Cell Phones

Know how sometimes, when you're at a light, there will be people who want to make a right turn but they can't because you're going straight and you're stopped just a little too far back for them to get to the right-turn ramp? And we all try to pull up as much as possible so that those people don't have to wait through the light, right? It's the ethic of reciprocity, do unto others, and like that.

So today I'm sitting at a light when I notice the guy behind me has his blinker on and is just missing being able to turn by a foot. So I inch up but it's still not enough. Course, that's when I notice that the second car ahead of me has stopped a good two car-lengths behind the next car. And by the way, this light takes forever. You can eat an entire Big Mac and a Happy Meal waiting for this light to change.

So I do the little polite beep of the horn, neep-neep. But the lady is clueless, and I see why: she's talking on her cell phone. So it's a lost cause. She's vaguely aware that something made a little noise outside her car but really, this conversation is so riveting...

Anyway, I give up. Not my problem. I tried.... But wait, her phone call has ended. She wakes up, sees that a battle ship could turn around in the space in front of her, and pulls forward. Victory!

But wait again, the guy in front of me isn't pulling forward. Then I see it, now he's on the phone. It takes him 30 seconds or so but finally he notices and pulls up out of the way. OK, we're good now, I'm right behind him, the ramp is clear.

Well, it's clear, but the guy who wanted to make the turn isn't moving. Why? Come on, by now you know why: he's on the stinkin cell phone. And, he seems to be writing things down.

So, sorry for the long story, but it has a happy ending: It turns out that the vehicle behind the engrossed right-turner was a dump truck that also wanted to turn right, and he wasn't as gentle with his horn. BWAAAAA-BWAAAAAAAAAA! It made my face itch it was so loud. It made the mirrors shake. And with any luck the stopped driver peed himself a little.

I'm going to look into getting a set of those horns.