…And All Of This, Just To Improve Highway Safety

But what they didn’t know was that… 

I never really thought of myself as an aggressive driver, except for a slightly heavy foot and the occasional, “what the fuck are you doing,” I pretty much follow the road rules.  Until, I took this self-assessment that was developed by traffic psychologist Leon James, Ph.D.

Mentally condemn other drivers.

Verbally denigrate other drivers to your passengers.

Close ranks to prevent someone from getting in your lane.

Give another driver the “stink eye” to show disapproval.

Speed past another car or rev the engine as a sign of protest.

Prevent another driver from passing because you’re mad.

Tailgate to pressure a driver to go faster or get out of the way.

Fantasize physical violence against another driver.

Honk or yell out of the window.

Make obscene gestures.

Use your car to retaliate with sudden, threatening maneuvers.

Chase another driver because of a provocation or insult.

Get out of the car and engage in a verbal dispute.

Carry a weapon in the car in case you need it for a driving incident.

Deliberately bump or ram another car.

Try to run another car off the road to punish the driver.

Get out of the car and beat or batter someone after a road exchange.

Try to run someone down who angered you.

Shoot at another car.

Kill someone.

My score:  8

1 to 3: The Unfriendly Zone, mental and verbal acts of unkindness.

4 to 7: The Hostile Zone, visibly communicating resentment with the desire to punish.

8 to 11: The Violent Zone, carrying out an act of hostility in fantasy or deed.

12 to 16: The Lesser Mayhem Zone, epic road rage contained within personal limits

17 to 20: The Major Mayhem Zone, uncontained epic road rage, the stuff of newspaper stories.

That’s right folks, I’m in The Violent Zone.  I fantasize about carrying out acts of hostility and, um… other deeds, on drivers who piss me the fuck off.  So watch out, I just might run you off the road. 

whodathunk…

It Was All Worth $142.00

Today, I had to attend traffic court, for a 15 year old ticket, because the federal legislation requires each state to check the National Drivers Registry prior to renewing a driver’s license.  The NDR gives the names of states where an individual has a license that has been withdrawn.  I was surprised, I couldn’t for the life of me, figure out why my NJ license had been revoked.  It had to be a mistake, right? 

So, I called the number that was on the letter, which was the New Jersey DMV.  They told me that I had gotten a ticket in Pa, the summer of 1993, and that it was for disregarding an electronic signal and that it was 142.00, which I needed to pay Pa not NJ.  Then, after, I settle the score with Pa, I would need to prove that to NJ and pay a 100.00 restoration fee to get back a license, I probably will never use again. 

I called PENNDOT with the summons number New Jersey had given me and that meant nothing to them.  Of course, why would anything in my life be simple?  I called NJ DMV again and this time a different customer service rep led me in the right direction.  It took a couple of days but after going through the archives the nice man in a different department found the original ticket.  He gave me the information, I needed to pay the ticket. 

I was on my way to the district court to pay the ticket and then I realized, if I pay this ticket, I’m admitting guilt, therefore, I will be given the adequate amount of points against my license that goes along with a moving violation, which could possibly effect my car insurance.  When I got to the court the lady in the office couldn’t give me an answer so she suggested, I pay the 7.00 for a hearing and the judge could decide.  It was worth it to me to pay the 7.00 not to have the points on my license.  I was still willing to pay the 142.00, because I really couldn’t dispute a ticket, I had no recollection of.   I thought maybe they might even dismiss the whole thing since it was so old and I was willing to go to court.  My husband said, “No I don’t think so, they’re doing this for the money.” 

I went to court this morning where, I sat in a room full of people where an officer would call each person into a small office to go over how the ticket would be handled.  When, I went in he said, going through the papers, “I don’t know….” 

“That’s because the ticket is 15 years old,”  I interrupted.  He looked at me funny and I proceeded to tell him the story and he said, “Don’t worry about it, I’ll dismiss it and you won’t have to pay anything.” 

Yay me, but of course, I had to be seen in front of the judge so she could make it legitimate. But I didn’t have to pay the ticket.  

It was worth it. 

All of this, just to improve highway saftety….

 

I’ve Been Rejected…Again

Do you remember this picture?  If you don’t, it’s okay, you probably weren’t reading my blog at the time.  Not that you’re reading anything now but that’s beside the point.  

I always stand out no matter where, I go.  Whether it’s having dinner at a restaurant, drinking at a bar or lounging in a beach chair, in the parking lot, of a rest stop.  I always make it known that I’m here and this is me, like it or not.  I make sure of it because I like the attention.  

I guess it stems way back from not fitting in, being part of the in crowd, so to speak.  And in the end, you can get all the attention you want but you’re still not part of that crowd.  

My blog was targeted by the website We Feel Fine searching for the words, I feel or I am feeling.   Although, they didn’t want my words they loved the picture, I displayed in the top right corner of my page.  They left a comment for me to email them and I did.  And then they emailed me and so on and so forth. 

Months would go by and just when, I thought they had forgotten about me, another email would pop up.   The final step was to sign release papers for them to use my picture.  That was back in February.  I just received the last email, telling me that the edit was bigger than they thought and they couldn’t use my picture after all. 

It would have been exciting to open a book and see my picture in it.  It would have made me feel like I fit in somewhere. 

They’re sending me a complimentary book for my cooperation.  I can’t wait to see what I would have been a part of. 

Cause, you know me, I’m all about feelings.