Mustang Surly: A Sort-Of Rant RE: Distracted Drivers

I was at a red light yesterday on one of the busiest roads here (technically a highway), with several vehicles behind me, a Ford Mustang convertible directly in front of me, and three or four vehicles ahead of the Mustang.

The light eventually turns green, and the vehicles in front of the Mustang all proceed through...but the Mustang just sits there. And because it's a convertible, I can see that the driver's head is angled down in the direction of his lap...99% chance he is messing around on his phone.

I give it maybe five seconds, and then I hit the horn (like for a half-second, I don't lay on it)...the guy looks up, and finally starts to go, but at the same time, being the classy individual he is, decides to flip me the bird.

Not only was what this D-bag was doing illegal here in British Columbia, but the idiot was holding up traffic.

I can't claim to have been a perfect driver all my life, and I have done a few boneheaded things here and there, but when I have been called out on it, whether in the form of someone honking at me or what have you, I've accepted it - "Yup, sorry, you're right, dumb move on my part..." - if I can't actually say that to a driver I have offended, I am at least THINKING it, and certainly not flipping them off.

It didn't ruin the rest of my day or anything - I'll never let someone so self-absorbed that they apparently think they can do no wrong affect me that badly - but the thought of how many people like this there might be on the roads these days is a little disconcerting...

 

I think it's like $500 (Canadian) in this province for a first-time offence. Not sure how it escalates with subsequent busts - I'm hoping a LOT - but what I'd like to see is vehicles being impounded and/or people losing their licenses for significant stretches of time, especially considering that distracted driving (mainly because of phones) is apparently now a bigger cause of injury and death on the roads than impaired driving...

 

Me too!

 

Over the years I've toyed with the idea of getting my motorcycle license and a bike...I have a fair bit of faith in my ability to drive one safely...but I trust other drivers less nowadays than I ever have, so...