Thursday, October 1, 2009

selfish drivers


This morning I was driving Tony to school.


I pulled out onto the main road out of neighborhood. There was a small SUV probably a mile or so down the road behind me.


That SUV caught up with me real quick. I also noticed that it was swerving quite a bit.


It would cross over the center lane and jerk back. Stay in between the lines for a couple seconds and then drift over again. It's drifted over to the shoulder of the road a couple times too.


I thought 'Wow is this guy drunk? It's only 8 am!'.

Then we got up to the stop light and I saw that it was a woman and she was applying her make up!


I turned right and she did too. She was obviously in a hurry (duh! she didn't have time to put her make up on at home!) because she drove right on my butt. So close that I was able to watch her apply her concealer (dot, dot, dot around the eyes-- now blend) and she was still drifting all over the road. Then I could see her start on her foundation. She had to slam on her brakes a couple of times because I was breaking. But of course she continued to drive as close to me as possible.


When we lived in Kalamazoo, there was a woman that we drove in front of probably 1 or 2 days a week who, EVERY time we saw her, she would be doing a part of her morning beauty routine. We called her the "Mascara Lady" We witnessed her applying foundation and another time powder. But mascara was probably what we saw her put on most. One day she had one of those cordless curling irons and was actually curling her hair while driving!


Selfishness! That's what it boils down to. Dangerous drivers are only thinking about themselves. Whether it's texting, talking on the phone, putting on make up. They don't care that they are wielding a 2 ton weapon. It's all about what "I" need to do.


Back to my experience this morning. I had to make another turn onto a busy street which the school is on. The speed limit is 45 for about 200 feet then goes down to 20 in the school zone. Because of all the traffic I turned left and was just slowing down to the 20 mph area before she was able to make her turn. I watched her come barreling down that road while applying her mascara, never once slowing down in the school zone. And said to Tony "Oh my gosh she gonna hit the crossing guard and those kids!" I could see her leaned over looking in her rear view mirror with her mascara brush. She slammed on her brakes at the last minute. Maybe she saw them the whole time and drives this way to work everyday.


I don't know but she scared the daylights out of me!


I will be on the look out for her again and will be chasing her down next time. I wish I had done it today!

Those mama bear claws are coming out again!

8 comments:

beth kramer said...

Don't you wish we could do what Speed Racer, among others, did and push a button to release oil or tacks or something to disable her vehicle?!? People are so stupid and reckless with other people's safety. It really, really makes me angry. I hope you see her again and get her tags...send the info to the police...maybe send a video to the local newshounds. I don't know...but there must be a way to get through to her!

SPEAKING FROM THE CRIB said...

seriously, people need to pull their heads out - don't they know we've got precious cargo!

mommyto3kiddos said...

OMG..I would have been freaking out too! Some people should NOT be allowed to drive!

Jessica said...

Scary stuff. I was on the interstate on the way to work one day a few years ago and saw a lady eating a bowl of cereal while driving. That one took the cake.

I have something for you at my blog today...... =)

Unknown said...

People are really scary...I cannot help myself either...as much as I try...I go off about this on my blog all the time, it makes me completely insane. I think I am even more sensitive about it b/c I live across the street from our son's school so I see maniacs all the time, I wish I were a cop I swear! Ticket, ticket, ticket, impound, scream, ticket.....
T.

shortmama said...

That is crazy! People are nuts...seriously the makeup could have waited until she got to work, or do it at home and be a little late for crying out loud....better than risking peoples lives!

Llama said...

I hate when people do this! People get so distracted while driving that you cant tell whether or not something is really wrong or its just them. There was a story over the summer when a women and her two children and three nieces drove the wrong way on the highway killing everyone but one child and two other men in another vehicle...unfortunately she WAS actually drunk and high when she had the accident at 9 AM in the morning. SO SCARY...sorry for the crazy story...but this just reminded me of that...BE CAREFUL!

K A B L O O E Y said...

That is one frightening tale. And the curling iron incident is even worse. (Except she wasn't weaving all over the place.) At moments like these, I always wish for a police car, but never get lucky. Over from SITS, reciprocating your visit and enjoying your blog. I'm going to go browse some more. I also loved the post about the motorcycle from your dad and the Denmark collector that actually existed! (I was surprised, I concede.)