A Little Ramble On Rival Drivers, and more

Yesterday, I worked for 18 hours. From 8:41 AM to 2:41 AM I was at Hollywood 27. Several things happened during this day, and I must comment.

First off, Antioch drivers. I could travel the world over and not find worse. There is a section of roads in this area that I mark from Old Hickory Blvd/Bell Rd., Murfreesboro Rd., Harding Place, and Nolensville Rd. as the most mentally grating and enfuriating drives in Nashville. My ire was sparked around 8:35 AM on my way to the theatre travelling north on Nolensville Road and about to enter one of two left turn lanes in order to proceed west on Harding Place. Now, during a stretch between Edmonson Pike and this intersection, the left turn light is green for awhile but it inevitably turns yellow about halfway through this stretch. A small idea pops into my head to try to make it, but it's too far, so I slow down. In my rearview mirror, there is a truck that is absolutely, positively, hauling ass. The light turns red, and is red for nearly three seconds, and this truck gets right on my bumper, squeals over into the lane where you continue to drive on Nolensville Rd., runs the light (this is a huge intersection and there is a lot of middle ground--it's not wise to run these lights, but since he's going about 75 on a 40 MPH road, who cares?), and then, inexplicably, turns around to look at me like I'm the asshole.

Let me tell you guys something. I am a wicked, foul, evil person when it comes to drivers like this. I wish nothing but tempests and plagues on this person. I hope he runs his truck into a telephone pole and flames engulf him, slowly licking his diseased and rapidly charring excuse for a human vessel. Then I hope firefighters can't get the water running and his screams grow louder as he dies. Because people like this don't deserve to live. They endanger me, they are a threat to my existence, and I consider their death cosmic self defense.

What's worse is that in Antioch, these drivers comprise, I estimate, forty percent of the drivers on the road. Everywhere you go, yeah, there's one guy who's an asshole. In Antioch, it's a much higher rate. I had never been hit by anyone until I started living here--now I've been hit twice. Once was a hit-and-run where my passenger side view window got nicked (same intersection) and the assholes didn't stop as they proceeded merrily down Nolensville. I even got a license plate and the cops couldn't do anything with it. Then I got rear-ended on Murfreesboro, even though it didn't appear there was damage (I found out later, my trunk is a little askew).

The other kind of driver here is the person who feels like, any time they can change lanes they believe they will get one step closer to driving their desired speed. You see these people weave to the left lane, and then squeeze over to the right to get in front of one car, and then they don't like that lane so they get back in the left, and pass maybe one more car--the problem with this, especially on Nolensville Road where I see it the most, is that there are 8 stop lights between Old Hickory Blvd and Harding Place. Considering that both lanes usually have ten or more cars ahead of the weaving driver, the act is senseless and stupid. The weaving driver is completely at the mercy of the lights and the cars in front of said weaver. Yet, they continue to do it and don't recognize, that often, people they have tried so hard to pass end up catching up or passing them due to the lights and unpredictability of other cars--and they never make it past the lead drivers, which is where they want to be so that this utopia of desired speed will be reached--which is a fantasy anyway because no matter where they decide to go, there will be more cars, more lights, and the game begins again. What a waste of human space these people are, and they also deserve to be drawn and quartered. Anything that causes them pain and suffering is deserved, but ultimately they must die.

That's my rant about driving.

Second, the Yankees scored a run for every hour I worked yesterday. Boston has thrown in the towel. They can't stop the Yanks, so why try? No one on that team can pitch now. Anyone who goes out there is doomed. Even normally reliable postseason pitchers like Timlin and Wakefield are getting drilled. It will be interesting, no matter who wins the NLCS (currently tied 2-2 after Houston made a great comeback today and Carlos Beltran hitting completely out of his mind) to see the Yanks face off against one of these clashing NL teams in the World Series. If the Astros pull it out, they will have their pitching set up for the World Series. Whoever wins, I want to see the Yanks cry again. Right now, though, the Yanks are clicking very much like the late 90's teams, and that's surprising to me. And scary.