On my way to the grocery store today (you remember me, I’m the weirdo who actually loves to go grocery shopping!), I had to cross the railroad tracks. I always, always, slow down and look both ways before I go over these tracks. It’s in a fairly high traffic area, and I’ve always noticed that most people don’t stop. There are bars that come down and bells that ring when the bars lower, but I never like to trust my safety to that mechanism. So, I slow down and look. I think there’s probably 15 or 20 trains that come flying through here on a daily basis.
I actually had the person behind me blow at me today! I guess they were in a big hurry, and I, of course, was not. I looked in my rearview mirror and the guy had thrown up his hands, I guess to say, hurry up lady, you’re slowing me down. I got a little aggravated. I mean, after all, isn’t it the law to slow down at railroad crossings? I know I see school buses do it. I always do it. But apparently most people do not.
I have tons of pet peeves about driving and other drivers (tailgating, people texting or talking on their cell phone, women applying makeup while driving, people pulling out slowly and making me slam on my brakes, etc. The list goes on and on!) Normally this is not one of them, railroad crossings, but today it got on my nerves. Or at least that other driver got on my nerves with his reaction.
So, let me know if you fly over railroad crossings, trusting that the bars and bells will come down to stop you if a train is coming. Or let me know if you’re like me and slow down before you go over them. I guess I really am turning out to be a little ole grandma kind of driver!