimum driving speed, this person slammed on their brakes. I followed suit, and kind of gave them a "Pardon me, why did you do that sir?" gesture with my hands. They responded in kind with pumping their fist out their driver side window...birdie blazing! POW take that Smith!

2) The second instance is very similar to the first...actually it's the exact same! Some slow dude thought that my driving behind him was a personal insult, so he returned in kind a more pointed insult...pointed like a middle finger!! Take that AGAIN Smith!!

What's the point of this blog? There really is none...I have no exciting travel stories yet. But just so you all know...even though I get fired up behind the wheel there is always someone who is more fired up than I am. So JUDGE NOT lest YE be JUDGED.




As an addendum to this blog I would like to add this: you might see me in the streets, man, but you don't know me!