Just Because...: Mourning The Blinker...

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Mourning The Blinker...

My friends, we are in a state of sadness over here at Just Because... Why, because sadly, I am under the impression that the Blinker (Perhaps you know it by its more formal name: the Turn Signal) friend to many a driver, has passed. He has left behind his family of "Quick Blinker", "AfterLaneChange Blinker", and "ForgotToUse Blinker". In lieu of flowers (and road markers), donations may be made to the "Accident Preparation Fund".

OK - enough with the silliness (but boy was it needed in Day 3, I mean Day 2 if you don't count weekends of project hell). Here's what occurred to me today while driving to the 9to5 at the crack of dawn this morning: "Do People Know How To Use A Damn Blinker". Perhaps its just a Florida driver thing. Perhaps I'm just being nitpicky. Perhaps I'm just annoyed. But when you add it all up, seriously it pisses.me.off.

Maybe the Blinker has become unfashionable, like Last Year's IT Bag. Perhaps people would rather wear the Farrah flip than use the Blinker. Perhaps it takes too much effort to turn on that little light and indicate (or SIGNAL) what Idjiot Driver is about to do with that massive hunk o' steel (or plastic) that he/she rides in to go from Point "A" to Point "B". Perhaps I'm just missing that supposed "mind reading skill" that Idjiot Driver must assume I possess wherein I should automatically KNOW that Idjiot Driver is cutting into my lane as he/she barrels on through like a bull in a china shop. Let's not even get me started on Pedestrian Mind Reading that I should possess as I go to cross the street on my sojurn to 'Bucks much to the annoyance of Idjiot Driver. Apparently, the Pedestrian Right Of Way is also uncool to the Idjiot Driver who won't use the Blinker.

Let me ask you this:

Are we, as a society, too lazy to turn on the blinker light before we make a turn or even merge into a new lane of the street/highway?

Are we, as drivers, too distracted by our surroundings, passengers, and various other devices i.e. the radio, iPod, cell phones, blackberries, sidekicks, etc. to have a bit of consideration for our fellow motorists?

Are we, as individuals, too negligent and full of our own self importance to even care if, by our actions (or negligence of actions), we cause an accident by not using the Blinker?

As it's well documented, driving, much like cable, is not a right -- it's a privilege. We have to have a license in order to drive. They don't say "Well, upon your 16th birthday, you automatically get a license". No. Life is NOT that simple. In order to get our learner's permits and driver's licenses, we all had to take a written exam. We had to take an actual ROAD test in order to get our first piece of plastic aka the Driver's License. Plus, many people had to take Driver's Ed (My dad had my friend teach me how to drive since my mother took me out on Suffield Street in Agawam in traffic on my FIRST TIME driving. Did I mention that Suffield Street (much like Main Street in Agawam) was a VERY busy roadway. That bothered me for some time, end result was that I didn't get my license until I was 18. Did I say that the friend who taught me how to drive was a horrible driver. I took the opportunity to learn what NOT to do and apply that. So what if I drive like Granny. I'm here, right?)

Here's how I see it. Everyone is in such a rush to get from Point A to Point B that consideration for fellow motorists appears to be in short supply. Why not, in the spirit of the holiday season and beyond, let us all start making an effort to use the Blinker (or Turn Signal). It's just good karma. Or, if you need to look at is as a protective measure, just think, let's just use the Blinker (or Turn Signal) to avoid pissing off that driver prone to fits of road rage or an angry driver flipping you off, cursing you out, etc. It's just the right thing to do.

Labels: NaBloPoMo, Soapbox

Posted by Lys :: 6:06 PM :: 3 comments

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Tuesday, November 27, 2007