posted June 5, 2008 9:20 AM PDT

Traffic School

So I was lazy and didn't sign up for the internet course within the two week time frame I was given. No big loss... I ended up not having to spend the $15 for the internet class, and they just automatically enrolled me into a 4 hour class at the local community college.

In retrospect I think I preferred actually going to the class. Don't get me wrong, I didn't learn a damn thing. I know how to drive safe, I just choose not to do it on occasion. Well this guy actually did a good job of making me think about the ramifications of doing that. And it wasn't through guilt, or shame, or judgment. He used facts, statistics, and physics. I appreciated it.

If I'm being honest, I don't speed that often. If I am driving above the limit, I'd say 95% of the time it's just because I'm keeping up with traffic. If every other driver on the road is driving five over, it's actually safer to match their speed than go the posted limit. People who get stuck behind you see everybody else going faster, and get pissed off... that sets off a chain reaction of aggressive driving that is dangerous. Being a speed limit baron is actually considered passive aggressive driving. Might as well tape a note to your car that says "Um, if you wouldn't mind, some of us like to drive the legal speed limit. And stop drinking my milk. I bought it for me, not you. -kthx!"

That other 5% of the time, I'm either just being a prick, or find myself driving on an open road and not checking my speed. When I got caught, it was the latter. I used to drive like a typical speed freak jagoff... but after I was in my last accident seven years ago (I was a passenger, and it was the other driver's fault anyway) I just take it a lot safer behind the wheel... I got a concussion from that one, and a nice two inch scar on my forehead.

What made me drive safer at the time was the fact that if the woman who hit us had been going any faster, I would have died or seriously wounded. She T-boned the car I was in on the passenger side at about 30mph. My head collided with the side of the car (no help from the belts) at the same speed. I'm actually lucky that all I got was a concussion. I did see her coming, and leaned towards the left a bit, so maybe that helped.

But I digress... Point is, I think I appreciated the in-class experience a lot more. If I had just taken the online course, chances are I would have just sped through the material and not gained anything. This guy last night presented the course material in a very successful way, I have to say. It probably helped that he was extremely passionate about it because his daughter was almost killed in a head-on five years ago. The guy owned and operated his own executive jet company, and totally did not need to do it for the money. Respeck.

Oh, and totally serendipitous... I knew one of the guys in the safety videos. I thought it was him the second I saw him, but as soon as he laughed I knew. The guy's got a very distinctive laugh. They mounted a camera in his car, and he pretended to be an aggressive and dangerous driver. I say pretended, because I know him to actually be one of the safest drivers out there. Not because he cares about being safe, but because he's SUPER cheap and knows that aggressive driving consumes 20% to 30% more gas driving the same distance.

last updated June 5, 2008 9:43 AM PDT