Not so fast

"Learning from experience is a faculty almost never practiced."
-Barbara Tuchman

On that note, I'm setting my first goal for the new year. My challenge is to never get another traffic ticket. Ever. I've definitely had more than my fair share. Now, I don't feel as though I break more traffic laws than the average person; I just get caught more. Virtually all of my tickets have been for speeding on the interstate late at night, or rolling through a stop sign when making a right turn. I'm not a reckless driver at all. I make sure I always follow a safe distance (I hate tailgaters) and I'm not a crazy lane changer. I just tend to drive a little fast when traffic is light. So, from now on, I'm just going to leave a little earlier and drive a little slower. Speeding tickets are expensive.

Speaking of speeding, I drive through a school zone while children are either arriving at or leaving school everyday. They're all 35-45 mph zones that lower to 25 when school is starting or getting out, complete with flashing lights. Everyday I slow down when the lights are flashing, and everyday some asshole speeds by me at a minimum of 40 mph. This pisses me off. Yes, it's unsafe to drive around the schools at high rates of speed, and that makes me mad, but what really angers me is that if I were the one driving through the school zone at 45 mph, that's the day a cop would be there. Why don't any of these other jerks ever get stopped!

On a side note: For those of you who don't live in Virginia, we might just have the stupidest weather in the United States. Yesterday it was 34 degrees with snow flurries. Today, it was even colder with a high of 33. Next week it's going to be in the 70s for daytime highs. That's stupid.