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.