Hey, look who's in the next car! (Other Motoring Issues)

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Product:	Other Motoring Issues
Date:	15/09/01 (4 review reads)
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While casually surfing around dooyoo I came across this topic 'Other Motoring Issues'. Wouldn't it be great to have such a topic in each category? Anyway, sorry, I digress already. Perhaps it was something to do with the wording, but for some reason I immediately thought of 'Other Motorists', so that's what I'd like to bump my gums about (metaphorically speaking of course).

Isn't it amazing how peoples whole personality can change as soon as they get behind the wheel? Normally laid-back people can turn into total maniacs, stressing out for the slightest little thing and generally getting rather worked up for no real reason. As I see it most of it is caused by some sort of car induced selfishness that seems to take most people over as soon as they step into a vehicle. Every driver seems to think that *they* are the most important person on the road. Every one of them always has the right of way, it is them that is going at the correct speed, it's OK for them to go through amber lights (but no-one else), *their* journey is always of utmost importance.

But for every one who thinks they are the most important person there is someone sitting in the next car also thinking that *they* are the most important. And you know what? Perhaps they just might be. At the very least perhaps we should consider that the other persons journey may just be more important than our own.

We all get annoyed when a cabbie cuts out in front of us at a junction (apart from kenjohn obviously because he IS a cabbie). How many of us stop to think that the guy driving the cab is trying to earn a living though? Do we consider why the passenger in that cab is paying for a cab instead of walking or getting a bus? Even if the cab is empty it could be possible that he is on his way to pick up a punter who is late for work, or needing to get to an A&E department quickly, or less dramatically just standing around in the rain waiting on th
eir cab coming.

Lorry drivers are much the same. Isn't it just so annoying when one lorry travelling at 60mph tries to overtake another which is travelling at 58mph? How dare they take up two lanes between them. But on the other hand these guys often work to pretty tight timetables and most have tachographs (or the modern equivalent) fitted to ensure that they can't break the speed limit or drive for too many hours in one go. From their point of view they have to get to their destination within that allocated timescale - failure to do so might just cost them their livelihood.

White Van Man is another culprit. Much like the cabbie these guys are often guilty of cutting out in front of people, putting the foot down at traffic lights and such. Again though they are trying to earn a living. perhaps they are making a delivery to someone who has waited in all day for them (have you been in that position yourself?). Perhaps they have to get somewhere before it closes, perhaps they, perhaps they....

None of the above really justifies 'inconsiderate' driving by the above named and shamed professions, but it does go some way to perhaps explaining some of the reasons behind it.

Moving on, what about that person who is driving at 25mph in front of you? Maybe they have a newborn baby in the back, and here are other people tailgating them. Or perhaps they are having mechanical problems and are trying to get to a garage. Maybe they are out for their first drive after a bad accident. Maybe they, maybe they...

The person speeding might just be trying to get a wife in labour to the maternity unit, or a sick child to the doctors. The idiot swerving all over the road might have hit black ice that you haven't seen, or they might be having a heart attack. The guy that you didn't let out at a junction might have more urgent business than you, and so might the guy doing the sneaky 'up the clear lane and squeeze in at
the front' thing.

Most of the above are rather naff examples I know, but it isn't the individual circumstances that I am really talking about. It is just the fact that although we might think we are the most important person on the road other people may have far more urgent business than us. We assume people are simply being a*******s when they do things on the road, but maybe there are other reasons.

The bottom line is really that the roads would be a better place if we were *all* a bit more considerate. Contrary to popular belief *we* might not actually be the centre of the universe while we are behind the wheel. Instead of getting worked up about other people try playing the wee game of 'guess why they done it'. Nine times out of ten the reason will probably indeed be that they are simply being a*******s, but it's always nicer to think that perhaps they *had* to do it.

Whatever the other persons reasons were one thing is for sure, we have two choices. We can either get worked up about it, or smile and give them the benefit of the doubt. Two minutes down the line when they are out of sight we will still be carrying the dregs of whatever choice we made. Isn't it better to have the remainder of a smile on your face rather than the remainder of the smoke coming out your ears? I think so :)

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