It’s 11 a.m. and I’m stuffing the last tablespoon of milk and Trix into my mouth as I’m rushing out the door.
I ransack my room in search of my keys just to find them in my purse. Now it’s 11:15 a.m. and I’m running late for my 1 p.m. class.
Ray Young, vice president for academic affairs, made a survey last spring on how Cal State Fullerton students commute to school. Out of 500 students he found that 73.7 percent of students drove alone to campus, and I’m one of them.
During the hour it takes me to get to school, I’ll rock out to Mumford & Sons, The Black Keys and whatever else 98.7 KYSR-FM plays for my enjoyment, but the drive isn’t always fun.
I’ve been commuting to CSUF from San Bernardino County since fall 2008, so I’m qualified enough to know what cars I need to avoid. They fall under these categories: the un-ladies man, the road hogs and the slow pokes.
The Un-ladies Man
These are the guys who confuse the 57 North with Slidebar. It doesn’t make my day when a guy driving a bright yellow Chevy El Camino, whose seat is reclined to the floor and left arm stretches out to the top of his steering wheel, has his head completely turned and is looking straight at me. Do you want to know my reaction to that? Floor it. I’ve had my share of winks and even smooches, and although it turns out to be a big laugh when I tell my friends, my initial reaction is, “Watch the road, Fabio!â€
The Road Hogs
Mercedes, BMWs and raised trucks fall under here. Yes, a lot of money is spent to own these cars, but that price didn’t include a piece of the road. These cars seem to think, “Why signal?†I’ll tell you why, because I can’t read minds! I’ve been honked at and flipped off by a Mercedes and raised truck thinking I cut them off when we both changed lanes at the same time, only I signaled and they didn’t. These are also the cars that drive parallel to me when I’m trying to get on the freeway; speed up or slow down! BMW drivers seem to always be in a hurry and have no time to stay behind me when I’m going a snail’s pace of 75 mph. They get right up on my tail to get the message across that I’m slowing them down before pulling around to get in front of me. Raised trucks think no car is a match for their beast so they’ll cut me off knowing that if I hit them the only thing damaged will be my car.
The Slow Pokes
These are the diesel trucks and Toyota Camrys. If you’re in a lane with a diesel truck in it, move! Even if you have to slow down and let five cars ahead of you, odds are a few seconds after you change lanes you’ll be five cars ahead of that same diesel. This rule especially applies during traffic. I like to call Camrys “idlers†because even though they do signal to change lanes, they like to idle between the lanes as if to think, “Do I really want to switch lanes?†Trust me, you do!
These cars aren’t the only offenders but definitely the most common ones. So if you’re on the road, do us all a favor—turn off your blinker at least five seconds after you’ve made your turn, and if you ever flip off a green Plymouth Neon, be sure to expect a dismissing wave.
