Often on my way to work I listen to x96’s morning show. On it they have a section called “Things that must go”. Fox has a columnist that runs something similiar called Grrrs. So, I thought I would make something similiar on my blog as a place where I can vent about things that have annoyed me during the previous week. I think venting helps clear your head and brings you to the “serenity now” state. Of course I will keep away from personal venting so I won’t regret something I wrote later on. I would also like to encourage any of the 1 readers I have during the day to comment with their personal “Hide torquers”. I know that isn’t very catchy, but hey it is kitchy.
My first annoyance is one that has bugged me for years. It is the dreaded left turn into the right lane, right turn into the left lane. Americans must be lazy, because for the life of them they can’t seem to turn their steering wheels that little extra inch to turn into the correct lane. Why does make things hard? Well, take the right turn at a red light. Instead of just being able to go when there is no one coming from your left travelling straight through the intersection, people now wait until all the left hand turning cars have gone because they don’t want to get sideswiped by them crossing all the way over to your lane. The same can be said of left hand turning on a green light. You have to wait for the right hand turning people on a two lane road so you don’t get sidewiped on the right by the right hand turning car crossing over the lanes. Either there is some weird coincidence that everyone turning right has to get into the left lane, and everyone turning left has to get into the right lane, or we are all extremely lazy. Maybe we are just too weak to turn the wheel that far?
My frustration came to a head when I was turning left on a green light onto a busy street near me. The cars coming towards me were all turning right. It was a three lane road, so I thought it was safe to turn left. I turned left and all the cars turning right almost sideswiped me trying to cross all three lanes over to the left side. I looked in my rear view mirror to see all the left turners (5 in row) proceed to do what all the right hand turning cars did and cross all three lanes to the other side. It looked like a giant pretzel of cars weaving in and out, and then as if trying to get back to equilibrium in a science experiment all the cars seemed to change lanes again and go back to where they were supposed to turn in the first place. Not only is turning into the far lanes illegal, but you will be at fault in any accident, and most importanly you will tick me off. So I ask of everyone, turn that wheel just a little more next time.
P.S. I also have a lot of Google hate right now, but I will leave that for a seperate post
I was bored and googled you (’cause I was talking with a co-worker about Fundinguniverse), and look what I found–you have a website. Gotta agree with you on the turning into the wrong lane thing. Biggest pet peeve of mine while driving.
Ben
June 1st, 2006