My top five pet peeves vs. motorists

I have been driving for so many years now- and to this day, I am amazed at how some motorists negotiate the road without much thought or common sense. Everyday, i internally rage on my way to work (a good 24 kilometers, one way) on how some people can just drive the way they do- without respect for rules or much more, other motorists on the road. So, as objectively as I can, here are the Top Five Things I Hate About Motorists in Metro Manila.

1. Motorists who don’t use signal lights

I have experienced it a thousand times over. Me, tailing a car- thinking that he/she would go straight-  only for the driver in front of me  to click his left signal as soon as the stop light turns green. So you find yourself at his mercy. If only he’d signaled earlier, that would give me ample space and time to decide if I should stick or change lanes. Also, you really need to use your hazard lights when necessary. This does not only apply for emergencies, but also when you’re lost or are driving and looking for a particular place.  This will give the driver behind you the signal to stay cautious of your moves.

2. Motorists who swerve

Swerving actually causes a lot of accidents. One must have the decency to stick to his/her lane! And motorists must be able to know well ahead of time if they are to turn left or right- so they can cue up on the right lane. (And this holds true, even if they have to wait patiently for the slow driver in front of them.)

3. Motorists who occupy two lanes

Simply said, if you have one car, then your car should just occupy one lane (unless you’re over-taking). There is no rule that says you should stay in the middle and occupy both lanes. Remember, the road was not built for you and you alone.

4. Motorists who drive soooo slow

Okay, people may think that motorists who drive fast are dangerous, But do you know that driving slow is a thousand times more dangerous? Not to mention more annoying? One cannot equate being slow to being more cautious. It just means that a person is slow in reading and observing what’s happening on the road.

5. Motorists who only think of themselves when parking

Don’t you just hate it when you see a parked car enjoying all the space in the world- leaving no space at all for anyone else to park? You see this in streets with parallel parking (they leave so much space in front and behind them to spare themselves the hassle of steering the wheel when they need to drive off).  You also see this in malls and public parking spaces- even those with parking lines clearly painted on the pavement (yes, they cross the lines or park diagonally even when the lines are straight). I guess they haven’t heard of the saying which goes “anything worth doing is worth doing well”.