Acrimonious

  I feel like being rowdy. I feel like stirring things up, ruffling some feathers. Ever get that way?

  Zipping thru Portland at 2 this morning and I encountered that random car that loves to jack with me. I am cruising along at the speed limit, minding my own business, when I go past the random car going slow...in the hammer lane.

  I don't know what goes thru their mind when I pass them. All I know is, when I do get past them, they punch it and swiftly pass me, easily exceeding the speed limit by 15 mph. Then, going thru the next corners, they merge over into my lane and slow down. I get over into the hammer lane and continue at the speed limit to pass them yet again.

  I merge into the slow lane after clearing them, then yet again the punch it and pass me. Only this time when they merge in front of me, there is a cop on the shoulder (who has someone else pulled over), and this car jams on his brakes.

  I see this routinely. There was no surprise or shock on my part. I already was preparing to move over when I saw the cop lights. It all happened for me quite slowly. Turn signal was engaged, and I was moving over, well before any accident could occur. I never changed my speed.

  But I don't understand that cars logic. I mean, the last time I passed them, I blew by them like they were standing still. And I see this same scenario time and time again.

  Pick a speed.

  Some trucks have started putting that bumper sticker on their doors. Pick a speed. I know that I personally couldn't care less what speed people drive at, just stick with it! Don't allow yourself to be riled up because a truck passed you. Just continue on at whatever speed you chose. Why mess with them? OK me, why mess with me?

  Do you suppose that they know how dumb they look after all those stupid maneuvers? I suppose not.

  A little later on a small pickup with a canopy went past me. Speed limit for me, 60, check. Speed limit for him, 70, check. He rolls past me slowly then stays right next to me, just in front of my bumper. I know what's going to happen. Eventually he will want over and do a panicky brake, then acceleration, to get over.

  Wait for it.......another couple miles......aha! there is the brief signal (a one blinker, love those!)......his truck swerves over and back, appearing to shutter as he realized the truck sitting in his blind spot. He brakes....but that's not the aggressive thing to do....so he guns it and gets out in front. Then he slows down as his exit approaches. I get over and roll right on by him, getting past him before he exits the freeway. Never once did I change my speed.

  So I feel like being acrimonious. Its not easy being witness to the stupidity of others. Being short sided is such a common practice on the highways. I like (in a morbid way), seeing some hazard up ahead and watching just how long it takes before people react to it. Scary stuff.

  Las Vegas got tired of how cars behave around trucks. They plastered a couple trucks with signs that told people there was highway patrol inside of them. Fifty feet wide by eight feet tall signs! They pulled lots of cars over for doing all that stuff. I hope they are still doing it.

  Spokane posted signs up that warned people to give trucks more room. I wish they would enforce that more.

   Hey look! Its snowing now. I love driving in the snow. You might think I am goofy or just plain stupid for liking driving in the snow so much, but I think I have one pretty good reason. Cars get scared in the snow, and that makes them more cautious. They don't tend to go racing trucks.

  I get to drive in the snow tonight! Woohoo! If any of those cars behave badly tonight I can just go past them, and presto, whiteout for them! They can't see anything thru all the snow coming off my truck. Oh sweet revenge. Maybe that's what the Russians meant when they said that revenge is best served cold! I am gonna enjoy this!