Driving Lessons (or dating lessons... whichever)

The following are some recent observations about driving habits of others. It occurred to me (after a bottle of pinot noir - NOT while driving) that the same observations could be made about the dating habits of others. 

You should turn your lights on when the sun goes down, or when driving in dense fog, or when precipitation has caused you to turn on your windshield wipers. When it’s difficult to see the road ahead of you or when others have difficulty seeing you, any extra illumination you have at your disposal is helpful.

If, however, you’re driving a big SUV and the person in front of you is driving a little sedan, then please back off because your headlights look like ET’s ship is coming in for a landing in their backseat. It’s intimidating. Take a breath and back up just a little bit.

The left lane is for passing only. Get out of the left lane unless you mean to pass someone. If you don’t intend to make a move, then get out of the way.  The rest of us get in the left lane because time’s running out and we have somewhere to go.

That being said, there are also times when you have to have some patience. If the person in the car that’s stopped in front of you in the parking lot is waiting for spot soon to be vacated by the person who just got into their car, please don’t be obnoxious and start honking your horn. They’ll move soon enough. That's not going to help anything. Some people don’t move as quickly as others and sometimes you have to be patient.

Conversely, when waiting to make a left turn and there’s no car in front of you, then pull into the intersection! What are you waiting for there behind the crosswalk? For the love of God, the light is green! It’s okay. It’s legal. You can pull into the intersection. You don’t have to wait for the guy behind you to start honking his horn. C’mon, honey. Time’s a-wastin’.

Get off your phone. No. Seriously. Get off your phone because the second you answered it your speed slowed by twenty miles an hour and you’re still in the left lane and not only that, you also didn’t notice how beautiful the sunset was on the lake you just drove by. The lady in the car next to you just shook her head and left you in the dust.

Lastly, you can see a lot in the rearview mirror, but if you want to keep going, you have to spend the majority of your time looking at what's in front of you right now.

You can follow me on Twitter: @CeceliaHalbert