Yesterday I was driving on a residential street that has a designated bike lane. As I rounded the corner an oncoming car was in my lane as she was trying to pass about 40 bicylcists who obviously took up more then a bike lane.
I slowed down.
The white big Land Cruiser behind me seemed to be angry that I had slowed down. I quickly got back up to 35 after hearing a bicyclist yell at the car who was trying to pass them on a blind corner.
My 35 did not seem to satiate the woman behind me now tailgating me. Mind you, the speed limit was 35 and it was a residential street. Finally after many deep breaths, I pulled over and stuck my thumb out the window. As she passed me I shot the peace sign.
Then in the privacy of my car I said "Fucking sweet lady."
I watched her speeding down the road.
I don't know if she was angry at the bicyclists, me or something else going on in her life but I do know she was using her thousand pound vehicle as a potential deadly weapon.
And I thought about something.
What's the difference between that blonde, suburban woman and a young male with a gun walking into a public space and killing people or threatening them?
Yes, I just said that.
Because I'm serious.
A lot of crashes are caused by people tailgating and driving aggressively yet there are little to no repercussions. Remember Laurie's story about her mom being struck and killed by a speeding person texting? He was fined around $175.
You might argue, these are two entirely different situations.
One has malicious intent behind it.
Are you telling me that educated people do not know how dangerous and powerful cars are? That car crashes are the leading cause of death to young people? By far?
Why are we excusing dangerous and sometimes deadly driving?
At the event I was attending another woman told a story of how a mom just the other day, with kids in her car, tailgated her and was driving aggressively.
I have walked my child to school for a year now and most of the people speeding by are moms.
We need to re-examine the punishment that comes when someone is killed by an aggressive driver. Unless we are really going to live in a society where we just accept killing people with cars as acceptable and and "accident."