I don't know why, but I have observed that people read the sign
KEEP RIGHT PASS LEFT and apparently translate it as
BLEH AHUGA ISTA MOOO. Or else they see a private message from the highway department that secretly says "Except you, we don't mean YOU. You go ahead and plop yourself in the left or middle lane going 2 miles under the speed limit knowing in your righteous heart that you are obeying the speed limit AND saving gas."
And folks would rather die than let the clueless guy from Canada merge right so as not to miss his exit.
I will say that when CRS and I drove across Illinois and Indiana last fall, we were ASTOUNDED by consistent weird behavior through construction sites. At least half a dozen times we saw signs indicating a lane closed X miles ahead. On the Parkway, that is a signal to prepare for combat. You can either stay in the lane that will remain open and watch in dismay as hundreds of cars race ahead in the lane that will soon close or, with heart pounding, join the crazed mob trying to jump the line. What we witnessed in the midwest, in fairly heavy traffic I might add, was a leisurely and courteous blending of two lanes into one. It required hardly a let up in speed. It was a beautiful thing. And on that trip I never once saw anyone operating a car while also applying makeup, reading the newspaper, nodding off or changing clothes....all of which I've witnessed on the Parkway.And folks would rather die than let the clueless guy from Canada merge right so as not to miss his exit.
Safe driving tip of the day:
In a traffic circle, he with the least expensive car has the right of way.
Every time I come home, I forget how hectic the parkway is. Even if you don't have to be on it for very long, you need to keep alert for illogical behavior.
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