Granny
Gold Member
I'm telling you...I completely lost it today. My first day off was more like a rat race today. Had to get my rent and utilities paid, drop off my time sheet, just pulled a notice from my mail that I needed some time sensitive lab work done prior to a visit with a specialist and today was the last day in the time frame but that could not be done at my doctor's office because I'd need an order from him and it was his day off.
But the problem really goes back further than this. Several months back, city council decided that traffic problems on the main thoroughfare through town were really bad enough - accidents (even though I, myself, had never seen one and had no issues) - to require a speed reduction from 45 to 35. It's just a couple miles through some of the business areas. Nevertheless, I have to drive this highway to and from work and I try to be a good citizen and adhere to the speed limit. The vast majority of other people - I'd say a good 75% of them - who also use this highway - drive at whatever speed they please. And it's really a problem now.
So, today I was in a 45 zone when a dumbfxxxx pulls out of a side street without even bothering to look, cell phone in use, and I slammed my brakes throwing everything on the seat into the floorboard. This jerk just made a u-turn from the side street into a gas station and up to a pump. Of course, Granny being an idiot and doing the very thing I shouldn't have done for reasons of personal safety - I pulled into the gas station and parked on the side, got out of my car and walked up to the pump and jumped on the guy. It was a kid, cell phone still glued to his ear and I said, "Do you realize I almost broad-sided you? You pulled into traffic without even turning your head to see if there was oncoming traffic and you're still on your cell phone!!!!!" He shrugged his shoulders and said, "So what?" So what!!?? Are you kidding me? I told him he needed to be more careful and got back in my car and left.
I was so pissed off, I went directly to the city police department and I had to wait for someone to get there to talk to me. So an officer finally got there .... and I may need to make this a two part post because my daughter just called me to see if I could take her to a car repair place so she won't have to bum a ride to work tomorrow. Mmmmmmmphgh!!
Oh good, that was relatively painless and I can just edit. So I'm talking to this officer about my little run-in and how dangerous the highway was when a few people do 35 and the rest are hauling ass. I asked why they didn't just put up a stop light at this one intersection and said it was no safer to get in and out of there now than it was before. He said, "I know. I was sitting there running radar and ticketing someone doing 82." Well, my eyes popped and I said, "82? That's a 35 zone!" If I want to propose a light at that intersection I need to talk to city counsel.
I told the officer I thought I was witnessing a miracle yesterday when everybody was actually doing the speed limit and I looked several cars ahead and there was an Oak Ridge cop in the next lane. I said if all it took was to get some Oak Ridge cops to block the lanes at the speed limit to bring them on!!! They just come over here to deliver prisoners to the county jail - they don't have any jurisdiction here. NOBODY was attempting to pass that guy! Oak Ridge is notorious for automated speed cameras and stop light cameras and ticketing people left and right. It was a pleasant trip to work yesterday.
But the problem really goes back further than this. Several months back, city council decided that traffic problems on the main thoroughfare through town were really bad enough - accidents (even though I, myself, had never seen one and had no issues) - to require a speed reduction from 45 to 35. It's just a couple miles through some of the business areas. Nevertheless, I have to drive this highway to and from work and I try to be a good citizen and adhere to the speed limit. The vast majority of other people - I'd say a good 75% of them - who also use this highway - drive at whatever speed they please. And it's really a problem now.
So, today I was in a 45 zone when a dumbfxxxx pulls out of a side street without even bothering to look, cell phone in use, and I slammed my brakes throwing everything on the seat into the floorboard. This jerk just made a u-turn from the side street into a gas station and up to a pump. Of course, Granny being an idiot and doing the very thing I shouldn't have done for reasons of personal safety - I pulled into the gas station and parked on the side, got out of my car and walked up to the pump and jumped on the guy. It was a kid, cell phone still glued to his ear and I said, "Do you realize I almost broad-sided you? You pulled into traffic without even turning your head to see if there was oncoming traffic and you're still on your cell phone!!!!!" He shrugged his shoulders and said, "So what?" So what!!?? Are you kidding me? I told him he needed to be more careful and got back in my car and left.
I was so pissed off, I went directly to the city police department and I had to wait for someone to get there to talk to me. So an officer finally got there .... and I may need to make this a two part post because my daughter just called me to see if I could take her to a car repair place so she won't have to bum a ride to work tomorrow. Mmmmmmmphgh!!
Oh good, that was relatively painless and I can just edit. So I'm talking to this officer about my little run-in and how dangerous the highway was when a few people do 35 and the rest are hauling ass. I asked why they didn't just put up a stop light at this one intersection and said it was no safer to get in and out of there now than it was before. He said, "I know. I was sitting there running radar and ticketing someone doing 82." Well, my eyes popped and I said, "82? That's a 35 zone!" If I want to propose a light at that intersection I need to talk to city counsel.
I told the officer I thought I was witnessing a miracle yesterday when everybody was actually doing the speed limit and I looked several cars ahead and there was an Oak Ridge cop in the next lane. I said if all it took was to get some Oak Ridge cops to block the lanes at the speed limit to bring them on!!! They just come over here to deliver prisoners to the county jail - they don't have any jurisdiction here. NOBODY was attempting to pass that guy! Oak Ridge is notorious for automated speed cameras and stop light cameras and ticketing people left and right. It was a pleasant trip to work yesterday.
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