It's not a good idea to try to make up time on the
road when you are late. We once called this behavior "pressure driving."
Pressure driving is characterized by speeding, sudden and multiple lane
changes, cutting other drivers off, tailgating, or going on private property
or off the road to get around obstacles or slower drivers. In short, it's
acting in an intimidating manner toward other drivers. It's an example
of human beings at their worst (my opinion).
In some places, it can also be a criminal act.
In my state, most traffic offenses are civil, meaning they are
handled in court more informally, and you cannot be arrested for them.
Criminal acts can result in arrest and detention, and they are handled
by attorneys in more formal court proceedings. What driving instructors
used to call pressure driving is now called "aggressive driving"
under Arizona law, and it is a serious criminal offense.
What's the point, anyway? In most cities, on city
streets or boulevards, the traffic lights are "timed." For example,
in theory, if a street is timed at 45 mph, and you start from a new green
light, accelerate promptly to 45 mph and hold that speed, provided you
have no traffic in front of you, you would hit every succeeding light
green for as long as the street remains "set" at 45 mph. This
also means that if you drive faster than 45 mph, you will encounter almost
every red light that is possible on that street! It is therefore almost
impossible to make up time on city streets -- you might make it through
one light, but after that you're going to hit a lot of red ones. Traffic
considerations on city expressways also limit how much time you can make
up when you are in a hurry.
It is far better to allow yourself an early start
so you can get to your destination without having to rush. When that's
not possible, and you are unavoidably late, or traffic is extraordinarily
snarled, then relax and recognize that getting impatient and making driving
errors that may cause you to have a collision won't really save you any
time. If you're going to be late anyway, does your boss really care if
it is seven minutes or nine minutes? Late is late, so there's no point
in getting more stressed about it.
I don't know about you, but I've done some really
stupid things behind the wheel when I've been in a hurry. If I'm ever
rude to someone, it's going to be in those circumstances where I'm rushed
or impatient and someone does something that causes me to lose a few seconds.
Over many years of driving, I have regularly seen that even though someone
passed me in a huge hurry, they don't often get anywhere. I'm usually
still right with them when they take that off-ramp or make a turn, miles
down the road -- or when they reach that next red light. So for me, it
makes sense to practice being patient. Since I have to share the road
with YOU, I obviously hope you feel the same way.
Keep it between the fence posts!
<Rule
42: Exercise Prudent Courtesy
Rule 44: Make Allowances for Your Physical Limitations>
