Winter Parades

There is an old saying in these parts during the winter. "It's better to be going slow wishing you were going faster, than going fast wishing you were going slower."

We had some snow today. Nothing much, just a few inches. But that was enough to slow things down on both my commute to and from work today. I don't mind it too badly. I now longer have to fight traffic on the city traffic interstate anymore. It's just country two lane highways now. So even when we all get in line and go 10 to 15 mph below the posted limit, it's not so bad.

But when the roads are clear and you're driving about 35 mph in a 55 zone, there are 32 cars backed up behind you, and on coming traffic is spaced out normally and going a good 20 mph faster than you; it should tell you something.

Now if your that driver by no means I'm I demanding you drive faster. If 35 mph is as fast as you feel comfortable going in those road conditions, by all means that's all the faster you should be going. But when it looks like you're leading a parade, then you should have some consideration to the world around you. Pull onto a side road and let the others pass on by.

That way more experienced winter drivers can get on their way. A long line of cars is just an accident waiting to happen. Sooner or later someone in the middle of that line is going to loose patience and try to pass five cars to get around your over cautious self.

Potentially your patience may cause someone's lack of patience to get them into a wreck with someone who's only fault was being positioned in a winter parade between the two of you.

Besides sparing an innocent bystander from getting sideswiped; you won't have the additional stress of having 32 vehicles getting increasingly impatience with your poor winter driving skills.

If you feel I might have described you as the winter parade grand marshal type, and you feel slightly offend; please don't. You are not the worst of the winter drivers out there. That would be the guy who thinks it's a great move to pass the snow plow on a winding two lane road.