What's The Rush?

People are in such a hurry sometimes. I am more of a laid back type. You can be first if you want to.

I do not like being late. But what I do is leave a little early. That way I know I will be on time.

Then there are the people who are driving and want to be the front car. Okay. Do it. I do not mind if someone passes me. I often drive slightly over the speed limit so I am not holding up traffic. A person can go around me and drive much faster than the speed limit. I just do not care.

I really hate when someone drives up behind me and drives too close to the back of my car trying to make me go faster. I will not do it. As a matter of fact I might go slower.  It depends on my mood.

And forget about honking your horn at me. It only irritates me and makes me more stubborn. Even if you are in a hurry I am not. Wait your turn and go around.

When I was working the midnight shift I went home at the same time that morning rush hour traffic was in full swing. My drive was about 20 miles with all those other cars.

In Detroit the major highways are called expressways rather than freeways. No matter what they are called during rush hour they are packed with cars. Sometimes the cars move along at a steady pace. Sometimes there are problems somewhere and traffic slows. And sometimes there are bigger problems and traffic stops making the expressway a giant parking lot.

One morning I left work and was more than ready to go home. I entered the ramp to the expressway. Suddenly around me zoomed another car! The ramp is only one lane. I was in that one lane. This guy just went around me anyway.

I merged into the traffic. And there was the guy who whished past me right in front of me.

I watched in amusement as he switched lanes right in front of another car. He waited for an opening no matter how slight and jumped into another lane.

I watched him change lanes that way for my whole drive home. He kept jockeying for a new position in front of yet another car. I saw him as a danger to all other drivers on the road because of his recklessness.

Finally I reached the place I needed to exit the expressway. I entered the off-ramp. No one whooshed past me.

As I got to the top of the ramp I saw the red traffic light and prepared to stop.

Guess who was stopped at the same light directly in front of me. You already know it was the guy in such a rush to be first.

And he was... first I mean. He was the first one to stop at the red light. I was second. All that "skillful" maneuvering put him exactly one car ahead... of the car he so carelessly passed on the on-ramp in the first place.

And the lesson is?