Road Rage

I would like to take back my previous comments about terrible Portland drivers. I still think they are terrible but as Bianca so wisely pointed out, it's not because they drive quickly. They are horrible because they all drive the wrong speed in the wrong lane! The people in the slow lanes drive fast and the people in the fast lanes drive slow which clogs up all three lanes and traps anyone stupid enough to try and change lanes in between the two.

I personally think that it all boils down to an inability to see the big picture and an unwillingness to cooperate. In California if you are three lanes to the left and you realize you need to exit people let you in and go around you while you are being the crazy driver. They are annoyed but they understand that sometimes people screw up and they just go around you. There is no honking or angry gestures, just people taking care of business.

In Oregon, everyone speeds up to block you from changing lanes and then when you finally are forced to run them off the road or slam on your breaks just to get over (even though you've had your blinker on for the last 4 miles), they lay on their horns, flip you off and follow you off the exit 15 miles out of their way just so they can continue bawling you out. Good thing they were the idiots who wouldn't let you over in the first place. It enrages me on a regular basis. I got so angry the other day after a man in a huge truck was giving me a hard time that I drove the wrong way into a one way exit just so I could yell back at him.

Also, I think that truck drivers in Oregon should be arrested for reckless driving. Instead of driving 10 miles under the speed limit in the far right lane like they are supposed to, they spread across the middle and far left lanes (where fast cars like me are supposed to be able to pass them) driving the speed limit and thus effectively block any one's ability and slowing down traffic considerably. They also tend to change lanes without signaling; especially if you are trying to pass them going uphill on a blind curb. ARGH!

I should probably look into alternative methods of travel before I kill someone. Or myself.