The two kinds of bad drivers

Let me preface this remark by saying that I really don't want this to turn into a traffic blog, or a driving blog (although I love to drive my Miata, and I live in New Jersey, so traffic is always an issue). I have lots of somewhat interesting ideas and insights, about all sorts of things, not just driving. It's just that lately everything I think of to put here seems to involve traffic. I hope it's an aberration. Anyway ...

There are two kinds of bad drivers. OK, there are many specific kinds of bad drivers, but when you get right down to it, there are basically two kinds: Idiots and assholes.

The guy who cuts you off in traffic because he didn't see you in his blind spot? He's an idiot. The guy who sees your car, and cuts you off anyway? Asshole.

Perhaps this applies to many aspects of life, not just driving. Indeed, you might say that when you've been wronged, the important thing is to figure out whether the person who wronged you was being an asshole, or just an idiot. As they say, never attribute to evil what can be explained by incompetence.

And yes, I myself have been an idiot and/or an asshole on more than one occasion.

A New Jersey resident, but not a native

Here's how you can tell if you're a resident of New Jersey, but not a native:

You're coming up on an intersection, and the light turns yellow, with more than enough time for you to slow safely down and stop. But you're sick and tired of getting nailed by every SINGLE freakin' red light, so you hit the gas instead of the brake.

The light turns red well before you get to the intersection, but that doesn't even faze you, you just barrel right through the red light. And you think to yourself, "wow, that was close, I was really pushing the envelope there."

And then you look in your rear-view mirror, and see the 2 cars that followed you through. THOSE guys are natives.

Just a thought

Studies show that newspaper readership is declining.

Maybe the Asbury Park Press will do a five-part investigative series to find out why.