Driving Like Worms

I have little tolerance for poor driving by others which affects me, especially if it causes me to use my brakes. Before our daughter, I would regularly grumble out loud about the ineptitude of the driver, often including a couple profanities. However, after our daughter started talking, I quickly learned that such actions might become a training guide for her. Although I still grumble, I now use much less colorful language.

A while ago, I was driving behind an excessively slow driver, who was consistently 10 miles per hour below the speed limit. Unable to pass on the two lane road, I grumbled, "Come on, let's get moving." My daughter asked what was wrong. I replied, "They're just driving like worms," which I thought was an appropriate description.

I had forgotten about the worm statement until yesterday, when I was driving our daughter to pre-school. We were stopped at a light, with a left turn lead, behind an expensive sports car. When the left turn signal turned green, the sports car jerked forward and stopped. After a short period, the driver restarted the car, shifted properly and made the left turn, just before the oncoming traffic got a green light. As a result, I was unable to turn left and had to wait another cycle.

Big sigh from me.

"What's wrong?" asked my daughter.

"People with expensive sport cars ought be able to drive a stick shift without stalling," I said. After all, I thought, a manual shift is a conscious choice and not a standard option for most high end sports cars.

"They're driving like worms, " my daughter exclaimed.

I laughed and agreed, "Yes, they are driving like worms." It's good that I have consciously modified my language when commenting on poor driving incidents :-)

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