Highways need more ‘nice’ drivers, fewer grumps

Police in Summerside are encouraging drivers not to be so nice by yielding their right-ofway and waving other vehicles out into traffic.

It’s great advice, especially when the courtesy is offered at busy intersections or parking lots where a grateful driver may be inadvertently directed into the path of an oncoming vehicle. Resulting collisions are entirely preventable.

While ill-advised, these gestures are at least coming from a good place, unlike the actions of a few “grumps” I’ve encountered on Island highways.

At the top (or bottom) of my list is a driver who offered my teenage daughter some not-sohelpful advice as she was taking her first drive on the highway. Understandably nervous, the 16-year-old was driving well under the posted speed limit of 70 km/h, but only for about a two-kilometre stretch.

I first became aware of the “grump” behind us when she started tail-gating and drifting across the solid line, eager to pass but aware that doing so would be against the law. Tail-gating, though, seemed to be A-OK. As we merged into a right-hand turn towards Summerside, the driver rolled down her passenger window, scowled and thrust her middle finger at the novice driver. The visual came with several expletives, loosely translated for this family newspaper into something like, “You’re not a very good driver … dear.”

I was reminded of that colourful exchange a few weeks ago in the parking lot of a Charlottetown-area business. I had parked in a space at the end of a row of cars but clearly, I could have backed up a bit more so drivers could more easily see around the corner. Had the driver who detected my error simply pointed it out, I would have thanked him and corrected the mistake. But as he drove around my car, he opted instead to roll down his window and insult my driving ability, punctuated with a profanity as he zoomed away. Grumpy, indeed.

I can think of only once I felt the need to “grump” to a fellow motorist. I’d just bought a newto-me car, freshly painted and looking fine. It was 30 years ago but in my mind, the collision still plays out in slow motion — a car on a side street runs a Stop sign and into the path of my prized car. It’s too late to avoid the collision but by accelerating, I manage to limit the damage as the car strikes my back fender and rips my bumper completely off. Ready to demand an explanation, I stomp back to the offending vehicle. Sitting behind the wheel of a car still idling on the sidewalk is a man well into his senior years, staring straight ahead. I ask if he’s OK. He nods, slightly. At that moment I realize I can fix my car but for this senior, still trying to figure out what just happened, his driving days had likely just come to an end.

Really, I had nothing to grump about.

So while police rightly caution motorists not to be so nice because they’re causing accidents, grumpy drivers should be advised to lighten up, as well.

After all, as comedian Red Green says, “We’re all in this together.”