the devolution of Rick

Four years ago when I went to visit my good friend and former college mate Jarrett - who had transplanted himself from Seattle to Orange County - I was surprised and frightened to discover how aggressive of a driver he had become. Having grown up in a rural Eastern Washington town (which is synonymous for speed trap); Jarrett was an annoyingly cautious driver (we once relieved him of all of his driving shift obligations on a Pullman to San Diego road trip, because we wanted to arrive before our vacation was over). Less than a year after migrating south from Washington; he had transformed into a tailgate-riding, abrupt lane-changing, stoplight-running, horn-blaring, stereotypical California driver. I was amazed at how drastically he had changed.

Two years ago I moved downtown, and - I've become that impatient driver. I don't know exactly when it happened, but I've found myself consistently annoyed at the bevy of hesitant drivers on the road lately. I think this is what city life does to someone. When I lived in Kirkland and commuted to Seattle, I would marvel at the difference between I-405 drivers and I-5 drivers (Eastside vs Seattle). When driving along the 405, commuters will allow you to change lanes in front of them, sometimes even waving you in. When driving around Seattle, people act like you're committing an atrocity against their soul if you even consider merging lanes in front of their Obama decaled Subaru. I'm not this guy. However, I am the guy that will throw up my hands in frustration if you make that inexplicable second stop at stop signs. Or if you drive WAY below the speed limit because you're not totally sure where you're going, and apparently don't want anyone else to get to their respective destinations before you find yours. Or if you wait more than one minute for a parking spot; because gridlocking the entire lot isn't nearly as important to you as parking 30 seconds closer to the gym or Costco. God forbid you get more exercise in your sedentary day. And yes I know the left lane thing has been beaten more times than Jason David (go Cougs), but seriously if you're going the exact same speed as the vehicle to your right - GET IN THE RIGHT LANE.

Am I proud of this personal development? No.