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Opinion | Dec 2008 | M.McKennedy

Here in Vermont we get our fair share of snow storms.  The commute to work takes me about forty minutes and most of the drive happens on the interstate.  Every single time there is a snow storm I watch “macho men” in their SUVs (it’s usually men that I see but I am sure there are women out there who drive like assholes too) and pickup-trucks driving seventy miles per hour down the snow covered highway.   Are you one of these morons?  Do the rest of us a favor – SLOW THE “F” DOWN!

Snowy Commute (click for larger image)

Snow storms… you can’t really avoid driving in them living in Vermont.  Vermont drivers…. way too confident in their trucks and SUVs; drive like maniacs in the snow!  No matter how much snow is on the ground they pass in the “fast lane” (I am the one creeping along at forty miles per hour) with a mere foot or two of space between our vehicles and they don’t use blinkers when passing!  (C’mon people, if you are too freakin’ lazy to push on that little blinker lever to communicate with other drivers then you should have your license revoked!)  It never fails that I see at least one vehicle off the road and the result of this is that everyone else behind that person gets stuck in traffic until a wrecker can get there to yank the vehicle out of the snow.

Just because you are in a hurry does not mean the the rest of us deserve to be stuck in traffic because of your poor judgment.  Yes, some people do go way too slow!  Twenty miles per hour in a storm storm (on the interstate) is too slow but I would much rather get stuck behind someone inching along at a snails pace then to end up in the ditch because of some Red Bull infused idiot who can’t keep the petal from hitting the metal!

Speeder Pulled Over (click for larger view)

To the inconsiderate driver: you are not the only person in this world.  Sometimes you behave like you are but really… look around and try to consider the folks that share the road with you.  If you see someone in the slow lane going thirty-five miles per hour you are probably correct in thinking that the person driving might not be having a great time driving on the slippery surface!  If you need to pass, do it safely and put that damn blinker on so other drivers can anticipate your next move and get the hell out of the way when you spin out and off the road!

While I am complaining I need to add one more thing….if you have a pile of snow on your car, van, truck or SUV just take the thirty seconds to clean it off!  Yesterday I was driving on route 89 and an 18 wheeler UPS truck came merging onto the interstate.  As it gathered speed a mass of snow began blowing off the top of the truck and into the traffic behind, which included me!  I could not see a thing for several seconds and neither could anyone else around me.  If this inconsiderate bastard could have just said to himself, “Gee…I think that I will clear the snow off the top of this truck so it doesn’t impair the vision of other drivers.” he could have saved me from a near panic attack as my windshield became covered in a blanket of white while doing fifty miles per hour and a partially snow covered road!

I have one last thing to say – Vermont drivers please slow down in the snow.  If you don’t care about your own life try to at least consider the others around you, maybe we DO enjoy life and don’t feel like sitting in traffic while a tow truck pulls your gas guzzling Ford Explorer out of three feet of snow!  Don’t drive like an idiot!

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