Why are we Jerks when we Drive?

I went out to dinner and a movie today and once again I encountered more than my fair share of jerks while driving. The rudeness and dangerous behavior of what seems to be most drivers is just very disturbing to me and I think it shows an underlying problem in our society that is waiting to rear it's fully grown and very ugly head with many disastrous consequences.

People in general do not care about anyone but themselves and most of what we say we believe in is not really what we believe at all. Our attitudes and behavior as a society defies every religious and moral belief system we say we believe in as well as most of our own political and cultural ideals as well.

We all like to say we are law abiding, God fearing and "patriotic" but it only applies when it's our freedom, and when the laws, or even God, help us achieve our own selfish goals. Everyone knows how kind America is, except us Americans.

I find proof of this everywhere I go. Particularly on the streets.

Today I was doing the speed limit and every single car was passing me, even the grandmas. Most of the flashy, hot rod cars were going much faster than I and many people, both young and old, gave me dirty or threatening looks as they passed.

Does this sound like that kind America we hear so much about?

Other drivers would get within inches of my bumper, I guess to urge me to go faster, all while we are traveling at speeds up to 55mph in heavy rush hour traffic. At every single red light at least two cars went through after the light had already turned. Most of the other drivers around me responded by just going ahead anyway since the light was green. They probably think "It would be the other guys fault if I hit him anyway. I had the green light".

Does this sound like a bunch of good God fearing people looking out for each other?

I came up to a four way stop sign and as I went through, the van waiting his turn decided to jump the gun a second too early since I didn't go from 0-60 in five seconds like everyone else had been, and he just missed me by inches with his buddy in a car hot on his heals without waiting at all. He had a patriotic sticker on his bumper.

Does this sound like the way patriotic Americans should act?

Don't we have all kinds of laws and really simple signs and idiot proof symbols to avoid these very types of incidents? Would it really kill anyone to wait three seconds until it was safe to go or to suffer through the 60 seconds it takes for the light to change?

It might just kill you or someone else if you don't.

We wouldn't go to all the trouble as a society to print up all the expensive signs and install all those high tech cameras and hire all those traffic cops if it really didn't matter. There are much easier ways to create tax income.

Why are our cops so busy? Why are your taxes so high? Why don't you feel safe walking around in your own neighborhood? Why is everything so expensive? Why can't your kids get a decent education in a violence free environment? Why... most of those things we whine to politicians about?

Jerks who don't care, that's why. Speeders are jerks.

Speeding is not that big of a deal, most of us say, right? Our car advertisements always feature how fast the car can go and everyone knows a fast car makes the girls go wild. Some people actually believe their cars will be damaged if they only drive them at the posted limit and hot rod performance shops are the latest rage. Anyone can soup up any car to for only a few thousand dollars due to the popularity of high performance automobiles, yet our top legal speeds remain in the high 70's for most of the country.

The fines for speeding, if you are even caught or the cop even bothers to write a ticket, are always laughably low. "I mean it's not like I was selling crack to kids or had a meth lab in my trailer", we tell ourselves "I was just having a little fun or late for an appointment. I'm a good driver and I knew what I was doing the whole time". What's the big deal anyway?

Tell that to the little girl when your hot rod street machine antics cuts her mom's SUV in half killing her entire family when you and your friends decide to "see what this baby can do" right smack dab in the middle of rush hour.

Why do we tolerate anyone racing their cars on public streets? It's not just rude, it's criminal and immoral.

Think you don't do it? It doesn't take a bunch of hot rodding kids to cause major havoc. Most accidents are caused by the rest of us who are supposed to know better but just were not paying attention or decided that everyone else was doing it so it must be OK.

Speeding is a horrible crime. It shows a complete lack of respect for society's rules and for the safety of those inside and outside your vehicle. People do not realize the destructive power their cars can have and how quickly and easily it is to lose control of any fast moving vehicle. You might not be selling crack to kids, but children will still die if you make the slightest mistake.

I know I don't want to be the one to tell the young mother I'm sorry I killed her children because I was late for an important meeting. Do you?

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