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Old December 29th 04, 09:53 PM
Anthony Giorgianni
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"Jim Yanik" .> wrote in message
.. .

> I'm not "controlling" anyone.Just not altering my path to facilitate their
> bad behavior.Maybe they learn from it,probably not.


>

After thinking about this, I've decided to come back to this thread and do
something that, as far as I know, has never been done by anyone before on
rec.autos.driving: Agree that perhaps you're all changing my mind!

I'm thinking this through... let me see: If it's okay for YOU not to
facilitate what you view as bad behavior on the road, we ALL must have the
same right, correct? I mean if another motorist does something that I feel
is unsafe or wrong, it should be okay for me not to enable this behavior. In
fact, if I understand you correctly, I could go so far as to say that I have
an OBLIGATION not to accommodate the motorist for the sake of me and all
other drivers. So I'm just thinking here.....

Normally, if one of the 85th percentilers comes up behind me, I pull to the
right to let them by. But based on what you've told me, I.'m now realizing
that I have only been enabling what I think is dangerous, anti-social and
certainly illegal behavior. So whether or not you happen to agree with my
view on the 85th percentile, I think you will all applaud my newly-found
realization that it's my obligation NOT to accommodate or tolerate that
driver, especially if it means pulling into a slower moving right lane.
Furthermore, why should I inconvenience myself, add to my trip time by
accommodating someone who feels it's okay to break the law when I don't? If
I'm
going the speed limit, altering my path to facilitate their bad behavior is
only rewarding them. If, on the other hand, I stay in the left lane and
perhaps even slow down, I'll be sending a message to the scofflaw that his
behavior is unacceptable. Having my two-ton slab of an SUV slowing down in
front of him, maybe even coming to a complete stop, may teach him to think
twice the next time!!! Hmmmm... I think I might even be able to argue here
that it would be especially appropriate not to enable a speeder because he's
violating the law, while a slow merger is not. You know what? I think this
vigilante driving instruction could be just the thing I've been looking for.
HEY! Maybe you 85th percentilers could try this with the 95th percentilers;
and you 95th percentilers could try it with the 00th percentilers!!!!!!!!!
We might actually change some driving behavior in this country and get
credit for fulfilling our civic obligations ALL AT THE SAME TIME!!! I might
even
make myself a badge for this.

Let me see if there is any flaw in my thinking: You certainly can't argue
that this no-enable right or obligation is granted only to some motorists
and not to others or only in connection with slow poking as opposed to other
driving behaviors that we vigilante driving instructors deem as
unacceptable, right? I mean is speeding somehow exempt from this rule, no
matter how fast? Are any other behaviors exempt - maybe carrying dogs in the
back of pickup trucks or playing a tambourine while driving? No, that
doesn't make sense. It would seem only reasonable to expect that we're not
all going to agree on what constitutes proper driving (some of you may
approve of driving the 95th percentile or backwards or even upsidedown, for
example.). So I would think that
we'd all be justified imposing those lessons (or un-accommodations) that we
think are appropriate from our particular point of view. WOW!! WOW!

Thinking this through, I now realize that YOU GUYS ARE RIGHT!!!!! You have
totally changed my thinking on this!!!!!! Slowing down (or at least not
enabling) speeders is therefore not only something I can rightfully do, it
is my OBLIGATION!!!!!!! You know what? I can't wait to run my first class.
To be brutally honest, this already is giving me an erection!! Yee-ha! I bet
this is even going to make me better in bed ... a nice side benefit!

Thank you so much for helping me see that I have a right and obligation not
to enable YOU if I don't agree with how you are driving. Excellent!
Excellent! Excellent!

Regards and thank you again from your newest vigilante driving
instructor/un-accommodater.

Anthony Giorgianni




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