I drive my son to school every morning.  We drive the speed limit.  It’s a pleasant five miles during which I quiz him on the multiplication table.  Everything would be just wonderful, peachy even, if it weren’t for the folks who feel it necessary to speed and take chances on a two lane road with no shoulder.
I want to make something very clear before I launch into this diatribe.  I sometimes drive a race car.  I race on a dirt oval with other crazed hillbillies who feel the need to go fast and run into each other.  This is what is expected at the dirt track.  We’re not late for a meeting.  We’re not too damn lazy to get up early enough to be on time.  We also know we could die at any given moment.  We take the chance.  Did you get that?  We all take the chance.  We know we are endangering each other lives.  We do it willingly.  Why then must I put up with true dummies who want to endanger other people out on the road.  We are taking our children to school or going to work.  We do not want you to kill us.  I, personally, do not care how late you are.  I do not give a damn if you haven’t had time to put on your makeup.  I do not want you to pass me going up a hill at twenty miles per hour over the speed limit.  My job is to get my son to school safely.  I do not care what your job is—SLOW DOWN!
I’ll admit to having a touch of road rage.  I ran a guy into the ditch because he was trying to pass me in a school zone.  Does he really need that extra five seconds it’s going to take me to turn into the school grounds?  I lost my cool.  It couldn’t be helped.  It’s bad enough you rode my bumper swerving in and out of your lane looking for a chance to pass for a couple of miles while oncoming traffic gave you no chance.  Here’s a thought for you—get up earlier.  I mean dammit!  We worry about the mortgage, cancer, job security, making ends meet, buying the right camshaft/valve spring combination, do we really need to worry about unnecessarily dying in a car accident caused by an idiot in a hurry?  SLOW DOWN!
To make matters worse, much worse, I got a ticket, not a speeding ticket mind you, a seat belt ticket.  I make my son wear his seat belt every time we go anywhere.  I wear mine most of the time.  Sometimes I forget.  I spent twenty years not wearing it.  I should be forgiven for a lapse every now and again.  The absolute worse thing about getting the ticket wasn’t the fact that I got it, it was the fact that I was the only person on the road that day driving the speed limit.  Yes I was driving fifty five on the money.  I meet this cop going in another direction.  I look in my rear view mirror and I see tire smoke and flashing lights as he’s turning around.  I wonder if he just got an emergency call or something.  I found out shortly that he’s gunning for me, that dangerous guy who is trying to abide by all the rules save for one that only effects himself.  Oh happy day!  I think about this injustice every morning as I slowly drive my son to school.  “What’s 11 times 5 I ask?”  I know the answer well.  It’s the speed I was driving when I got a ticket.  I try not to show any anger while driving with my son.  I want to set a good example.  I’ll keep going slow and furious.