Stupid Drivers: Take Two

If anyone were to ask me what my biggest pet peeve is, I would most likely tell them it is crazy/stupid drivers. I have this amazing lack of patience when I drive and I believe it's all because people are - quite possibly - INSANE!! Take last night for instance:

I was driving down the road and in front of me was a lady in a tan Toyota Corolla who was going about 30mph. The speed limit on that part of the road is 35mph. As bugged as I already was that she was going under the speed limit with the closest car in front of her about 500 feet away, I still tried to stay calm and patient. So, I stayed about a car length behind her.* Apparently she felt that a car length wasn't enough distance because she kept hitting her brakes to get me off her tail. This went on two or three times and since I was reaching the cap on my level of patience, I decided I would just pass her. So I switched lanes and proceeded to pass when all of a sudden she SPED UP!!!

I know what you're thinking. And trust me, that's exactly what I was thinking too. I tried to remain as calm as possible - which at this point was becoming almost impossible - and thought that since she was now going over the speed limit, I would get back behind her. I moved back over and immediately upon doing so, she slowed back down! Then - as if that wasn't enough - she once again began to hit her brakes because I was too close!!!

Seriously, does this sound like I had even done anything wrong? By this time I had completely reached my breaking point and I had to take several deep breaths to keep the profanities from billowing out of my mouth. But I still gave that woman a piece of my mind. I said:

"You are not only going below the speed limit, but you are hitting your brakes for no good reason. Both of these driving techniques are not only ticking me off, but they are holding up all the traffic behind me as well. So why don't you focus on your own driving and not worry so much about me? I am a good driver. I have no intention of hitting your car. But by the way you are driving, it almost seems as if you want me to hit your car. It is clear that you are the hazard on this road, not me. Therefore, why don't you quit worrying about me and move it along so we can all get home?"

At that point I shooed my hands at her as if to imply she should speed up. When she still insisted on driving 30mph and I finally had my chance to pass her where she couldn't speed up, I took off.

Sadly though, it was too bad that my amazing speech was wasted on myself. She really could have benefited from it.

*I was actually quite proud of myself for staying a car length behind her. I generally have no problem riding the bumper of cars who are going below the speed limit for no good reason (see previous post.) A car length, to me, is a lot of room for the speed we were going. She should just be grateful I was holding my temper because I could have showed her what "close" really was.