Wow, are there any rules as to how often one has to post on a blog? Well if there are, I am certain to have broken said rules.
Annnnnnyway, tonight I discovered the rewarding joys of taking an 11 KM bike ride through the Pickering Waterfront trail by Lake Ontario. After working my second 8 hour day since coming back from my surgery recovery, it was definitely a rewarding post-work day. Weeding 12 four-foot dandelion-like plants, leaning back in my porch chair, and then off on my bike, mouth dodging incoming gnats and other sundry small insects as I fly, sometimes chug, and sometimes puff my way along the bike trail.
After being immobilized by illness, lack of energy, lack of desire-to-do-much-of-anything for the past three + years, having no life other than the usual crash after work, take antibiotics, take pain meds, take drugs, sleep, wake, work, etc.... having the energy and desire to DO STUFF, well that in itself is an incredibly rewarding thing. Exercise rocks. Sunshine rocks. Fresh air rocks. Flowers, bike paths, nature, and rocks rocks.
This is the third time this week that I have gone out on my bike to travel after a long day. I remember my first jaunt on a bike since my last surgery... oh, three weeks ago, I made it no more than one kilometer before my knees and body gave up in protest. And now, each evening, I have pushed myself a few KMs more each ride.
Good times.
And now... on to my rant. Man, I love a good rant. Especially while watching the lack-of-brain-enabling TV shows, commercials, movies, garbage, that is force-fed us every day. Then I verbally rant at the TV. But I digress.
I h8, I anti-heart, I LOATHE the 401. And it is not really the 401 that I store up deep-seated feelings of loathing , but rather it is the inconsiderate, "me first" "I don't care about any one else except myself" drivers that I regrettably must share the road with every day.
I am sure you have seen their type: those numptys who feel it is their right to cause near-fenderbenders as they blatantly do what would give them a failing grade in a driving test. I am talking about those wonderful drivers who, upon seeing a Lane Ending sign, swerve into said lane (as it is empty of cars as most other drivers know it is a no-no to do so), speed onwards until the last second, and as the lane ends, or is just about to end, swerve back into the regular grind, cutting people off, thereby slowing down traffic to a stand still as some hapless driver slams on his or her breaks to let Crazy McDriverstink back in. Whew. What a run-on-sentence!
These drivers will also speed onto the right off-ramp lane, switch to the left off-ramp lane, and then at the last second abort, swerve back into traffic, performing the same cut-off, slow everyone else down maneouver that just makes me grind my teeth in a frustrating "nothing-I-can-do-about-it-ness". Way to go buddy; by breaking traffic rules, nearly causing an accident, and slowing down the general flow of traffic, you have successfully bypassed 10 cars, and have saved yourself 11 seconds of commute time. 100 more times and you might just shave an hour off your drive. And... no... in case this popped into your mind, the above driver did not just realize that he was taking the wrong exit. He was blatantly trying to bypass traffic to save some precious seconds.
Sigh... stupid, selfish people. Am I right to call these people stupid? It is not a word I use a lot, as it is degrading, but really, these driver types are so wrapped up in their "me and only me-ness" that stupid is what they really are.
The only thing that can be done (aside from the Police cracking down on this--but I don't see how they can, as it is easier to nab speeders than it is dangerous swervey drivers), is what I have seen other defensive drivers do: tailgate the car in front of them as they near an exit or lane-ending sign, and tailgate hard such that any cut-in-liner driver is forced to stop moving completely, horn blaring, fist shaking, mouth moving, complaining why life is so unfair that no one will let him bud back in line <editor's note, I saw six cars do this trick this morning. Wish I had my iPhone out to record>.
Tough luck, buddy.
I have seen trucks do this tailgate move... small pinto-like-cars, normal sedans, mini vans... and although potentially dangerous, there is nothing more we honest and safe drivers can do. Except form a vigilante group with cars packing hidden machine guns, rocket launchers, tire spikes, and bumper rams. Too Mad-Max, Interstate '76, or Twisted Metal? Well yes it is. But at some point, someone (hopefully the politicians or police) needs to take this issue in hand, before Joe-Somebody wakes up on the wrong side of the bed, and takes it into his own hand.
Cheers.
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