Tuesday, August 26, 2008

"Slow down dude!"

I've griped about this before, but I'm going to gripe about it again, and I reserve to gripe about it more in the future.

It happens to me at least once a day. I'm just minding my business, buzzing along in the middle of my lane in a no passing zone. I'm observing the speed limit (either slightly over or slightly under as permissible by PA law), and enjoying the day. Suddenly, some doofus comes screaming up behind me, decides I'm not going fast enough, sits on my tail for a mile or so, then zips past me at a speed well in excess of the limit.

This happened to me today, while I was progressing along Old Oregon Road, just in front of Landis Homes. Some guy in his 50's or 60's did just what was described in the last paragraph. I was moving at about 39 mph (the limit is 40 on that road), so I was not considered a "slow moving vehicle" in that instance by PA law. I was holding to the center of my lane as required by law and yet, he saw a need to get to the stop sign by Oregon Dairy first.

Unsurprisingly, he was still sitting there when I caught up with him with his windows open and two older ladies in the car with him. I pulled up on his right and bluntly stated "If I were driving a car, would you have passed me illegally? Slow down dude!" He sat there for a moment with his eyes bugging out of his head and his mouth open like a carp. Then I turned and buzzed up the drive into Oregon dairy's parking lot. When I last saw him as he passed out of my line of sight about a half a minute later, he was still sitting behind two other vehicles at the intersection. So much for getting ahead by passing a scootster.

Personally, if someone is in that much of a hurry to get someplace, I pity them. Sure, sometimes, getting to your destination is very important, but why should one risk the life of another just to get to a stop sign a little faster? I will take risks with my own life if I have to and I realize that
riding a scooter is a risky proposition, but I do not appreciate when other people think they have a right to endanger my life.

1 comment:

Joe said...

Kudos on speaking up and giving the guy a piece of your mind! I've had that same thing happen, right over the double line on city streets, and it's the pits. I still gripe that they wouldn't do that with an 18 wheeler or a dump truck moving as slowly, but we seem to be free for the picking on our scooters.

-Joe