UCLA Alums Should Know Better

So…I was even later to work today than usual…and now I must rant. (I meant to write and post this earlier in the day, but it just didn't happen.)

I woke up on time this morning, and proceded to hit the snooze button until later than my usual panic and get out of bed time. So, I missed my window of low-traffic opportunity. I knew I was going to be late, but was hoping that by some fluke, today would be different and there wouldn't be any slow-downs on Highway 37. All was fine until right before the 2 lanes merged into one, where it is usually a bit slow, because people can't seem to grasp the zipper fashion concept. (It's a miracle they can dress themselves, let alone operate heavy machinery!)

So, we're slow, but moving for a bit…then we all stop completely…for absolutely no reason whatsoever. There's no accident, there's no one stopped on the side of the road. The only different thing about this morning was that there was a colorful hot-air balloon hovering above highway 120. There was no reason that this should have had any effect on traffic, and yet it's the only explanation I can find.

At least I had something interesting to glance at while waiting for traffic to move. Not the guy in front of me though, driving the giant white Oldsmobile with the UCLA alumni sticker on it (I'll bet THEY'RE proud!), who whipped out his newspaper and proceeded to settle back and read behind the wheel…and continued to do so AFTER WE STARTED MOVING AGAIN! Crazy, I tell you. I watched the avid news hound weave from the center of the single lane over to the rumble strip, only to quickly correct the wheel and drift back into place - this happened several times before he seemed to have stopped reading. Now, if any of you have ever driven on Highway 37, you know that there is only about 2 feet of pavement (or so) after that rumble strip dividing you and your car from some nasty marsh-land goo off the side of the road. Seriously, I was just waiting for this guy to go over the side - he was close a few times.

Now, this was really irritating me to begin with, as in my opinion, this man should have his license revoked for being an irresponsible, unsafe driver. What was also killing me was that if I hit this guy, I'D end up at fault, as the one doing the rear-ending. Even though he was not paying attention to the road. I was quite tense, preparing to slam my brakes down if need be. It was irritating enough that I had to mention him to my boss when I called in telling her I was stuck on the highway.

Okay…I think I'm done ranting now…(I know I've had more heated rants…but I've been sitting on this one all day and am not as fired up about it as I was earlier.)

Time to go home and hope that I do not end up behind that same guy again. Ever.