Driver Beware

August 20, 2012

I've noticed an increasing trend in my community, and it's not a good one. There seems to be a segment of the population that is deliberately trying to sucker other drivers into bad judgement calls that cause accidents. It happened again this morning, and what really got my attention was the same driver did it to me three short days ago.

Living out in the country as I do, it's a daily jaunt to the state highway. Last Friday, I stopped at the stop sign (of course) and checked both ways for traffic. This old, battered wreck of a white and rusted car was traveling westbound with the right-turn signal blinking. Being the non-trusting sort of driver, I waited for him to slow and turn before I pulled out onto the highway.

Only - he didn't slow and turn. He kept going. And he flipped me off as he drove past me - why I had no clue. Just for breathing, I supposed at the time. Or for having the nerve to drive a Charger, maybe? As soon as I pulled out behind him, the turn signal went off.

He did the exact same thing this morning.

It's alarming to realize the same complete stranger, for no good reason, has twice now tried to lure me to make a stupid move. It's even more alarming to hear co-workers say they've had similar things happen. One has actually changed her route to work to avoid a four-way stop after a man in another car waved her through then quickly accelerated toward her when she moved forward. Luckily she was able to stop before a collision that would have legally appeared to be her fault.  

So what's going on here? Did someone put a sign on my car I can't see that reads, "Has insurance - okay to sue?"

Driver beware. There's a new threat on the road, and this one is truly malicious.

KC