Taking Turns at the Garage

Remember back in school when you had to wait in a long line of kids to get anything done? You know that even after growing up, you still have to do that, right? Yet, there are a lot of people who are extremely impatient, and even believe that they don't need to wait in line. Maybe they're actually too important to wait in line and should be able to skip it. Some amusement parks even have VIP lines where those with the cash can get a special card to skip the long lines for the working stiffs.

The parking garage where I work has two gates that are side by side. You pull up, put your card in front of the scanner, and it opens the gate. My general impression of the system is that the right gate is to go up the ramp and the left gate is to turn left once you get in to the down the ramp into the basement area. This second gate would also be used for load balancing the entry point so if you have a lot of cars, both gates can be going simultaneously so that there isn't a line backing up to the main road. However, at the time when I arrive, there is no need for load balancing because there's no line.

But inevitably, when I am on the ramp side, someone pulls into the basement side, their window down and hand hanging out with their access card in hand. Their impression is that this weirdo in the ramp lane will not be as fast as they are and they can get the jump on me to get up that ramp first ... at 5 mph. Obviously, because I was there before they arrived, my gate opens first and in I go, and they try to whip in first and fail, ending up "stuck" behind me. Oh darn. Maybe he's afraid I'll take "his" space.

To be fair, there have been quite a few times, the parking garage tailgater was a woman. I wouldn't want to discriminate and say men are the only sex that is completely selfish while driving, would I? Everyone is equally capable of being a jerk to their fellow human on the road and in the parking garage.

Seriously, though, this is a parking garage. It's not a race to see who can get in first, yet some people think that life is a big race. Just this morning, I was cruising along the highway to get to work (at or about the posted speed limit), and I saw a truck who had just entered suddenly nail the gas to pass me to settle in front of me (instead of taking the quite ample amount of space behind me in the same lane). That car length was important, just like that one car length to get up in the parking garage. I've had people go so far as to pass me on a two-laned road to get that one car length only to take the next turn into a gas station. The one car length could not have been that beneficial to their time.

I can only imagine that these people have stress lines on their foreheads, and lead a generally very angry and migraine-filled life, and they cannot figure out why they're so stressed and tired all the time. Easy solution to the problem. Drive like I drive (because I am a human archetype, of course).

I approach driving with a two fold understanding of the process. First, I cannot control anyone else on the road. They're going to go as fast or as slow as they go, and no matter what I do, I won't be able to get to my destination any faster than those other people can get there. Therefore, I chill out and drive behind them at whatever speed they happen to go. Now, if they go 25 in a 50, I'll likely get around them, but I usually just set the cruise for the speed limit, chill out, and let it ride while listening to the radio. It's nice. Second, everybody is trying to kill me. I don't trust anyone on the road, and I watch them all constantly. Setting that cruise frees up my mind to watch the rest of them with my foot hovering over the brake just waiting for someone to get out of line.

I've only had one accident since 1997, and that was because I was late for work, and not paying attention while trying to get there faster than (let's face it) I actually could get there. It wasn't my fault because the guy ran into me, but if I'd followed my own rules, it would not have happened.