Use the pedal on the right

Mike and Kate invited us up to their house to watch today's NFL game, in particular, to watch the New England Patriots' game. Mike had left his car at my house when he picked up the truck earlier this week, so I agreed to drive his car up this morning at his request. Kris followed me up in his car, enabling me to drive up quickly, as I'm wont to do on the fun drive to Mike's house.

On the way to Saratoga, I managed to avoid being behind any vehicle for any length of time in my quest to drive my desired speed, without pressure of cars behind me to go faster and without frustration of a slower car in front of me. Just as I was about to leave downtown Saratoga, I found myself behind a family van, the two of us on the way out of town.

I followed the van for less than a half mile when it pulled over to let me pass. I was excited about this, driving quickly, allowing each turn to start a rumble in the back seat as the stuff in Mike's car launched from side to side in the car through the curves.

My joy was short-lived, however, as I quickly caught up to the next car. The car in front of me was following yet another car, that car driving slowly through the turns. I quickly scanned for a turnout, hoping the cars would move over, when the front car moved over to turn left off the road. The car in front of me sped up, driving a reasonable speed, until the next turnout when it pulled over, allowing me to pass.

Yippee!

I zoomed along for all of a half mile or so in front of the car I just passed, before I realized there was a bright red Ferrari behind me. No way was I going to be rude to the car behind me. If you want and can drive faster than I, then I am going to move over for you. Way over.

I pulled off the road before the turnoff, in order to allow the Ferrari to pass. I tried to find a good spot to move over, but chose relatively poorly. The car was able to pass me, but oncoming traffic was annoyed at me, as the Ferrari passed me when the oncoming car passed me going the other way. Eh, there was room on the road.

I continued up the hill, quickly losing sight of the Ferrari as it zoomed away in front of me. I drove along happily for a mile or so, zipping along in Mike's car, zoom zoom zoom, inch by inch catching back up to the Ferrari who had escaped me just a mile before.

And got stuck behind another car.

Another two cars.

The lead car was driving about 25 miles per hour along the road where I was driving previously driving 45-50, and the Ferrari doing 50-60. The car braked too quickly, accelerated too slowly, and generally ignored all road courtesy rules by both driving too slowly, not pulling over despite numerous spots available, and ignoring the growing number of cars lined up behind it.

A minute after I had to slow down, four motorcycles slowed down behind me. Once again, I pulled over to the right to allow the motorcycles to pass me, this time still driving along, the motorcycles lane-splitting next to me. The Ferrari did the same, allowing the motorcycles to lane-split pass him. The two cars in front of me didn't have to do anything, as we all approached a turnout and the motorcycles and Ferrari had room to pass both cars and drive away.

Not so lucky me. The turnout was far too short, and I ended up continuing my excrutiatingly slow drive up the mountain. The van I had passed at the bottom of the mountain caught up to me.

I managed to continue up the mountain behind these two cars for another mile or so before I became completely frustrated at the number of turnouts the front car could have taken, BUT CHOSE NOT TO TAKE. How freakin' slow can you drive and NOT SEE the line of cars behind you?

Mike's car may have started blaring its horn uncontrollably at some point along this last mile to the top of the hill.

When the four cars arrived at the top of the hill, the really slow car, the car in front of me, me in Mike's car, and the van behind me, the car in front of me turned right and took off. The car in front of me, the slow car that caused the last three or four miles of frustration, turned on its left turn signal at the stop sign, and sat there.

My only thought was something like "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

I looked right. No cars at the stop sign. I looked across Skyline. No cars across the way. I looked left. A truck approaching the stop sign would have to stop.

I pulled out left and around the car. The one STILL sitting there with its left turn signal on, not moving. I made the left turn, accelerating away, relief and adrenaline flooding my system.

I was just to the top of the next rise before the car even started turning left.

I'm sure I would have had clumps of hair missing, had I not make that preemptive left turn.

The game has to be less stressful that that drive.