Sligo fast, Sligo slow

Yep, 'tis Sligo at Infinion Raceway, captured on film as I try to speed away from the voices inside my head, heart and soul that scream in unison, "if you really do care for the environment as much as you insist you do, why the hell are you doing THIS?!?"


It's a problem, this duality thing. I proudly hug trees, monitor the yearly West Coast migration of raptors (August through December, I'll certainly have some things to say then), try and walk the line as best I can when it comes to reducing my carbon footprint (way to go, BP, for that campaign, too bad about that federal inquiry though, ya' damn petrol company). I have said previously that I understand the need to balance industry and commerce with healthy living and environmental pro-activity (whew!), and there's nothing I can do to rationalize why I'll get on the racetrack, so I'm ready for a bit of admonishment from any of you holier-than-Sligo. Don't get crazy though...

I've had the fortune and misfortune to have driven in 49 states and 6 countries, right-hand drive and left, and made a couple of weeks worth of (high speed) trips on the autobahn, and, damn it, I know a few things about driving. This holiday weekend is going to be heavy with traffic, as is any good ol' American holiday, and the roads shall host many a driver who has, let's say, less than what he or she should have in the way of long distance driving savvy. Therefore, with this forum as my soapbox (talk about a mix of metaphorsimileanalogy), and based upon my not quite four decades of driving experiences, I shall attempt a three-part missive on driving: this introductional overview, tomorrow's list of helpful hints -- here's a preview: get your under-the-speed-limit-ass out of the left lane, and for the love of god hang up the phone and drive -- then we'll take a break Sunday and do a Sunday kind of post, and resume with a much more serious post about cars, speed, advertising and death beginning next week. Yep, death...it is cars, afterall.

It's not really a big deal to tell complete strangers how to drive; hell, most of us do it every time we get behind the wheel. And, bless my father, he shared a statistic with me that someone passed on to him, to wit: 70% of the people are stupid. This number is easily used to describe any typical gaggle of highway drivers, and perhaps should be adjusted up, for all sorts of reasons. Frankly, many people just don't give a shit that they're a shitty driver, and some even drive poorly just to piss the rest of us all off. Again, many of us experience these drivers on a daily basis, and talk about them with great vigor and/or vile, whether we have someone in the car to listen to us or not. I live in an area where the highway speed limit is 65 mph, a fine highway speed for many reasons, but the highway itself is mostly four-lanes, two north and two south, and has been for decades, even as the surrounding communities have expanded rapidly. I don't want to bring in some of part two's post here, so I'll break this off with this: a pox on you who's universe is so small that your only pleasure is to assume the juvenile role of lane monitor on my and my readership's roads. Asshole.

But I digress...

I don't want to go to far into on-record-universe, but I will say that when I do pass someone, or manuever my way around or past them, it is almost always to GET AWAY FROM THEM, because they're dangerous, either because they want to be dangerous or they don't know how not to be (again, part two, and part three). There are many of us in this part of the country who take driving very seriously, not in a "my car can beat your car" way, but in a "I've seen what the lack of concentration, a bad assumption, or a poorly executed lane change can do to families and friends, and I know I'll see more before I die, but I don't want to die today, and neither should you" kind of way. It may take a little talent, some knowledge and a lot of experience to be a professional driver, but it only takes some effort, knowledge and awareness to be a good driver. I've seen really smart people become idiots behind the wheel, and I've seen firsthand the damage that idiots can do with a ton of metal, where the accelerated mass overcame the friction resistance of the rubber on asphalt, whereupon all hell broke loose, and lives were changed forever.

Well, how's that for wishing everyone a happy holiday. I do wish everyone a safe and happy July 4th, and tomorrow I'll try to put you on the road with some helpful hints, tips and other insights, then, having done that, I shall fortify myself with adult libations and stay on my deck, grill and food within arm's length, for most of the weekend.

Be safe.