I drive out of my neighborhood and have to turn left to get to the student parking lot, and suddenly some jerk comes out of nowhere and speeds up, narrowly missing me. What day did this happen, you ask? I can’t remember, because it has become an everyday occurrence. I am forced to ask seriously, drivers?

I want to know what the heck happened to courtesy. No, really. People are constantly screaming, honking, and flipping a certain finger at each other on the road, with total disregard for the stranger’s feelings. The worst is the rude hand raise paired with a disgusted face, as if to say “What the ****?!” with a single look. That’s just plain rude.

Okay, so drivers get distracted. I will admit I get distracted sometimes too. So here I am to give a Public Service Announcement: stop texting. Stop eating. And stop doing your makeup and hair while driving! Those are things to be spent elsewhere, such as your house or wherever it is you’re going that’s stationary and not threatened to be hit by an 18-wheeler.  That’s ignorance, folks.

 Not only am I worried for your safety and the safety of others, I am worried for your sanity, drivers. Road rage is a serious condition many drivers are afflicted with, and according to WiseGeek.com, “Some states can actually charge a driver with the crime of road rage, although in extreme cases the charges might be vehicular homicide or attempted murder with a vehicle.” Plus, it can make people hate you because you ruined their day with the accident you caused.

The following is a personal anecdote from my life: I was driving, minding my own business, when the car in front of me slows to a stop. I think, “Okay, that’s weird, I’ll change lanes.” I put on my blinker and looked behind me to see a van who has noticed that I want to go in front of them. They slow to let me pass, then at the last minute decide they can make it if they speed up instead. Not knowing they changed their mind, I almost got hit by them! Uh, hello people? An example of the disregard for courtesy.

For instance, every driver at Millennium has faced, some time in their student parking lot career, being cut off while trying to exit or enter the parking lot. Unless, of course, you happen to be the driver cutting people off. Leaving the parking lot at the end of the school day is like a war zone; everyone wants out like they’re in a hurry, and most don’t seem to notice others around them trying to get out as well. For crying out loud, let someone go ahead of you. If you see a car that’s been waiting for a while, let them go!

Common courtesy on the road has been long forgotten, it seems. You don’t know where the person next to you is headed. Maybe they’re in a bigger hurry than you. Maybe they’re a new driver. Maybe they’re old. More than likely, they’re probably asking Seriously, Drivers?