Multi-tasking for nothing

Sorry, I have to rant!

I've been awake for less than an hour this morning and I've already had run-ins with three different drivers.

The first was a driver coming the other way who turned right (as I was making a legal left turn) and then cut me off in the two lane road because she thought she was a NASCAR Driver and needed both lanes to complete her turn.

Next it was a lady who was in a hurry to get her coffee and felt it was very important to cut me off (now a pedestrian) and swerve in front of me so she could then pull up 8 feet to stop in line - which forced me to walk AROUND her car instead of continuing on my sidewalk path.

Finally, as I was walking back to the office I was once again confronted with a stupid driver who was stopped at a traffic light but thought that the white line painted on the road was where the END of the car goes and not the front - and the driver behind her felt the need to pull right up to her bumper so that NONE of the pedestrians in the crosswalk could navigate the legal right of way.

What is up with Drivers?  Why is everyone in a hurry?  Are people that bad at time scheduling that they are constantly late and that they don't care about anyone else?  I thought I saw it all the other day when I saw someone driving but also smoking a cigarette, drinking a coffee AND holding a cellphone up to their ear (with the opposite hand - you know the right hand holding the phone up the left ear)....I was wondering how in the world are you driving if all of your hands are full, it's obvious that you're not paying attention to the road.

The kicker of all kickers though, is a woman driver this past weekend killed a motorcylcist because...now get this....she was painting her fingernails while driving.  Her G** D*** fingernails!!!  Because this woman couldn't scheulde her time properly OR even consider that "painting your fingernails while driving was wrong" a person is dead.

You want to know what's even crazier - she was "ticketed...(by) police with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident" A ticket....not felony reckless driving or murder....a ticket....for failing to reduce speed.  So that's what we've been reduced to as a society.  You can kill someone with your car and you'll just get a ticket.

What is wrong with this country that we need to install Red Light Camera's at intersections to catch people who can't follow the law, a country where we need to enact laws to tell people "Don't talk on your phone while you drive."  

New York City recently enacted that law and issued almost 10,000 tickets in a 24-hour period crackdown - yet Chicago has had the same law in effect for almost 4 years now and yet they don't write as many tickets in a year as as NYC police did in a single day!

Recently Chicago upped the ante on the tickets for drivers who use cellphones.  The ticket used to be $75 and they took your license and you were forced to go to Traffic Court to retrieve it, but now the ticket is $100 and if you're involved in an accident the fine is $500.

But what use is an increased fine if the police don't follow the law and ticket offenders?  

I guess people figure "oh well, I'll just pay the ticket because it's worth it." Think what you could do with an extra $100 in this economy?  Uhm, groceries for a few weeks, a little extra on the car note or mortgage?  

Come on people, put the nail polish and latte down, put the cellphone down and put both hands on the wheel - PAY ATTENTION  Arrive Alive you stupid drivers!

Oh yeah, and sometime overnight 2 people were killed in a hit-and-run accident as they were crossing the street.  Oh it's great to live in the city!

**Photo Credit:  mnScouser