Right Turn Grinches

What do I mean by right turn grinches? I'm sure you've been there before.

Picture this: you are driving along and you are approaching a red light. Well that's ok you think, I can turn right on red and there's no one coming. Ah but wait my friend, the right turn grinch in front of you who is going straight and has their own lane has decided that they are going to block you from taking the right. There's is no way on earth they are going to let you get in front of them, even though you are aren't even going in the same direction.

So now instead of turning right and going on your merry way. you have to sit. and wait. and wait. because some jerk can't stay in their lane and insists on hogging two lanes - the right turn and the straight one. WHY WHY WHY do people do this? This happens to me almost daily.

Now I can see in traffic - the lanes fill up and cars going straight end up blocking the right turn lane. That makes sense, but it's the other time when there are only 1 or 2 cars in front of you and someone insists on doing this.

Perhaps they are clueless and don't realize it? But honestly if you are this out of it and have no idea what lane you are in or if you are turning or not you shouldn't be behind the wheel of a CAR!

They're Back

Yes it's that time of the year again. Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston all over has been infested with students. Yesterday must have been move in day at Harvard and Tufts because it took me forever to get home. And there seriously has to be a lot of freshman or something because no one knew what the hell they were doing, or where they were going.

Driving home people were stopping in the middle of the freaking road. for no good reason. They weren't turning. I don't know what the fuck they were doing besides getting in my way! Who stops in the middle of the road? No blinker. No pulling aside. Just stopping! ARGH Pull to the side!

Yesterday it took me a full hour to drive from Newton to Somerville via back roads that normally take me 20 minutes! I have not seen such poor driving in a looooooong time.

Rotaries

Why is it that people just cannot navigate a rotary??

Today I got to witness a genius go through the rotary in the wrong direction to apparently make a turn into a parking lot quicker?

What jackass does this and stops up the rotary for minutes while everyone tries to figure out what this idiot is trying to do?

Crazy Weather!

OMG I left work right at 5 today to try to beat the rain I could hear was coming.

It was very dark and thundering and I could see some lightening, but otherwise it was ok - no rain yet.

I made it to Somerville - basically to Powder House Blvd - and then the sky just opened up. And wow did it open up!! Rain and hail were coming down so hard and so fast my wipers couldn't go fast enough! I couldn't see anything - if someone rain out in front of my car I wouldn't have seen them. It was really scary. I was so close to home though I just wanted to get there -and I didn't know how long the rain would last.

The streets became instantly flooded. like REALLY flooded - giant waves flying up as I drove through the puddles. I was afraid I might get stuck in the water. I hope no one was walking by! Well actually they would have been soaked anyway and getting pegged with hail - guess it wouldn't have mattered that much.

I think those final 3 streets or so to my house took me 15-20 minutes to navigate. Scary!

Once I got home I heard lots of police go by with sirens on and the fire truck across the street went out for 2 calls.

Ewwwww

While driving home from work today I was in front of a Ferrari. Or what looked like a Ferrari, it had that horse logo all Ferraris have, except that it was pale baby blue. I thought all Ferrari's were red? I thought all the sports cars were made in their country colors? Italy = Red, France = Blue, and England = Green. But maybe I'm wrong? Or maybe they used to, but now they aren't. I don't know. but I'm 99% sure it was a Ferarri.

Anyhow, that's not even the point of the story....

The guy is yapping on his cell phone the whole time he's behind me. He's driving fairly slow (I think from being distracted from holding the phone) and only catches up to me at every red light. But I have to ask... If you can afford a Ferrari, can't you afford a bluetooth headset so you can have both hands on the wheel of your very expensive car instead of one on the phone? Just sayin'....

He also went through a light that was yellow when I went through it and I'm pretty sure was red before he even started through the intersection. And he didn't even bother to rush through it. He took his time and let the folks that had the green light wait for him. nice.

And now for the ewwww part. At one point while at a red light I looked up in my rear view mirror to take a look at the car and there is the guy on the cell phone yapping away - going to town picking his nose! Disgusting! Oh and he's in a convertible - top down so it's not like you could miss this one. Seriously - who does this?

Apparently money can buy nice cars, but not nice manners....

Why?

Why was I driving 15-20 mph in a 40 mph last night on my way home from work??

Oh right, because the guy in front of me was READING THE FUCKING PAPER instead of DRIVING! Who does this? Pay attention to the ROAD - then maybe you could go the speed limit asshole!!

I was so bullshit I took out my iPhone at a red light (turned green - but he didn't notice yet 'cuz he was reading the paper) to take a photo of this and was so excited to post it to my blog. But then today I went to email myself the photo and I screwed it up!!! I had my hand in front of the lens or something. Annoying. It was a good shot of this guy reading the paper.

I'm just amazed people do this kind of shit. I don't want to be stuck in traffic either, but I don't: read the paper, do crossword puzzles, or put on makeup when I'm driving! And if you need to talk while driving - use a bluetooth headset so you have both hands free!!!

Few days off

I was away for a long weekend in New Jersey for a wedding... I feel like I've been gone for weeks!

While stuck in traffic driving back yesterday I was next to a woman that was doing a crossword puzzle while driving!! Who does this?? WTF!! It's bumper to bumper traffic. We're all annoyed. We're all bored. We all wish we could be some place else - doing something else. But you don't do a crossword puzzle while driving!!! That's a way to cause another accident! She barely looked up to even move forward. how can you really pay attention to not hitting the person in front of you when you are doing a crossword puzzle? When we/she passed the cop (dealing with the car on fire) she didn't even put the stupid crossword down! He didn't even notice (or care maybe). ARGH!

While driving home today from work I was behind another stupid, or just plain rude driver. I just can't understand the nerve of people. I was behind this car and the person threw a whole banana peel out of the window when they finished a banana!!!!! Who does this? The road isn't your garbage can! WTF!? It's not anyone else's fault you decided to eat a banana in your car, save the peel until you can dispose of it properly! I have never thrown trash out of the window of my car. Who has so little regard for the environment and everyone around themselves to throw trash out of a window.

What the F??

Is this crazy lawn ornament??? I drive by this house everyday on my way home from work and I just don't understand this crazy lawn thing. What is it supposed to be? A car? just some wacky white thingy to hold more grass and flowers? My photo isn't great - I took it with my iPhone while I was driving. I'll have to get a better shot when I'm stuck in traffic and have time to take a better pic.

Saga of the light..

Now that I'm paying more attention to that stupid light I get stuck at every day on my way home from work - I've gotten obsessed with getting photos of the stupid thing with my iphone.

Once again tonight driving home from work (at 8:15 pm) - I was stuck at the red for the duration of a 2 minute and 30 second song while NO ONE came in either direction at the green light. Why is this friggen thing on a timer???

Driving Home Tonight

I had a manicure/pedicure appointment after work. Thank god - I was embarrassed to show my feet! I've been going to the same woman for about 8 years - and she's in Newton. Which is now out of the way considering I live in Somerville, but after 8 years I don't want to just find another person I trust not to cut me or whatever when they are doing my mani/pedi.

Anyway, driving back home about to get on 128 I saw 2 baby deer eating on the side of the road! They were soooo cute! They were pretty small so I assume they were babies. If there wasn't a car behind me I would have stopped to take a picture. I hope they didn't run out into the road and get hurt.

The Light

Driving home today. You guessed it - that bullshit traffic light was red again today. And no one was coming either way. so we sat at a red while no one drove through the green.

Worst. Light. Ever.

Or at least in the top 5 worst lights ever. This traffic light is total bullshit. Every single day driving home I get stuck at this light. So let's just say in a given year I drive through this light ~230 times? I'm roughly guessing that based on 5 days a week coming home from work (I drive to work a different way). And out of those 230 times I have seen a car go through this light ~30 times out of 230!!! I mean WTF!!! Don't have this light on a fucking timer what a waste of EVERYONE'S time, put the damn thing on a sensor - so it KNOWS when a car is ACTUALLY waiting at the light!!!!!!!!!! So this means 87% of the time no one is ever at the light for the other side when it turns red for the main road!

So today. Once again. I was stuck at the light for a good 2-3 minutes (it turns green for the side street, then another green for a parking lot each time) and that 30 times I have seen a car takes into account BOTH sides of this light. So basically there is almost NEVER anyone at the light - 87% of the time!! Yet we wait for no one to go through it. Every single fucking day. ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Today I was so annoyed just sitting there waiting for the light I finally took a photo of all the cars waiting at this light in both directions - while nobody came from the other 2 directions the entire time I was sitting at the light. I guess the photo isn't great you can only see the empty road to the left, not the parking lot no one was coming out of on the right. I will have to take another pic on Monday's commute when I'm stuck at the light - because I can bet you I am stuck at the light on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday......



WHY WHY WHY WHY do people put lights on timers? They are stupid! It's useless. Isn't a better use case that when 1 or more cars is sensed at a light, give them the green light. Otherwise keep it green for the side that ACTUALLY has vehicles driving through it?

Instead it's the use case of let's see how crazy we can make people driving home from work on a Friday by setting this light to turn red every 1 minute 30 seconds even though NO ONE is coming the other way.

Power Shifting

I've heard of people doing this when they drive, but I never much cared about it - seemed like something guys that really like racing or whatever do. I have always driven a standard (I prefer it), but I have never tried the whole power shift thing. Which is to say you get the car in the exact right acceleration or deceleration to shift gears without the use of the clutch.

Yesterday I accidentally did it! And I have to say it was pretty cool. I was decelerating to go over a bump, and was holding the shifter, but hadn't yet put in the clutch to change gears (and wasn't really planning on down shifting either). I hit the bump which made my hand bump the shifter and down shift correctly into the lower gear sans clutch. It was pretty cool. It effortlessly went into gear (you know no screeching noise you would normally hearing when trying to shift without the clutch) and I kept right on driving. Now I may need to attempt this again. It could get ugly.

this is the last thing

I should be doing right now. I should be working on a spec, but I'm distracted.

It's the nicest day of the year so far and I woke up with a sore throat. UGH allergies maybe?

And while I'm rambling about nothing I should say that every day when I drive to work I have to re-learn the clutch on my car. Well not re-learn how to drive a standard, I've been doing that for years, but learn where exactly my clutch catches. Why? Because every day I wear a different pair of shoes. Some are flats, some wedges, some platforms, some just normal heels and everything in between. This means the distance between my foot and the pedal is different every day. Yesterday I had flats, today I have platform sandals - so it felt weird when I first got in the car and had to adjust to the different shoes. Maybe I should just have a pair of driving shoes that I leave in my car so I know the exact distance between my foot and the pedal all the time? LOL

Too Many Margaritas?

Maybe someone had too many margaritas at the Border Cafe in Burlington today? I hope not...

I don't really know what happened, but when I was driving home from work today around 6pm the light on the Middlesex Turnpike was all backed up because a firetruck, several police cars, and two tow trucks were blocking the right lane and the road to the right going in/out of the Border. There were no ambulances by the time I got there, but I didn't see any people other than police/fire - so my guess was the occupants of the vehicles were already taken away. Both cars were getting hooked up to tow trucks and being taken away as I finally got to pass the whole mess..

Anyone know what happened?

Daily Commute

I don't know what people are thinking on the road sometimes. Apparently nothing!

I mean last time I checked the correct (and SAFE) thing to do when you came to the end of the road you were driving on is to stop (especially when there's a fucking stop sign) and look both ways before barreling onto the next road. Maybe it's just me and that kind of archaic nonsense isn't needed anymore. After all, since it's all about you, anyone else already coming down the street surely expects you to barrel into the roadway without STOPPING OR EVEN LOOKING and will slam on their brakes in anticipation of this to allow you on the roadway safely. I mean maybe the car behind me hits me because I've had to slam on my brakes and go 30-0 in half a second... But don't worry about anyone else on the road cuz it's ALL ABOUT YOU BUDDY!

Today while driving to work I was going 30 mph down a street in Somerville (which was the speed limit on that street). And next thing you know a car comes down a side street at maybe 20 mph or so, and just takes a right onto the road right in front of me. Didn't stop at all. Didn't even slow down. Didn't fucking look at all. When I had to slam on my brakes (while beeping! WTF) and the folks behind me had to as well to not slam into this asshole - this driver just kept on driving oblivious to the fact they are SO lucky I missed hitting them by about an inch. It REALLY was that close! Who the hell does this? I can't even imagine coming to the end of a street and not slowing down, yielding (or stopping depending), or looking and just pull out onto another street and hope for the best. Sure I'm pissed someone cut me off, but I'm more angry about the lack of caution this person showed. What if I had been 1 inch closer - I would have slammed into this guy. What if someone was crossing the street?

Then as if that didn't already get me all fired up this morning... It happened AGAIN! While driving on 3A in Burlington to work - in a 40 mph zone (I was doing the speed limit) another person does the same thing - except this time the person took a left!! WTF This woman came down a street as I was approaching and she didn't stop, or it seems look either and just took the left (and VERY slowly at that). I once again had to slam on the brakes not to hit her! What's wrong with people? I had to come to a stop to let this person take a left! If I'm trying to take a right or a left onto a road I wait until it's safe to go, or someone waves me on and take it. Otherwise I wait. I don't just pull out in front of cars that are so close they may hit me!

Random Thought of the Day

Yeaaaah. If you are going to put a slogan across the front of your vehicle - you should probably make sure it's readable to the cars in front of you.

Like when I am in front of your vehicle and I look in my rear view mirror. I shouldn't have to translate it because it's backwards. It should appear like normal - like the Ambulance text appears in my rear view mirror. I'm guessing you put that on there so folks could read it when you're sitting behind them in traffic, right?

Today the truck behind me had a slogan on it that read:



Not that it's all that hard to figure out what it says, but still - wouldn't you want the sign to appear to the person in front of you as: Turn it On! ?? (FYI: it was for an appliance company).

what happen on route 16?

This morning while driving to work I got to route 16 (where it's either Somerville, Arlington, or Medford I'm not sure which) and the road was totally packed (perhaps closed) up almost to the Powderhouse rotary where it meets 16. No one was moving it seems like for a loooong time.

I sat and waited for a while then decided to turn around and go back up 16 and take Broadway in Arlington to 3A instead. Before turning around - I watched an SUV turn around but then never bothered looked behind themselves to back up and slammed into another car that had also turned around and was beeping to the SUV to stop. Ooooops. Who backs up and assumes no one is behind them so no need to look???

When I turned around I could see that there were some cop lights up ahead so something was going on. Anyone know?

Then I ended up behind a woman driving with a banana clip in her hair. REALLY? A banana clip? FYI: those haven't been in style since '85 and really should have NEVER been in style in the first place. Having a big plastic thing in your hair that covers the front of your hair to the back is not very attractive.

This Morning

I was driving to work and saw one of the most interesting things I've seen in my morning commute.

There was a guy riding a bike with one hand (barely succeeding) and carrying in the other hand a coffee holder thing containing 4 Dunkin' Donuts coffees (also barely succeeding). He almost fell off the bike twice when I saw him, and it looked like the coffees could go at any minute - they were swaying quite a bit.

It appeared to me perhaps walking would have been a wiser choice when carrying 4 coffees in a tray. I mean honestly I can barely carry a tray with two coffees while walking, nevermind 4. Hope he made it to his destination with all 4 coffees. It did make for a good chuckle on my way to work.

The joys of idiot drivers

I knew I was back in Massachusetts when I drove to work this morning. Very quickly I was back in reality - and behind idiot drivers.

So I am driving down Broadway near Soundbites this morning and I am approaching the light at Willow. As I am approaching there is a minivan that is slowing down at the green light and comes to a complete stop. And sits there. At a green light. I am far enough back still that it makes no sense to beep. As I continue to approach they continue to sit there. Then the light turns yellow. Still sitting. And then red. Still sitting there. WTF!? Who stops and waits at a green light?

By this time I'm behind them at the red light. Then when the light turns green they went. So there appeared to be absolutely no reason why this person just stopped and sat there for no apparent reason. No one got out of the car, or in. It's just baffling.