Surviving Colorado Drivers (part 2) - A Road Rager's Guide

Here are some more instances I've seen driving in this state:

6) "Braking" is the new "Turn Signal" - need I say more? Stay alert, because you never know when someone in directly in front of you may turn off the street you're using.

7) Right on Red Close Shave - you're on a city street, approaching an intersection. Your light is green; yep, you have the right of way. You may be 75-100 yards from the intersection. To your right, a car is waiting to turn right on red. That car is stopped. Does that car turn on red while you are far away? Of course not. That car waits until you are 30 yards or less, then turns directly in front of you. So, you get the joy of braking under the intersection light.

You saw me coming, you had time earlier to turn well in front of me. Why cut it so close?

8) Echelon Formation - you're on a two-lane highway, in the right lane. There is a car off to your left, slightly behind you. You can see enough of that car to know it's there, but you can't see the whole vehicle in your exterior mirror. The two of you approach a slower car in your lane, you want to change to the left lane to pass, but the other car is still in tight formation. Oh-by-the-way, your "wingman" slows as you do. Neither of you can get by that slower car directly in front of you. This is closely related to:

8a) Jammin' Me - you're on a similar two-lane highway, but it could be a two-or-three lane boulevard. There is a car in each lane. They're not perfectly abreast, but close enough to block anybody from passing. They all are doing 1 to 3 miles under the speed limit. None seem to notice the others.

Remember how jammers did similar in Roller Derby? It's like that on roads here sometimes.

9) Extremes of Snow Driving - you're driving during snowfall. You're dodging two types of drivers. One is the person going over the speed limit, because he/she has an SUV or "I drive like this when the weather is good, so why change?" The second is the person scared of driving at any time that isn't clear and 72 degrees. That person is going 5 MPH. You have to dodge both, while on snow or ice-covered roads. Can you handle the challenge?

10) My "OMG" is More Important - too many folk here are chatting on phones or texting while driving. Even with state laws on the books outlawing the practice, when you see a driver looking down into his/her lap while driving the speed limit, you know some strange recovery maneuver is about to happen.

I'm thankful I've been able to dodge these drivers for this long. Every day, however, is a new adventure. Watch out for these folk, because they are not watching out for you.