The Creeper, The Pusher and The Miscreant: Terrible Drivers

I'm going to try and distract myself. I'm scared to death about what Congress is trying to do regarding health care reform (excuse me. PrezBo realized that people get negative connotations from "health care reform" so he's changed it to health INSURANCE reform). So, here's what my blog is about: driving habits and miscreants. What are you talking about, Hairball? Over the years I've had a few fender benders. Two of them involved the "creeper" and the "pusher". My husband is a creeper. Coming to a red light he stops about 10-12 feet behind a car and then slowly "creeps" forward. Foot off the brake, foot on the brake, foot off the brake, foot on the brake. It drives me CRAZY! I was stopped at a red light but was in the right turn lane with a yield sign. Through my review mirror, I saw this guy pull up behind me in his big car. He's got another person with him and he and the passenger start to fiddle with something in the car. The car is stopping and creeping and stopping and creeping. You can guess where this went. He "bimped" me, as Inspector Clouseau would say. I got out of the car, hit my hand on the hood, yelled at him to pay attention, looked to see if there was any damage, got in and drove off. That's the creeper. The moral of the story? Don't be a creep! Read more...
The next is the pusher. This happened to me back in Texas. This time stopped at a stop sign with a right turn lane and a yield sign. I'm in the right turn lane and watching the traffic coming from my left and feel I have enough room to pull out and I slowly begin to, but then decide no, I don't have enough room. Boom! I'm pushed into the traffic lane by the car behind me because he had been watching the traffic also, instead of me, and boom. He hit me. Luckily the traffic had passed by before he pushed me into the lane. I've seen several of these accidents. The moral of the story? Watch the friggin' car in front of you rather than the traffic. And finally, the "Miscreant". This is a new one and thank God I've never experienced it. I found this out because it happened to my hair stylists wife. I'll call her Ann. She was stopped at a light with a car in front of her. The light turns green, the other car proceeds through the light, Ann proceeds and for whatever reason, the car in front of her suddenly stops. She hits the guy in the rear bumper. She's got her daughter with her on their way to a doctor's appointment. No, no, it's not a car jacking. Chill. But it's still bad. Ann says I'll call the police. She takes a picture of the damage, which is minimal, with her cell phone. The guy says, nah, there's hardly any damage, forget about it. Ann says, you sure? Sure, no problem. Think that's the end of the story? Wouldn't be much of one if it were, would it? Ann begins to leave the doctor's office and guess who's waiting for her with a policeman? The guy. Charging her with three felonies, one of which was hit and run. They take her to jail and "the guy" now has filed two lawsuits for "personal injury". One against Ann, the driver, and one against her husband, whose name is on the registration. The whole purpose of this? To hope my friend and his wife will settle. But she still has to contend with the felonies. Luckily, she took those pictures. Who participates in a hit and run but stops to take pictures? Turns out this guy has a criminal record a mile long and he has other hit and run "claims" out there. I guess the moral here is never leave the scene of an accident, take pictures and use those fancy cell phones to tape your conversation with the other driver.