Sometimes Road Rage Is *NOT* the Answer...

Ever have the feeling that something is just a little out of place? I had one of those on the ride into work this morning.

Got caught in a "parade" behind a Mazda 626 going REALLY slow through the backroads. I'm talking 20-25 in 35-40MPH zones; slowing to a crawl for corners; coming to a dead stop for the street sweeper on the other side of the road. Irritating, to say the least.

Well, they finally turned off the road into a driveway. As a wave of relief of no longer being constrained by this slowpoke washed over me, I thought about giving a friendly blast of the horn and flashing Mr. Digit Hand Puppet, but something stopped me.

Turned and looked at the car, and it's a young girl at the wheel. Dad was in the passenger seat with his hand on her shoulder. He had to have been taking her out for a drive on her learner's permit. Now, part of me thinks that he should have had better sense than to take her out on that road right at the height of the morning rush. But another part says he's being smart, because she's going to have to face that road at that time, and better for her to get used to it now with an experienced driver than just sending her out on her own...

I'm glad I didn't beep, wave, or otherwise articulate my displeasure. An extra 3 minutes of driving time was well-worth the glimpse I got into 10 years down the road when it's time to teach my kids how to drive...