As a California native, I'm used to
seeing people drive pretty much the same all year round. But here in
Utah, things are different. In summer, drivers can be aggressive,
rude and even indifferent to the plight of other drivers. But when
the snow comes in winter, the same drivers suddenly get all polite.
One notable exception would be SUV
drivers. While I'm doing 20-25 MPH on the freeway in heavy snow, some
SUVs are blazing by at 40-50 MPH. I remember asking about snow tires
for my first winter here and I learned that common sense would serve
me better than snow tires. Those SUVs? From time to time, I would
pass them in a snowstorm as they faced oncoming traffic the wrong way
on the freeway after a spin-out or on the side of the freeway – the
wheels are spinning, but they're upside down. Tire salesmen I've talked to referred to that phenomenon as “SUV confidence”.
On the way to work one day, I was cut
off by an SUV. As we came to a stoplight I saw that there was a
bumper sticker on the back that said, “SUV drivers do it without
looking!”. Fair enough. I considered that to be a fluke and went on
my way. Only a few minutes later, another SUV cuts me off. This SUV
had a different bumper sticker that read, “If you don't like the
way that I'm driving, get off the sidewalk!”
Hmm. Is this the start of a trend? I'm
less than a half mile from work when a giant, pearly white Lincoln
Aviator abruptly pulls in front of me to be first in line at the next
red light. Sure enough, their bumper sticker makes a finer point
with, “What was that?”
Anyone familiar with the Redwood
Drive-in Theatre on the west side of Redwood near 3800 South knows
what a circus that place can be. Lines can form beyond the curb and
extend from the entrance and back up to the north end of the block.
In the painted center island in front of the theater, lines can form
and back up the other way to 3800 South. Numerous times, I've seen
multiple vehicles making simultaneous, desperate left turns in front
of me or other drivers with less than a second or two to spare just
to get into or to leave the theater. And that is just for the swap
meet. I've come to think of them as the Stunt Drivers of Utah.
One particularly interesting habit I've
seen looks like this: a driver on a side street will make a left turn
to merge into traffic on the opposite side of Redwood Road. But he's
not using an ordinary island as a place to wait for traffic to clear
so he can merge. No, that won't do, no sireee! Instead, he's waiting
in a left turn lane – facing the wrong way. I've encountered this
head on and when I see them in front of me, I'm like deer stuck in
headlights. The other driver? He does this every day and knows
exactly what to do. He checks his mirror, waits for the traffic to
clear, and then merges safely, like nothing special had happened.
The most curious incident I've seen
though is very similar to the example above, but with a twist. A
driver makes a left turn from the apartment driveway at 3860 South to
head north on Redwood Road. He is facing the wrong way in the left
turn lane but proceeds anyway. It's dark, so as he proceeds up along
the left turn lane, he doesn't notice the small island in front of
him on approach to 3800 South. He takes out a small post and strands
his car on top of the island with the tires straddling the island.
When I came upon him he was on his cell phone calling for help.
After seeing that, I found that my
nomenclature was inadequate to describe some of the drivers of Utah.
Now I think of them as the Stunted Drivers of Utah.
Drive safely.