Road Test

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Ok – so this isn’t about the birds! Did you really think they could even get a permit??
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I took my niece Jorie for her road test this morning and she passed! [Oh Daddy – our girl’s growing up!!!] It’s just so weird to even see her behind the wheel of a car. Not that it’s anything new – she’s had her permit since she was 16 and she’ll be 18 in July – but now she can go out on the road alone. There’s a scary thought. She’s a good driver, but you have to drive so defensively now just to get anywhere safely.
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We’ve had a lot of near-misses because of people on cell phones, whether they were texting or talking. I used to think that was a load of crap until I almost got rear-ended last year. I noticed that the guy in the Mercedes behind me was on a cell phone. I had to make a left turn into a business, so I made sure to turn on the blinker to let him know. Well he apparently was too busy to notice and luckily I had the feeling he would be, so I kept an eye on him as I braked. Sure enough; he had to slam on his brakes. But he wasn’t quick enough, if I hadn’t aborted the turn he would have hit me for sure. I had to hit the gas, then make the turn into the next driveway. Thanks, Mr. Important – you taught me I have to not only watch the road in front of me and to both sides, but now I have to be alert for idiots behind me too.
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Then there was the young girl driving next to Mark downtown. She was so busy texting that she couldn’t be bothered to look up to see where she was going. She drifted closer and closer to Mark’s truck without even noticing. The windows were open, so he yelled at her. She was so startled that she over-corrected and drove up on the sidewalk. Nice. Luckily, no one was there. Hang up and get a clue, Miss Popular.
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We won’t even mention the idiots out there that are eating (I have never figured out how the hell anyone can eat a Whopper and drive too), reading a book or a map or a newspaper, or putting on makeup, shaving, or smoking and drinking coffee (with both hands while steering the car with their knees.) Or what about the assholes that park so close to you that you can’t get in your car? Oh, dear Lord – don’t get me started!! Just when you think you’ve seen it all you find another mindless nut job doing something even more dangerously stupid or annoyingly rude.
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So, Jorie my dear, PLEASE be careful out there!
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. . . AND CONGRATULATIONS!
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Cathy