Commute Update

My daily commute includes routes 93, 24 and 495 between 7:15 AM to 9:00 and 4:30 to 6:00 PM.  A lot of recent articles have come out on route 24's safety due to several deadly accidents in the past month.  Police have stepped up a prescence on the highway.  Some observations about 24 over the past two days - I have seen cars drifting out of lanes on the on-ramp to 24 from 93 because the driver was texting.  I have gotten out of the way from cars going 90 - 100 mph sometimes in the fast-lane or just zig-zagging.  I have also had to dodge cars drifting into my lane due to A) cell phones B) distractions or C) some kind of intoxication.  So, that police prescence isn't really making my commute any safer!  I have gotten into the habit of sticking in the middle lane on cruise control to avoid all the crazies.

I do have a bravo for the police on 93.  You don't know how awesome it is to see the assholes who decide the breakdown lane should be another lane get bagged by a Statie.  I've seen entire lines of cars nabbed between route 28(exit 5) and route 37 (exit 6).  I totally do the Nelson, "Ha, haa" laugh every time I pass them.  I also try to allow merging cars room in front of me in the goal of zipper merging.  You know what happens?  The merging driver is on their cell phone and would rather bomb forward and shoulder their way into the lane when the road narrows which ties up traffic of course.

Yesterday, I could not figure out whether the driver in front of me was drunk or not.  She wasn't on a cell phone or had anyone else in her car.  We were in 16 mph stop and go traffic but for some reason, she could not stay in the lane even though we passed two state police stops.  She'd drift into the breakdown lane and all of a sudden overcorrect to her left.  I don't know what to do in those situations.  Should I call the police?  I do worry that not calling might wind up allowing the driver to kill someone in the future.

Also, I leave my house with more than enough time to reach my destination.  If I'm running late, I know it's my fault and not the driver in front of me.  Why is that such a hard concept?  You can sign up for traffic alerts here.  I do get annoyed when I hit traffic but that doesn't transfer into my driving behavior.  No laying on the horn or tailgating from me.  All of us need to be more calm and aware as we drive.