charli's Blog

When did they change the rule?  (Tampa Trib article the other day)  When I was in high school you HAD to take Driver's Ed.  Judging by today's drivers though I imagine the rules changed a few years ago.  Okay, there is the cell phone driver issue... I wish they would make autos equipped with something that would make cell phones useless the minute the ignition is turned on.  But, back to the Driver's Ed subject... on my way home I had 2 drivers make turns without turning on the signals... they were city of Tampa cops turning into the garage downtown... then there were 2 other incidents of people changing lanes and cutting me off, no signals... and they were on cell phones!  AND... one was a school bus!  Then there was this one guy who was weaving in the lane, almost hit the curb... also on a cell phone.  Then, at one intersection, Hillsborough and Highland... people were blocking the intersection.... and one was a cop!  On Hiillsborough I saw a SUV come out of a parking lot and cut across 3 lanes to make a U-turn.... that was after cutting off other drivers, including one that was changing lanes who didn't even use his turn signal!  Then I saw 4 cars make left hand turns after the light had changed and blocking the intersection as traffic was stopped for a bus.  It gets worse... I was behind a young woman in a van with a weird hairdo... she went into the oncoming lane the get into the left hand turn lane and almost hit someone who had waited until he could get into that lane... then cut me off as she decided to go straight instead of turning... then crossed the double yellow line to pass someone making a turn... 2 times!  And then went used a parking lot to make a right hand turn because the light was red and she was 4 cars back.  To make matters worse... she was constantly turning her head to talk to someone in the front passenger seat... and to make matters ever more worse... there were kids in the back seat!

This was at 4:30PM... the drive to work at 6:30AM was just as bad... one driver with his high beams on, another tailgating me (I was driving the speed limit), and then he cut off another car while changing lanes... right hand lane to left turn lane!

I was never so glad to get home!

Maybe they should make everyone take tests every so many license renewals!