Commuting

Wow! what a beautiful day!! I love days like this - it could be this tempurature all year round!
So, on my commute home today I was thinking about what I would write in my blog, since i have taken a short sabbatical from it recently (mostly becuase all of my posts would have the common theme of "ignorance or idiot - you decide" and I felt like i really didnt want to piss too many people off).
At the same time, I was getting REALLY frustrated with all the other dumb people on the roads.....so that is what my blog is going to be....


THAIS's RULES/OBSERVATIONS/THOUGHTS FOR/FROM COMMUTING
Ok, so for those of you who dont know, I communte approximatly 60 miles a day to and from work - its takes me about 50-60 minutes one way. I USUALLY stick to back roads, as living where I live all of the Major highways are parking lots during rush hours and they just wind up getting me more and more cranky then I already am! Being a commuter, I do what I would presume every other commuter does and try to race the clock to get home....a day when i make it home in record time is like a holiday to me. Also being a commuter makes me want to save every single ounce of gas I possibly can and avoid frequent braking and unneccesary stops/slow-downs.
1. IF YOU CANT NEGOTIATE A TRAFFIC CIRCLE, GET THE F--- OUT OF NEW JERSEY!!!! Im sorry all you non-jerseyians---ok, Inot really sorry....You do NOT stop in the middle of the circle to let people in.....a traffic circle is a traffic "free for all".....it is survival of the fitest so you have permission to drive as aggressively as possible when utilizing the circle. YOU NEVER STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF A TRAFFIC CIRCLE EVEN IF YOU ARE LOST!!! ITS A CIRCLE PEOPLE!!! YOU WILL PASS THE ROAD AGAIN IS YOU MISS IT!! I drive through the WAtchung circle 10 times per week and at least ONCE A week some idiot decides to yield and/or stop in the middle of the circle and alomost always causes an accident or near-accident.
2. DONT GET OFFENDED IF I BEEP MY HORN YOU, as you are probably doing something retarded.
3. YOU CAN GO MORE THEN 5 MPH ON EXIT RAMPS!!!!!! These people are the worst!! YOu get off of 287, where you were doing a cool 85 and the dude in front of you is scared that his Honda wont be able to hand the curve of the exit ramp and then proceededs to slam on his/her brakes and negotiate the ramp at 5 MPH. Listen people, I am not advocating you take an exit ramp at 50 miles per hour ( although my DH was able to take one in my passat at 55 mph once) nor does my ranting and raving apply to wet and/or snowy conditions....However, that being said, most cars these days are desiged to be able to negotiate turns at a decent rate of speed.
This concept also applies to making turns.....you dont have to come to a complete halt to turn your car...
4. GOD GAVE YOU BLINKERS FOR A REASON---enough said.
5. IT IS LEGAL TO TURN RIGHT ON RED IF NO ONE IS COMING!!!! Yes, I understand you have to stop and look both ways...but dont just sit there and wait for the green ---they made that rule for a freakin' reason! Also, please referred back to Rule/Idea #2
6. MIDDLE AGED, WHITE UPPER-CLASS BALDING MALES LOOK RETARDED IN CONVERTABLE SPORTS CARS. Ok so this is just an observation from my commute thorugh morris county....first of all, we know you just bought the car becuase you are going through a mid life crisis and you are compensating for something....but you look dumb. I mean, come on, no one is going to think you are actually 25 again just because you drive a 25 year olds car! Plus, you are going to sunburn your bald spot - white people burn!! That is just inevitable! Then you will look REALLY uncool and old! Also in this catgory is the fact that tube socks should NEVER be pull up to your knees, especially if you are wearing shorts. It just looks dumb.
7. GREEN MEANS "GO". Not a hard concept people...only it is!!! If you are the first person at a red light, it is your DUTY to pay attention and jump the light soon as it turns green, for the benefit of the people behind you (again, refer to rule #2). I dont understnd wht takes people so long to move their foot from the brake to the gas pedal...If it takes your central nervous system and axons that long to react, perhaps you should not be driving.
8. ALWAYS PLAY LOUD COUNTRY MUSIC WHILE DRIVING THROUGH THE GHETTO, and always play ghetto music while driving through yuppie land---AT TOP VOLUME....It is really fun to a) piss people off and b)see peoples reactions.
9. A BIKE IS NOT A CAR. I often encounter this on my commute through the Great Swamp, especilly when the weather is nice. Bikers drive in the car lanes as if they are cars and expect people not to run them over....ok, unless you can bike the speed limit, you should not be in the car lanes....and as an addendum to #6 white upper class, middle aged men (not that i dont love you all) should NOT WEAR SPANDEX - You 're not Lance Armstrong people!
10. THE SPEED LIMIT IS MERELY A SUGGESTION. It really is. Now, I'm not advocating you speed race....However, I feel the "code of the road" dictates you can drive 9 over the limit on back roads and 14 over the limit on the highway with out getting pulled over. And even worst then the people who drive way under the spped limit are the people who drive like 1-2 miles under---you just want to pull your eyelashes out!!!! In addition to this one, I would just like to address people who slow down when they see a cop who has already pulled over someone else----ok, unless you are driving 50mph over the speed limit, dropping bags of heroin out the window , the cop is NOT going to jump bck in his car and chase you!!! It is not neccesary to slow to crawl to drive past him!

OK, now that you all think Im psycho, I must tell you sometimes I think I am...sometimes i feel like cruella devil in 101 dalmations when she is driving her car all sorts of crzy looking for the puppies. However, I always wear my seatbelt and try not to get in to an accident...and i dont drive liek a maniac in bad weather!

I am going to close my blog with another thought---why is gas so freakin' expensive and why dont we have an alternate (and ethonol doesnt count becuase, as far as im concernred, that is a waste of time)that everyone can utilize? I mean, I am honestly starting to doubt we put a man on the moon over this (possibly been hanging out with my patients too much???hmm...). But seriously, if they can "allegedly" launch 3 men in a tin can through our atmosphere into the great beyond and land them thousands of miles away on a moving giant piece of space rock, why can we create a cost-effective alternative fuel source that everyone can afford? Its been almost 200 years since the first effective team engine was built---we havent perfected it yet???
Im no rocket scientist, engineer or even a greenie, but i just dont understand...All i know is $3.45 for a gallon of gas sucks big time!

PS- and for all you people whose answer is "move closer to work" I invite you to help me buy a home and pay the taxes for it in Morris County on a State salary.....because contrary to Corzine's belief, we are not robber-barrons as the public depicts us....and now the state gestapo is REALLY going to come to my house!