My Mom came to the Dallas area in the early 1900s in a covered wagon. She was a small child at this time. I don't imagine my grandparents experiencing many traffic problems due to congestion and irate drivers at that time. Things have changed in Dallas. Every summer road rage goes up to staggering proportions. Is it safe on the roads of Dallas? Statistically not that many people are killed or maimed in proportion to the population. The incidents that usually go unreported are the hand gestures and bad driving practices used by the offending persons. I was in the car with my wife for a few hours last week. If you are not exceeding the posted speed limit by at least ten miles per hour You are going to be the recipient of a hand gesture and more likely road rage. On the local LBJ Freeway if you are not exceeding the posted speed limit by at least fifteen miles per hour you will be passed by a multitude of cars and trucks in a matter of moments. The local interstate 20 has a very bad reputation for dangerous driving. I try to stay off of this highway at all costs. I take other freeways which lengthen my travel time but are very much safer.
My wife has been orally accosted on many occasions by out of control drivers. One incident several years ago brought the dangers of driving the local highways to mind very quickly. I was with my wife and kids driving on a local road to visit my family. A huge pick up truck with two occupants who had a rifle rack full of guns began tailgating my vehicle. I feared for the safety of my family and pressed on the brake to move the truck off of my bumper. This seemed to infuriate the driver. His actions became worse. I believed that he was trying to hit my car and drive it off into a ditch. I sped away with equal actions taken by the driver of the pick up. I exceeded the speed limit trying to out distance myself from his vehicle. I took exits off of the highway and made u turns trying to shake this vehicle. After many miles and frayed nerves I turned off of the highway into a lighted gas station. The gas station was vacant but the perpetrators probably did not know this. They cruised slowly by the station with the guns gleaming in their rack. After the truck went down the one way street I started the car and went in the opposite direction.
One afternoon while driving home from a day of mowing at my farm I encountered another situation. Road work was being done on one of the local highways. Speed limits were posted. I observed the legal limit of the law. This seemed to infuriate a young man behind me. As soon as he was able to get in front of me he swerved his car to a screeching halt at a red light. He jumped out of his car, while slamming his car door, advanced on me shouting obscenities all the way. This fellow did regain his senses and returned to his car and drove away before any serious harm could be done.
My wife had been orally accosted several times in a particular week. One incident involved a man that was behind my wife and did not care to observe the posted speed. He honked his horn at my wife for blocks and when finally being able to pass shouted o barrage of obscenities at her. She came to me and asked my advice on how to obtain relief on her daily driving tasks. I put several NRA decals on her back windshield and advised her to always carry her cell phone with her for emergencies.
I had been cut off by vehicles and was going through the same sort of trauma as my wife had experienced. I went to the local Walmart and purchased a gun rack and installed it immediately. The NRA decals went on my back windshield along with a version of the Texas State Rifle Association decal. Most drivers are suddenly more courteous to me now. Those who initially tailgate me see the error of their ways upon viewing the gun rack and fall back to a safe distance. Life in the fast lane has suddenly become less stressful.
About the Author:
Stephen Graham -Writes articles from his own life experiences.
http://buckskinnews.blogspot.com
http://goodstuffintexas.blogspot.com
http://huntn-n-fishn.blogspot.com/
Article Submitted On: July 10, 2006
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com
No comments:
Post a Comment