Dear friend, thank you so very much for your business, from the bottom of my heart. You are great. Did I mention what a great smile you have?Why am I being so courteous? Because it is time to talk about driving courtesy and good manners on the road and how that can lead to safe travels.
Steve's Auto Service is a family owned and operated business, and as such we are proud to contribute to your family's safety every day. Expert auto repair results in a reliable vehicle that helps to keep you and your loved ones safe.
But of course, there is a whole other dimension to this story. When you are driving, so much of your safety depends on the conscious control you place on your emotions. Driving is a state of mind, and that state varies and fluctuates through the whole range of possible human emotions. The following tips will help you in your quest to be a well-tempered driver.
1. Before you go, chill out, man. Take a few deep breaths. Remind yourself that it is just not worth it to rush. Gather some happy and stimulating listening matter, such as some new music or talk podcasts. Remember that there are amazing people doing amazing things in the world once you turn off the network news. For example, in each episode of the TED Talks podcast passionate successful people take 15 or 20 minutes to describe how they are changing the world. Now that's what I call good news. For music, choose something new by listening to NPR's All Songs Considered, for example. Or bring along some music you liked when you were 13 years old. No matter what that was, it always sounds good and makes you smile. But do play your audio entertainment through your car's stereo speakers. Plugging your ears with earbuds, like driving with one hand and holding a cell phone to your ear, is a little too distracting.
2. Play the Happy Prince William Game. Once you are on the road, imagine that you are playing a massive reality game. Every other person on the road is your fellow contestant. There is only one rule: You are Happy Prince William. And there is only one guideline: Show your good spirits with happy gestures. Did you notice Prince William waving to the crowds the other day as he rode in the carriage from Westminster Abby to Buckingham Palace with his new fairy tale bride? He used a distinctive wave. It was fast and loose at the wrist. Now, your first thought might have been, "Sheesh, that looks kinda dumb!" But you can not deny it was a happy wave. Anyway, you do it your way, but find a way to make pleasant and encouraging gestures to those around you. When you wave someone on, keep all five fingers visible. Fists and middle fingers are definitely not helpful. Be jolly. Be good-hearted. Be a jolly, good-hearted Prince. It all works out in the end.
3. Yield and overcome. The ancient Chinese sage Lao Tzu wrote:
"Yield and overcome, bend and be straight, have little and gain.
Therefore wise men set an example to all.
Not putting on a display, they shine forth.
They do not quarrel, so no one quarrels with them."
Yield to everyone. Yield to pedestrians. Yield to bicycle riders. Yield to the weather. Yield to that red-faced fist-shaking fool who wants to tailgate you, go around you, pass you on the left, pass you on the right, cut in front of you, merge in front of you, crash into a power pole in front of you, whatever. Let him go on and good riddance. He is having a bad day. But you are enjoying your day. In fact, this is one of the best days of your entire life. Drive with the flow of traffic, leave plenty of space in front of you. Look away from your speedometer and lock into the pace of the car in front of you. It is very easy to do this, and with adequate spacing (I don't really have to quantify this, do I? You know how much space!) you will stay nice and safe and probably still make very good time.
4. Watch out for elephants and idiots. Alright, you might not see any lumbering pachyderms in your rearview mirror today. But still, it is important to stay alert, expect the unexpected, watch your surroundings and implement a "trust but verify" policy (also known as a "watch out for the idiots" policy) with your fellow drivers. Even if your chances of spotting a parade of plodding elephants today is slim, you can very reasonably expect to encounter slow drivers. I don't have to tell you that it is safer on the highway if everyone is going a similar speed. But not everyone got the memo. Do take a moment to look in your mirrors before giving up the right of way. And don't just immediately accept another gracious driver's waving you on if you can't see all the possible angles of oncoming or overtaking traffic from your vantage point. If the left turn you want to make against traffic does not seem promising at a particular intersection, it might actually make more sense to continue on to the next intersection and make a U-turn, or even a series of right turns around the block to get where you are going. Remember, you are not in a hurry, right? You are chilled out and alert, listening to soothing music, tossing happy waves and yielding to everyone, right? I knew you were. Just checking. Another easy mistake to avoid is to quickly break a stalemate of gracious wavers at a four way stop. "I'm waving you on. Why don't you go first?" "No, no, why don't you go?" "No, no, no, I insist that you go and I'm giving you my most winning smile to prove it!" Take your time, let the other guy finally become convinced that you are waiting for him to go. After all, you left home early this morning and you're running ahead of schedule, right? I knew it.
5. Dim your lights, stay awake with a song. Practice the golden rule of night-time driving: Treat the other driver's bleary eyes like you would want your own bleary eyes to be treated. You don't want those high beams in your eyes, do you? Of course not. Neither do I. But don't lose your temper. Take it easy, take it easy. Don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy. Wait a minute, that's a song! Speaking of songs, singing is a great cure for sleepiness. Try it! Remember, being nice makes you feel better. I am almost home now. Here comes my street. Someone's right behind me. Is that you? I'll give you plenty of notice. Let me just tap my right blinker. OK now I'm blinking again because, yes, that's my driveway, right at the end of that stone wall, and I'm about to turn in. Slower, slower, turning, turning, pull up and stop. I give you a jolly Prince William wave as you go past. Ah, home at last. Now that wasn't so bad, was it?
