#28: Cops Who Drive Slow In Traffic

So I' on my way to work this morning and traffic is worse than usual.

Why?

I'm glad you asked! Because in this 50 mph zone, a cop was at the head of traffic doing 45. So EVERYONE lined up behind him, in both lanes, afraid to pass.
What the *&^%$#@!?

And you just know the cops love it too. I can just hear 'em talking to each other on their radios:

"Hey Joe, check it out....I got like 40 cars behind me!"

Whatever. Cops who hold up traffic by driving under the speed limit suck. But the people who hold up traffic because they're afraid to pass a cop--they suck even more! Get over into the slow lane. I'll pass a cop. I have no problem with it. I've done it dozens of times. If a cop is doing 45mph in a 50mph zone, I'll pass 'em doing 52...no problem. If you don't have the balls to try the same, move over and make room for daddy!

Let's be honest: It's kind of a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation for cops. If they speed, people will complain. If they drive slower than the speed limit, people (like me) will complain. So do us all a favor coppers...drive the speed limit or get out of traffic altogether. Go hide behind your bushes with your radar guns so you can bust those hardened criminals--the speeders--and make money for your local government. And those of you who don't have the cajones to pass a cop. Get out of the way.

Cops Who Drive Slow In Traffic (And those afraid to pass them): You Suck.

#11: Non-Synchronized Traffic Lights

I really don't enjoy driving. Never have. Except maybe when the top's down on a convertible, on a gorgeous sunny day, miles of open road and no one else around. And...

No stoplights.

But let's face it, that's the exception rather than the norm.

The worst is driving on a stretch of road where the stoplights are not synchronized.

Depending on which route I take to work each day, I hit either 15 or 16 traffic lights. (Yes, I counted.) The frustrating part is that 8 of those are on the same stretch of highway. And every single one of those is less than a mile from the previous one. Less than a mile! So why oh why do I hit 5 of those lights red everyday? It's impossible to drive the posted speed limit and make the next light. Would it be too much to ask to be able to drive four or five miles without hitting a red light?

And there's one stretch where, if I push for 12-15 mph over the speed limit, I can make the next light. But guess what...that's where the traffic cops hang out. Tell me they don't know what's going on!

Sometimes I wonder if there's a guy sitting at a bunch of video monitors in a city office somewhere, watching us drivers...getting a kick out of tripping the lights just so we can't make the next one. Ha!

I suppose some people love the non-synchronized lights. Like the brake repair shops. They've gotta love all this start...stop...start...stop. Everytime we see a red light...they see green!

Let's be honest: Coordinating traffic can't be easy. But it seems to me that you should be able to drive the speed limit on major roads (highways, etc.) and make it through at least three lights without having to stop.

Non-synchronized Traffic Lights: You Suck