It has been said, many times, sometimes at great volume, that Wichita drivers are the worst on the planet. There are days that I tend to agree.
I took a short trip down Seneca to 31st Street a short time ago, within the last hour or so. During that two mile drive, I twice had to slam on my brakes to avoid vehicles pulling out in from of me, one of which was a large truck. On two more occasions during the same drive, I observed people putting on their turn signals – in the middle of the turn they were making. I once watched a man texting as he drove. He was riding a motorcycle.
If it isn’t the high speed lunatics, it’s the “how slow can you go” morons.
Obviously, there are tragic results to bad driving, but I would rather not dwell on that, nor the obvious problem of impaired drivers. We have enough simpletons on the roads to make a simple trip to the grocery store into an adventure, with throwing those topics into the mix.
As many of you know, I rode motorcycles for many a year. As a confirmed biker, I rapidly learn from the beginning that a cyclist’s only friend on the road is himself. The “other guy” ain’t gonna look out for you, so you damned well better look out for yourself.
Many long-term bikers, myself included, develop a sixth sense of self-preservation and to use a motorcycle’s inherent superior braking, acceleration and maneuverability to keep themselves alive with the shiny side up.
Unfortunately, most folks don’t drive like a seasoned motorcyclist, they drive with little understanding of “defensive driving” and awareness of the potential consequences of even a momentary lack of attention.
If I could just teach Wichita drivers a few things they would be:
Traffic signs and signals are not “suggestions.”
It really isn’t a crime to use your turn signals.
The speed limit is the “maximum” allowed, not the “minimum.”
Store parking lots are not the place to practice your bumper car skills.
Wichita drivers may not truly be the worst on the planet – Chicago drivers hold that “honor” – but they are truly bad.
So what is it with Wichita drivers?
William Stephenson Clark
PrairiePopulistsAndProgressives.net 