so i just finished writing my last exam for my last summer course. that's all neat.
the story starts while getting to my apartment downtown.
the story starts while getting to my apartment downtown.
east bound rush hour on the 417 starts at about 3:30 pm, like clockwork. everytime. it's not jammed ass on ass but it's not exactly easily maneuverable. it's what i would call tense traffic. something you'd have to turn down the radio for and tell your co-driver to shut up for. i was in the middle lane and things were closing up ahead and i saw a small older (by this i mean utterly crappy) sedan blink past me going at least 150kmph. now, the cars up ahead are slowing down fast, this lane is closing up and this driver decides to cut me off, deek back into the fast lane and keeps doing this to make up time. it was a young woman driving (this post is NOT about female drivers, ya'll tend to do just fine by me.) so i immediately thought "young driver" and then connected it to "idiot".
then i asked myself: "am i a good driver? am i safe driver?" not really. not really when i and you think about it. as the traffic slowed to a near halt i broke it down for myself in my head.
we hear stories of kids our age (early 20s) dying in god awful car accidents and it is really sad. but i don't find it sad because i'm thinking of the families (i'm not an awful person that's obviously sad just bear with me) i think it's sad because we actually think we are in control when we drive the way we drive. let's break it down some more.
if you are flying down a highway at over 100kmph with one hand on the steering wheel the only thing you are mildly in control of instantly is the direction your vehicle will be going at 100kmph. your stopping distance is huge. last year there were dozens of cases in ottawa alone of teens getting killed because of texting and driving. do we actually think that we can formulate a response to even the most simplest of messages using the cognitive processes of our brains while at the same time attempting to commandeer an object that weighs over a metric ton that is travelling at speeds unreachable by our own two feet? while being in control? are we THAT sad? this isn't doable. safely, that is.
hell yeah, i'm guilty. late at night, the last open stretch, i'll check my phone. i'll fire off a few words while driving. i get that. if you feel you have to do it, there's a time and place.
the bottom line of this is guys...from one of you to..well one of you: don't be an idiot behind the wheel. i'm not talking about blasting your favorite tunes on an open (keyword fucking OPEN) highway with your bestfriend. that's alright. or shooting down the highway (hint i mean a fucking OPEN highway) late at night and ungodly speeds. there is a time, there is a place.
just don't think you can floor it in a 40 zone, get up to 70 and think you'll be able to stop at the stop sign line that has someone crossing infront of it in time. don't think you can be drunk and drive safe. do not think for a fucking second you can have that much of inhibiting substance in your system and be able to perform at the same level that you were hours before. there is no time and place for that. do not fuck around with booze and cars. i have had a bottle of wine to myself and driven home the same night. that is definitely not cool, but i can promise you (and i have people to vouch on this) i wait hours before driving back, which is usually waking up incredibly early to do so. the alcohol is still in my system and enough to get me nailed if tested, but it's not messing with my senses. if you are drunk and driving, and i am in that vehicle, you will be dead to me, regardless of whether or not that trip ends our lives (WOW that was intense to type).
then i asked myself: "am i a good driver? am i safe driver?" not really. not really when i and you think about it. as the traffic slowed to a near halt i broke it down for myself in my head.
we hear stories of kids our age (early 20s) dying in god awful car accidents and it is really sad. but i don't find it sad because i'm thinking of the families (i'm not an awful person that's obviously sad just bear with me) i think it's sad because we actually think we are in control when we drive the way we drive. let's break it down some more.
if you are flying down a highway at over 100kmph with one hand on the steering wheel the only thing you are mildly in control of instantly is the direction your vehicle will be going at 100kmph. your stopping distance is huge. last year there were dozens of cases in ottawa alone of teens getting killed because of texting and driving. do we actually think that we can formulate a response to even the most simplest of messages using the cognitive processes of our brains while at the same time attempting to commandeer an object that weighs over a metric ton that is travelling at speeds unreachable by our own two feet? while being in control? are we THAT sad? this isn't doable. safely, that is.
hell yeah, i'm guilty. late at night, the last open stretch, i'll check my phone. i'll fire off a few words while driving. i get that. if you feel you have to do it, there's a time and place.
the bottom line of this is guys...from one of you to..well one of you: don't be an idiot behind the wheel. i'm not talking about blasting your favorite tunes on an open (keyword fucking OPEN) highway with your bestfriend. that's alright. or shooting down the highway (hint i mean a fucking OPEN highway) late at night and ungodly speeds. there is a time, there is a place.
just don't think you can floor it in a 40 zone, get up to 70 and think you'll be able to stop at the stop sign line that has someone crossing infront of it in time. don't think you can be drunk and drive safe. do not think for a fucking second you can have that much of inhibiting substance in your system and be able to perform at the same level that you were hours before. there is no time and place for that. do not fuck around with booze and cars. i have had a bottle of wine to myself and driven home the same night. that is definitely not cool, but i can promise you (and i have people to vouch on this) i wait hours before driving back, which is usually waking up incredibly early to do so. the alcohol is still in my system and enough to get me nailed if tested, but it's not messing with my senses. if you are drunk and driving, and i am in that vehicle, you will be dead to me, regardless of whether or not that trip ends our lives (WOW that was intense to type).
i'm guilty for sure. i am not untouched by anything i write about, and i'm not writing this right now to try and freak you out or tell you you're a shit driver or not. this is just how it is. regardless of how cautious YOU are , there are people like me/us out there you won't be giving 100% attention.
so to that incredibly stupid driver today: what you were doing was the equivalent of running down a hallway that has a football match happening in it with explosives strapped to your body. if you fucked up one hairy ass lane change by millimetres people would have no doubt gotten killed.
so fuck you, and fuck people like us.
cheers,
team zissou
RSS Feed