Right lane closed, wrong lane open. |
It
helps if you find the right person to commute with. My carpool buddy
“John” (not his real name) was the ideal candidate. We shared the
same work hours. Our homes were on the same route, which made
commuting together relatively smooth.
John
did most of the driving while I did most of the talking. That worked
out well because I’ve got so many stories to tell. We got to work
faster on the days John drove. Let’s just say his repeated viewings
of The Fast and The Furious have influenced his driving style. My
diploma from Old Man Doherty’s Driving School has the slogan at the
bottom that reads Slow And Steady Wins The Race.
As
a passenger, It was difficult for me to relinquish control. On the
highway, John would remind me there is no brake pedal on the
passenger side. Apparently he noticed me grinding my foot into the
floor every time he pulled up within a half-inch of the vehicle in
front of us. “I’m not letting anyone cut in front of me today,”
he would say with a grim smile. Am I the only person who stills
leaves a car-length (or three) in front of me on the highway?
I
learned some driving tips from John that have improved my own
driving: You don’t need to be in your exit lane until the very last
second. It’s okay to quickly cut in front of 18-wheel
tractor-trailers because they can’t accelerate as fast as you. Do
not let anyone into your lane, no matter if they have their blinker
on or how many hand signals they use. Traffic circles and Road
Warrior movies have a lot in common. And my favorite – how to punch
the steering wheel to release stress.
I
kept my critiques about John's driving to a minimum. “This is the
carpool lane, not Space Mountain.” “Nice two-wheel corner around
that rotary, Vin Diesel.” “Speeding through this tunnel with you
reminds me of Princess Diana.” Hmmm, no wonder John was punching
his steering wheel.
When
you spend prolonged time in an enclosed vehicle through stressful
morning and evening commutes, a close bond is formed between
passenger and driver. Light is shed on a person’s idiosyncrasies
wouldn’t surface in casual workplace conversations. John is an
Eminem fan, who knew? (Sorry, I forgot the first rule of carpool is
don't talk about carpool.)
I’m
sure some of my own “quirks” were exposed during our daily
commute. My musical taste and television viewing habits are not
everyone’s cup of tea. But John was a good listener, a great
conversationalist and a true friend.
This
month John has moved to a new town. Our carpool arrangement has come
to a screeching halt. I’m going to miss our mornings together in
the fast lane as I stare at the miles of stopped traffic ahead of me
with no one to talk to but myself.
During
our last ride home together my carpool buddy said, “You
probably never realized we narrowly avoided major collisions on a
daily basis.” Oh yes, John, I noticed. I helped us avoid them on
numerous occasions by stepping on the imaginary brake pedal on the
passenger side.
No comments:
Post a Comment