Quote of the Week

"One cool judgment is worth a thousand hasty councils."
- Woodrow Wilson



Sunday, September 1, 2013

Road Raging in the Northland, Along the South Shore

A few weeks ago I was heading up to my parent’s cabin. It was the weekend of our annual family get together. My parents have a small three room cabin about a mile off of Lake Superior. Around the same time each year, a bunch of my extended family go up there and set up camp in their yard. With many of my aunts, uncles, cousins and in-laws hanging around the campfire and the beaches of Cornucopia, Wisconsin, we always have a very fun time.

Wisconsin Highway 13 is a two lane road that runs along the south shore of Lake Superior. It’s narrow with lots of curves, hills and views of Lake Superior. It’s no autobahn like freeway, but it’s a very enjoyable ride. Unless of course you have some jackhole tailgating you. With all the curves and hills, there is a lot of no passing zones on this 55mph highway.

On my way up to the family get together I had one of those jackholes behind me for a long time. No matter how close he got behind my truck, how much he shuffled his car side to side like an Indy racecar cleaning its tires during a caution lap, or how much he mouthed “come on” at me, my cruise control didn't move from its 63mph setting. If my cruise control didn't see a need to adjust itself, I wasn't going to change it either. If you’re following me and 8mph above the posted legal limit is too slow for you, you’re stuck behind the wrong driver.

Finally this guy couldn't take it anymore and passed me in a no passing zone, flipping me off as he went by. I just smiled widely and waved to him like he was a long lost friend. I've found handling people like that with kindness just pisses them off more; which is a lot of fun by the way.

As the little Subaru wagon sped along with its two kayaks on top, I noticed a bumper sticker that made me laugh out loud. It was that “coexist” sticker with the letters made out of religious symbols.

Seems a great percentage of people who have this bumper sticker, don't exercise the very idea they're trying to promote.
Now I am not the confrontational type of person. With the exception of a rare internet comment exchange, I avoid it as much as possible. But in my mind, I imagined myself following him (at a safe distance of course) to his next stop. Calmly walk up to the back of his car, peel off the bumper sticker, and tell the driver he can have it back once he starts living up to it.

Of course I didn't even consider doing that. No one would allow a stranger to walk up to their vehicle and remove a bumper sticker in the first place. Plus have you ever tried to remove a bumper sticker in the first place? They don’t just peel off in one fell swoop. It can be a real chore.

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