Blind spots

There are lots of driving habits (by other drivers, of course!) that bug me. Those that speed by me, pull in front, and then slow down. Those that haven't learned how to merge. Those that tailgate. Bright lights coming at you, and never turned down. Distracted cell phone users.

But perhaps the driving habit that I hate the most is the "blind spot driver," the one who races up behind, pulls over to pass, and then sits in my blind spot. What's up with that? It must have happened half a dozen times on my way to and from Indianapolis this past weekend. If you're going to pass, pass. If you're not, then get behind me!

Sometimes I can dismiss a bad driving move as an accident. Perhaps they didn't see me, or maybe they misjudged the speeds a little bit. Sometimes I can see that they're distracted by their phone or stereo or someone in the car. I don't like those things, but at least I understand them.

But driving in the blind spot is just rude. After all, it's them in my blind spot, not me in their blind spot. They can see me just fine, at least the front half of my car. Since I've usually seen them coming in my rearview mirror for a couple miles, they apparently have been traveling at a higher rate of speed than me. Why change now? My cruise control has not deviated. And can't they see that I'm about to run into the back of a slow moving Pinto, while they keep me blocked in?

I don't like blind spot colleagues or leaders either, those folks that kind of hover where you can't really see them, don't really know what they're up to, can't really figure out why they're lingering around where they are. Blind spot leaders prevent others from moving forward at the rate they need to travel and block the ability of those around them to respond most efficiently to the obstacles which arise in front of them. The hovering nature of blind spot leaders limits in many ways, but does almost nothing to help others keep moving along on their journey.

God grant me enough awareness to stay out of the blind spots of my fellow journeyers.