This all started last week when I wrote about a driving experience that is more and more common: Meeting up with a soccer mom, or maybe it's a baseball or basketball mom, who's driving that minivan or 2 and a half ton SUV.
I told about having one such mom honk her horn at me at a four-way intersection stop because I hadn't moved fast enough. When the road changed from one to two lanes, she gunned it and screeched past me. A few blocks later I saw the very important destination. She was going shopping at a supermarket.
What's the deal? Is a one-second delay such a big thing? The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that between 1975 and 1998, the number of women in fatal crashes increased by 60 percent. It's true that the number of women drivers went up, but a 60 percent increase in fatal crashes? And this while the number of men in fatal crashes dropped 11 percent.
Here is Laurie Wick, a Bellevue mom whose soccer-driving days are over now that her daughter is in college. Want some reasons why that soccer mom is honking her horn?
"While I don't condone self-indulgent, immature, angry behavior, I believe these women are stressed to the max. A typical day is non-stop rush-rush-rush until they collapse into bed totally exhausted," Laurie told me. "Why aren't the dads doing more of the schlepping kids to their various after-school and evening classes and sports? Or picking up more of the load of running a household, like constant housecleaning, laundry, shopping, cooking?"
Which brings us to that book, "The Bitch in the House: 26 Women Tell the Truth About Sex, Solitude, Work, Motherhood, and Marriage," (William Morrow & Co., 2002).
Editor Cathi Hanauer put it together after late-night Internet chats with other women who'd tell her things like, "I'm fine all day at work, but as soon as I get home, I'm a horror." I'm sure you guys will be rushing to order that book on Amazon.com., because guys love reading about how women really feel.
A divorced mom e-mailed this: "Next time you write about soccer moms and road rage, write about their kids being orphans ... victims of divorce ... "
Here is Ann Smith of Graham, another former soccer mom, divorced, who has an extended family at home. She remembers what it was like "trying to survive on my meager salary, always one step ahead of the bill collectors."
Aggressive driver? Ann said that's her. Now she's helping raise her grandkids. "With football practice, missed buses, picking up and dropping off friends, and grocery stops, I find myself always in a hurry. So when I get behind some guy in his pick-up truck, going the speed limit, with nowhere to go except to work, I find myself passing him at the first opportunity!" she said. "The most irritating are guys in the morning, driving like they have all day to get there."
You know, I've met Ann, and she's a very nice, seemingly calm woman. I also happen to own an old pick-up, and I do drive the speed limit, so I'm planning to get to know Ann's driving schedule and stay out of her way.
Let's continue with our resentment list.
Here's a Mill Creek woman reader with her explanation about the soccer mom's hectic schedule, and the ensuing road rage:
"I also believe that Society's Working Moms put pressure on the Stay At Home Mom to prove that she's actually 'doing something' during the day and not just sitting around watching soap operas and eating bonbons.
"Thumb your noses at these Working Moms! They're just jealous that they've chosen not to do the same because they want more expensive clothes and a 'better' lifestyle. Don't burden us with your guilt!"
Oh, the resentment, the resentment.
"You really don't get it, do you?" a mom/software developer asked me. It's all about power trips, she said, and by printing comments from SUV owners, "you, my friend, help fuel it by providing these arrogant snobs with an arena in which to show off."
She had a few more things on her mind about SUV women drivers: "Nevermind that these moms are busy, even though most of them are elite members of that perfect 'stay-at-home' group. We who drive modest cars and actually have a job AND kids (so I guess I have two full-time jobs, uh?) are a whole lot busier, but we somehow manage to go about our busy day without mowing down everyone else on the road."
I started thinking that maybe I should start taking the bus everywhere. Then I heard from a bus driver. He told me about merging onto the freeway when a woman in her SUV accelerated so the bus wouldn't get in front of her.
"This woman went totally out of control by swerving from lane to lane, flipping me off, and this from a woman who appeared in her 30s," the driver said.
So, that's today's traffic report, which concludes with this question for you drivers, men and women:
What's wrong with a little peace, love and understanding? On the highways, plenty, I guess.
And it's only Monday!
Musings from a variety of people from Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
6/28/2004
I Totally Agree with Vito
Re-posted from The Haverford Blog
Vito Corleone
Guest
Idiot Unsafe Drivers
« on: Jun 2, 2004, 8:39pm »
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I didn't know what thread this would fit into, so I decided on the "Hall of Shame"
It concerns me that I see numerous situations of very dangerous driving within the township. People blowing stop signs with blatant disregard (even w/kids present on the street) speeding all over the place (I've seen vehicles as of late on Darby Rd before the Skatium reaching 50 mph in a 35 zone) drivers ignoring one way streets (as my street is w/kids present)
I know that our police dept is quite busy writing up drivers quite frequently but there is a real need for more aggressive enforcement.
At the rate of being flamed (I really don't care though, this is the truth) I see quita lotot of "Housewives" driving around in over sized SUV's and family vans who are on cell phones gabbing away and are completely distracted from what's going on with the road in front of them (some even have 3 or 4 kids in the car and a dog while still gabbing on the phone!) yet they gab away on the cell phone and are not fully aware of what they are doing behind the wheel.
How about this, anyone else care to get in on the horrible drivers in and around Haverford Twp? There are plenty of them, all accidents waiting to happen.
I can relate to the Soccer Moms barreling down the road gabbing on their "cell phones". As an electrician based in Havertown, (Bellemead AveToto be exact)I get so pig biting mad at these women. Furthermore, just try to pull into the WAWA at Darby & Manoa Rds. They cut in front of you, are rude, and best of all they think their hot shit and that they have a bigger vehicle than you attitude. Basically what I'm saying is Women driving SUV's should be BANNED from the road. Give em' a Ford Taurus or something!
In Defence of the ladies, I came across this:
Today, in two or three minutes of your reading time, we will cover the resentment and rage of soccer-mom drivers; the resentment between stay-at-home moms and moms who work outside the home; the resentment of divorced moms; the resentment of small-car drivers against SUV drivers; and we will consider the advice of one woman reader, who told me to get the book, "The Bitch in the House," and get a clue.
This all started last week when I wrote about a driving experience that is more and more common: Meeting up with a soccer mom, or maybe it's a baseball or basketball mom, who's driving that minivan or 2 and a half ton SUV.
I told about having one such mom honk her horn at me at a four-way intersection stop because I hadn't moved fast enough. When the road changed from one to two lanes, she gunned it and screeched past me. A few blocks later I saw the very important destination. She was going shopping at a supermarket.
What's the deal? Is a one-second delay such a big thing? The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that between 1975 and 1998, the number of women in fatal crashes increased by 60 percent. It's true that the number of women drivers went up, but a 60 percent increase in fatal crashes? And this while the number of men in fatal crashes dropped 11 percent.
Here is Laurie Wick, a Bellevue mom whose soccer-driving days are over now that her daughter is in college. Want some reasons why that soccer mom is honking her horn?
"While I don't condone self-indulgent, immature, angry behavior, I believe these women are stressed to the max. A typical day is non-stop rush-rush-rush until they collapse into bed totally exhausted," Laurie told me. "Why aren't the dads doing more of the schlepping kids to their various after-school and evening classes and sports? Or picking up more of the load of running a household, like constant housecleaning, laundry, shopping, cooking?"
Which brings us to that book, "The Bitch in the House: 26 Women Tell the Truth About Sex, Solitude, Work, Motherhood, and Marriage," (William Morrow & Co., 2002).
Editor Cathi Hanauer put it together after late-night Internet chats with other women who'd tell her things like, "I'm fine all day at work, but as soon as I get home, I'm a horror." I'm sure you guys will be rushing to order that book on Amazon.com., because guys love reading about how women really feel.
A divorced mom e-mailed this: "Next time you write about soccer moms and road rage, write about their kids being orphans ... victims of divorce ... "
Here is Ann Smith of Graham, another former soccer mom, divorced, who has an extended family at home. She remembers what it was like "trying to survive on my meager salary, always one step ahead of the bill collectors."
Aggressive driver? Ann said that's her. Now she's helping raise her grandkids. "With football practice, missed buses, picking up and dropping off friends, and grocery stops, I find myself always in a hurry. So when I get behind some guy in his pick-up truck, going the speed limit, with nowhere to go except to work, I find myself passing him at the first opportunity!" she said. "The most irritating are guys in the morning, driving like they have all day to get there."
You know, I've met Ann, and she's a very nice, seemingly calm woman. I also happen to own an old pick-up, and I do drive the speed limit, so I'm planning to get to know Ann's driving schedule and stay out of her way.
Let's continue with our resentment list.
Here's a Mill Creek woman reader with her explanation about the soccer mom's hectic schedule, and the ensuing road rage:
"I also believe that Society's Working Moms put pressure on the Stay At Home Mom to prove that she's actually 'doing something' during the day and not just sitting around watching soap operas and eating bonbons.
"Thumb your noses at these Working Moms! They're just jealous that they've chosen not to do the same because they want more expensive clothes and a 'better' lifestyle. Don't burden us with your guilt!"
Oh, the resentment, the resentment.
"You really don't get it, do you?" a mom/software developer asked me. It's all about power trips, she said, and by printing comments from SUV owners, "you, my friend, help fuel it by providing these arrogant snobs with an arena in which to show off."
She had a few more things on her mind about SUV women drivers: "Nevermind that these moms are busy, even though most of them are elite members of that perfect 'stay-at-home' group. We who drive modest cars and actually have a job AND kids (so I guess I have two full-time jobs, uh?) are a whole lot busier, but we somehow manage to go about our busy day without mowing down everyone else on the road."
I started thinking that maybe I should start taking the bus everywhere. Then I heard from a bus driver. He told me about merging onto the freeway when a woman in her SUV accelerated so the bus wouldn't get in front of her.
"This woman went totally out of control by swerving from lane to lane, flipping me off, and this from a woman who appeared in her 30s," the driver said.
So, that's today's traffic report, which concludes with this question for you drivers, men and women:
What's wrong with a little peace, love and understanding? On the highways, plenty, I guess.
And it's only Monday!
This all started last week when I wrote about a driving experience that is more and more common: Meeting up with a soccer mom, or maybe it's a baseball or basketball mom, who's driving that minivan or 2 and a half ton SUV.
I told about having one such mom honk her horn at me at a four-way intersection stop because I hadn't moved fast enough. When the road changed from one to two lanes, she gunned it and screeched past me. A few blocks later I saw the very important destination. She was going shopping at a supermarket.
What's the deal? Is a one-second delay such a big thing? The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that between 1975 and 1998, the number of women in fatal crashes increased by 60 percent. It's true that the number of women drivers went up, but a 60 percent increase in fatal crashes? And this while the number of men in fatal crashes dropped 11 percent.
Here is Laurie Wick, a Bellevue mom whose soccer-driving days are over now that her daughter is in college. Want some reasons why that soccer mom is honking her horn?
"While I don't condone self-indulgent, immature, angry behavior, I believe these women are stressed to the max. A typical day is non-stop rush-rush-rush until they collapse into bed totally exhausted," Laurie told me. "Why aren't the dads doing more of the schlepping kids to their various after-school and evening classes and sports? Or picking up more of the load of running a household, like constant housecleaning, laundry, shopping, cooking?"
Which brings us to that book, "The Bitch in the House: 26 Women Tell the Truth About Sex, Solitude, Work, Motherhood, and Marriage," (William Morrow & Co., 2002).
Editor Cathi Hanauer put it together after late-night Internet chats with other women who'd tell her things like, "I'm fine all day at work, but as soon as I get home, I'm a horror." I'm sure you guys will be rushing to order that book on Amazon.com., because guys love reading about how women really feel.
A divorced mom e-mailed this: "Next time you write about soccer moms and road rage, write about their kids being orphans ... victims of divorce ... "
Here is Ann Smith of Graham, another former soccer mom, divorced, who has an extended family at home. She remembers what it was like "trying to survive on my meager salary, always one step ahead of the bill collectors."
Aggressive driver? Ann said that's her. Now she's helping raise her grandkids. "With football practice, missed buses, picking up and dropping off friends, and grocery stops, I find myself always in a hurry. So when I get behind some guy in his pick-up truck, going the speed limit, with nowhere to go except to work, I find myself passing him at the first opportunity!" she said. "The most irritating are guys in the morning, driving like they have all day to get there."
You know, I've met Ann, and she's a very nice, seemingly calm woman. I also happen to own an old pick-up, and I do drive the speed limit, so I'm planning to get to know Ann's driving schedule and stay out of her way.
Let's continue with our resentment list.
Here's a Mill Creek woman reader with her explanation about the soccer mom's hectic schedule, and the ensuing road rage:
"I also believe that Society's Working Moms put pressure on the Stay At Home Mom to prove that she's actually 'doing something' during the day and not just sitting around watching soap operas and eating bonbons.
"Thumb your noses at these Working Moms! They're just jealous that they've chosen not to do the same because they want more expensive clothes and a 'better' lifestyle. Don't burden us with your guilt!"
Oh, the resentment, the resentment.
"You really don't get it, do you?" a mom/software developer asked me. It's all about power trips, she said, and by printing comments from SUV owners, "you, my friend, help fuel it by providing these arrogant snobs with an arena in which to show off."
She had a few more things on her mind about SUV women drivers: "Nevermind that these moms are busy, even though most of them are elite members of that perfect 'stay-at-home' group. We who drive modest cars and actually have a job AND kids (so I guess I have two full-time jobs, uh?) are a whole lot busier, but we somehow manage to go about our busy day without mowing down everyone else on the road."
I started thinking that maybe I should start taking the bus everywhere. Then I heard from a bus driver. He told me about merging onto the freeway when a woman in her SUV accelerated so the bus wouldn't get in front of her.
"This woman went totally out of control by swerving from lane to lane, flipping me off, and this from a woman who appeared in her 30s," the driver said.
So, that's today's traffic report, which concludes with this question for you drivers, men and women:
What's wrong with a little peace, love and understanding? On the highways, plenty, I guess.
And it's only Monday!
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This afternoon, a lovely fellow – 45-50 years old, yellow teeth, white thinning unwashed hair -- in a shiny white BMW ran me off my own street because I was driving 23 mph in a 25 mph zone. He screamed (and I apologize for this, but to get the full effect, you must know what he screamed), “Fucking whore! You fucking whore! I’m going to kill you! Get out of my fucking way, you fucking whore! You can’t just drive 25, you fucking whore!” How obeying the posted speed limit makes me someone who sells her body on the street, I still have yet to fathom. But this kind of thing happens every day on our street.
ReplyDeleteI live on a lovely, tree-lined avenue in Springfield with beautiful homes. Children walk to the grammar school, to the local swim club, to several parks ... and everyone in Delaware County cuts through throwing their garbage all over our lawns, blasting their radios, ignoring our stop signs, honking their horns.
The sign on the street says “No Trucks,” yet men drive their work vans, construction equipment, and yes, even 18 wheeler beer and soda trucks down it all day. The signs say “25 MPH,” yet obnoxious soccer moms on their cell phones routinely drive 45 (I borrowed our local Little League coach’s radar gun that he uses for pitchers and spent an hour clocking motorists – not a single driver was doing under 35). Young punks and baby boomers who think altering their motorcycles’ mufflers makes them cool race down our street after dark, waking our sleeping children.
Three families in our neighborhood have moved out of the county in the last 6 months because of this “wild west” environment. And a family up around the corner moved out of the state because their car was totaled IN THEIR OWN DRIVEWAY by a speeding maniac and no one cared.
I don’t ignore the speed limit when I drive down your streets. I don’t throw garbage on your lawns. I don’t honk at your stop signs. I don’t blast my radio. I don’t squeal my tires or rev my engine. I don’t scream obscenities out my window at you. When I drive through your neighborhoods, I have a responsibility to be a courteous driver, to respect your homes and families, and that’s exactly what I do.
Why do you do this to us?