So...I hate driving in Texas. I'll admit it, I thought Utah was bad. I got cut off a lot, and talk about running red lights-I went through lights that were yellow (for which I normally would have tried to stop) because I was afraid of being hit from behind. Usually I watched two or three cars come through behind me. But for the most part, the drivers were at least courteous. I drove in Australia where they have right hand drive cars and drive on the left hand side of the street. I was probably the one causing headaches there, but I did my best. I drove in Fiji, where I was more afraid of hitting livestock than another car, and was praying to just be able to see far enough ahead in the rainstorm to stop in time for whatever might jump out in front of me; but the drivers were so laid back that they didn't really care about much. Now I live in Texas. Not only have I had someone stop in front of me in the fast lane on the freeway so they could wait for the cars next to us to pass and take the exit they'd missed, but I am also regularly flipped off and cut off by people who don't seem to notice that there is no one behind me. There's plenty of space for them there! Are they in such a hurry they can't be one car behind while they wait for the traffic to clear?
What prompted this post today, though, goes back about a week-more if you want to know why I back into parking spots, but let's just say a week for now. My parents were in town, and we (I) drove us up to San Marcos to the GIANT factory outlet stores. They were, for some reason, packed. We drove around for probably 20 minutes trying to find a parking space. I finally happened upon a spot where there were two cars leaving and only one person waiting for the space. I put on my blinker, to add to the obvious fact that I was waiting for one of the parking spots. The two cars pulled out, and from the other direction a Lexus pulled into my spot. The man in the truck that was waiting for the other spot shrugged at me, and I returned the gesture. He was waiting longer, so obviously the spot left was his. Lexus guy was too afraid to get out of his car until we were well away from the area. I had a fleeting desire to take the valve stems out of a couple of his tires, but restrained myself. We drove around for a while longer, and finally found a spot.
Now, a week later, I was headed to Chad's place. I pulled into the parking lot and proceeded to start to back into the parking spot I'd chosen (yes, I back into parking spots). Someone pulled in behind me, and was so close to my tail that I couldn't go anywhere. I was across the flow of traffic, and couldn't really go forward as there was a parked car there. I couldn't back into the parking spot, because genius was on my tail. I looked at her and said "Back up." I'm sure she couldn't hear me...our windows were up, and as we are in Texas in the summer time, the AC was on. She started yelling at me (I'm guessing b from the way her lips kept moving and her large gesticulations). I pulled up the foot I could without hitting the parked car, and she angrily gunned her car around me. What kind of problems do these people have? Everyone kept telling me how nice Texans are, and how great it would be here. Now, the Texans I've met have been great-no complaints there. What happens when these people get in cars that makes them loose all their manners and turn into the kind of people that block you in and steal your parking spot?
Please make note-this picture was taken in New York in December. There is ice on the water, and it was literally freezing. I'd like also to note that the "cold snap" here in Texas means our high is in the 60's somewhere, and maybe ten degrees cooler at night. My friends in Utah have had highs in the 50's and lows in the 20's! So while I may be wearing a coat or sweater to protect against the "cold", I am well aware that it really isn't cold.