breakin' the law, breakin' the law

Bet you didn't know, as you're cruising around town in your automobile with no particular place to go, that you are most likely driving illegally.
That means you're breaking the law.
I have to admit, that's been heavy on my mind. The Judas Priest song is running in my head right now.
Obviously.
So, just what are these commonly broken laws of driving? Are you guilty of (ab)using your car as the ton of death machine that it is, like the bad person that struck me?
Are you wanting to be a better driver?
I do.
I hope you do.
I would prefer living in a world where folks try to better themselves.
In the interest of all, here are the ten laws I recently read.
Don't let the highway patrol catch you at fault.

1. It's illegal to text in a car, even if the car is stopped.
Yes, sunshine, even if traffic is stopped for a red light, YOU are not supposed to pull out your phone to catch up on your text messages. You should either pull into a parking lot and stop the car, or call the texter back. (However, if you are not yet 18 years old, you cannot legally use a phone FOR ANY REASON behind the wheel of a car.)
I had been guilty of this, but no more.

2. Neither the driver nor any passenger can have an open alcoholic beverage.
Honestly, I cannot imagine why anyone would think that was legal. I know there are plenty of boneheads behind the wheel of a car, but who doesn't know this law?
I cannot tell you how many times I have made my middle brother finish his beer before getting into my car. He always wants to act like it's a major imposition, too, but there is no way I am breaking the law for him and his alcoholism.

3. You cannot legally drive while wearing headphones in both ears.
Most folks think driving barefoot is illegal, but that has never been illegal here in Georgia.
(I know - that surprised me, too.)
However, if you wear headphones, make sure you only cover one ear. Otherwise, how are you going to hear emergency vehicles?
This law is straight-out common sense, y'all, and no one has an excuse to break it.

4. You must move over one lane not just for police cars, but also for assistance vehicles and garbage trucks.
Yes, indeed, called the "Move-Over Law", YOU need to pull over one lane away for blue lights AND amber lights.
If traffic will not allow you to do so, then you should proceed at least ten miles under the speed limit in your lane of travel.
I have made sure to obey this one.
What about you?

5. A bicycle classifies as a vehicle.
If it has wheels and is on the road, it is a vehicle. Period. That means that a cyclist that opts to ride on the sidewalk is doing so illegally. A cyclist that rides through an intersection by using the pedestrian walkway is doing so illegally.
I have several friends that choose to ride their bikes when they go out drinking. If YOU do that, you are guilty of Driving While Intoxicated and you can expect to go to jail.

6. Headlights must be turned on when driving in rain.
Almost all cars on the road have the daytime running lights, so folks think they're covered for this law.
Not so.
YOU need to turn on your headlights in order to have your tail lights illuminated. Running lights only alert drivers coming toward you or those you are following. But what about all of those drivers behind you and to the side?
Just do it, folks, just do it.

7. If the traffic lights are not working at an intersection, all drivers must regard it as a four-way stop.
Yeah, I can't tell you how often this one is broken, especially by those in large vehicles, like SUV's and pick-up trucks and vans.
Next time, YOU should obey the law.
I'll be taking photos of those who don't.
Seriously.

8. It's illegal to have any part of your tag obstructed from view.
I don't really know how to work this one. Ever since the hit-and-run driver slammed into my car and rearranged my trunk, my trunk lid cannot reach the latch. I have a bungee cord arranged to keep the trunk lid down, taking great care to not block much of my tag. But still... I am only too aware that blue lights may one day pull me over. Maybe I should carry a copy of the police report in my car.
That's a good idea, don't you think?

9. It's illegal to use the center lane to merge into traffic.
I bet YOU didn't know that, did you?
Honestly, I did not either.
That center lane is ONLY for turning left. Even then, you are not to enter the center lane until you are 300 feet from where you will turn left.
300 feet = 100 yards, sports fans.
So, if you enter the center lane more than a football field from your turning goal, you are breaking the law.
I'll keep that in mind... please do the same.

10. It is illegal to stay in the left lane if a faster vehicle needs to use it.
I think of this as the "Autobahn rule", but here is how it actually works.
If YOU are driving the speed limit and traveling in the left lane, you can be pulled over if a faster car is unable to use that passing lane.
Now, then, if your are using the lane for passing, you are expected to vacate and return to the right lane after completing your pass. If not, you can be given a ticket for breaking this new "Slowpoke Law".

Alright, consider yourselves educated and warned.

oh, play me some mountain music

... but please don't make me drive in them very often.
Here's the letter I wrote earlier today to my youngest brother.

Hey, Tony!
My first priority is to write to you today. I did finally dash something short to you at the tail end of last week, but let's catch up, shall we?
That three-day trip of driving in mountains wore me out. Those twisting, curving, rising, falling roads demand constant attention. CONSTANT. People keep saying, 'oh, isn't it so pretty up there?' Well, what little bits and pieces I saw were, indeed, pretty, but as the driver of a ton of death machine, I had few opportunities to admire the view.
It took me two full days, and maybe a piece of a third, to recover. Seriously. I was exhausted.
That said, the trip was well worth all of that! I got to dance to Kevin Costner & Modern West's music (kind of like John Mellencamp, I've been told)! I saw the "new to me" version of the Tennessee Aquarium - both buildings! - and had a fabulous 2 1/2 hour dinner with Stephanie in Monteagle! And, I had a 3 1/2 hour visit with you! :-)
The week I came back was the last week of classes. I gave my last test, graded it, gave it back to the students. That Thursday, May 1, I went to a science nerd banquet to honor my friend Cedric for his 50 years of being a member - wow! Then I got up the next day and went to visit my BFF and her daughter until the morning of Monday, May 5th. We went to the Botanical Gardens, an Anti-Prom dinner (with Morgan and 3 of her friends! great fun!), and their May bellydance show in which they performed a comedy mother-daughter dance!
Fabulous fun!
Okay! I am so glad I did this! Later!
with much love!

ps I even made it back here in time for Deborah & Kimmi's reception!

chasing daylight

The peace Guy caught a ride into town last Friday. One of our mutual friends had gone up to his city to share a concert. She had stayed overnight with him, then visited another friend. When she returned here, she fetched him along. That gave us both a little time to visit, to catch up in person with the events of the past weeks.
On Sunday, I had returned him to his jet city. I cut short my final afternoon with ocean films to fetch him from yet another round of repairs at his rental apartment. Yet, even with a schedule in place, we ended up on the road a little later than planned.
My intention had been to return him in daylight, with no night driving.
That didn't happen.
Even with the days still having much length, the distance to traverse was easily a full three hours, plus a little extra.
Even driving at my speeds instead of his, the distance was not getting covered quickly enough to keep up with the waning of the sun.
Chasing daylight.
It's a favorite phrase of mine when I'm on the road, traveling as far as I can before night falls, hurtling toward an unseen goal hinted at on a map and road signs.
It's also a good euphemism for life, though, is it not?

when i drive myself, my life is found

You know how much i have complained here, repeatedly, about driving and getting lost and completely losing my mind?

Lord, yes!

Excuse me?

You asked, i answered.

The question was rhetorical. I was about to tell you a story and you interrupted me, yet again.

Well, i thought i heard a pause after the question, so i was trying to do the right thing and let you know i was listening. So i responded.

Fine. (sigh.)

Fine. You were talking about getting lost.

So i was. Well, i realized something this weekend about me and getting lost. No, i take that back, zfr my laster.

WHAT?! "ZFR my laster"?

Come now, you've heard me say that before. I could just stop at "zfr", but i've always added the "my laster" for emphasis. As you recall, i was in the communications field in the Navy and "zfr my laster" is radio code for "disregard my last transmission." Okay?

Okay. Why didn't you just stop at "i take that back"? Wouldn't that have been easier than going through all this?

I don't know, i was lost in the moment. And "lost" is what i'm trying to discuss right now.
So, as i was saying, i was driving on Saturday, riding alongside the wave in my world, and the usual event occurred several times: to wit, i kept getting lost. But this time, did i get bent out of shape and rouse the snakes in my head about the situation? Did i rage at events i could not control in the past? No, no, and no. Did my new friend get aggravated at my lack of navigation skills?

(Lifts right eyebrow quizzically, but says naught.)

No, no, he did not get vexed with me as I meandered past my turn-off and had to circle back on not one, not two, but on three separate occasions. THREE. Collectively, the three incidents probably added an hour, maybe ninety minutes, to our trip. But he did not lose his temper with me.

Patience of Job, eh?

No, i don't think that was it at all. We were both busy talking, sharing important life passages and thoughts about friends and tales of old lovers. Not only were we talking, but we were listening, engaging our minds with each other's words. And so we kept getting lost.

Because you were listening to each other. That's your take-home message? You lack the ability to listen and drive at the same time?

Exactly.

Dear one, you are going to have to give me more than that. You are surely not stating that you cannot listen while driving?

Well, that's not quite what I'm saying, but it's close. And it's made me realize something very important, something which will help me both in being a better navigator and in being more forgiving of myself when i do get lost in the future. I can drive and listen, but i cannot read road signs, too.

Yeeeaaahhh. Does this mean the radio needs to be off when you drive?

That's right! You got it! If I'm listening to the music and singing along while keeping my ton of death machine from careening off the road or into other vehicles, then i may as well PLAN on getting lost. 

Seriously. 

This is a BIG realization for me.

And on Saturday, i was driving, and doing it successfully, while he and i were talking. But i was not reading road signs. I was watching the road, meaning that i was paying attention to my car's position ON the road and the correlation between the car's position and other vehicles ahead, beside, and behind, trying to maintain a safe relation and safe speed. And i was listening to - not just hearing - his words. And i was responding, talking to him, sharing important bits of my life and my mind and my heart. And neither of us were watching the road signs for direction and exits and mileage.

We could always get back to where we needed to be. There was always a place ahead to turn around, return to the correct direction. I would have him watch for the sign we sought while i continued to concentrate on safe passage for the two of us. And he would help get us back on track, no snide comments, no signs of exasperation, no impatience. Very nice.

Oh. Oh! Really?

Yes. Saturday was a very nice experience, thanks in large part to him. I am truly fortunate to have him in my life.

That's all very nice, but we were discussing navigation and driving...?

Yes, i guess we were. And where was i? Oh, yes, my inability to do three intensive acts simultaneously. Surely you've noticed before that when i'm driving down a street, looking for a cross street, that i sometimes have to turn off the radio so i can concentrate better on finding the desired street or the designated house on that street?

Sure. You do that trick quite a bit.

Well, i am not the only one who does. Studies have shown that folks sometimes need to limit sensory input from one of the senses to better serve a specific sense. In fact, after reading the story about that study, i started experimenting for myself and found some substance to its claim.
My new findings are an extension of my previous research on the effect of sensory overload on mental comprehension. If my eyes and touch are deeply involved with the act of driving, then my sight is not going to wander far from the road without warrant. And if my ears and mouth are also deeply engaged in activity, then my brain is working on processing that additional input, too, to formulate thought and expression of that thought. There is simply not the ability to process words seen into their definitions, causing exit signs to be overlooked. This is especially true as night falls or in the case of inclement weather, when the interpretation of the inputs from sight and touch become even more vital behind the wheel.
So, the next time i drive with him, i'll ask him to help navigate by watching for the exits or streets we need.
And the next time i'm riding solo, i'll write myself some explicit directions and familiarize myself with them before entering my car... an action i have been doing to fairly good success, though certainly not fool-proof. And should i find myself a fool, lost once more, i will try to find the humor - and i'll turn off the radio and circle back for one more try.