Saturday, October 28, 2006

Viva Las Vegas...Or Not!

I love living in Las Vegas.

Really.

The only thing I loathe is the traffic. Specifically, every other driver on the road with me.

Las Vegas, after all, is one of the fastest growing cities in the US.

Unfortunately, the infrastructure is seriously lagging behind. The roads are just not equipped to deal with such a massive influx of vehicles, and it's getting worse every day.

Factor in all the tourists who decide to rent a car and spend their time alternately gawking out their windows at the sights and perusing their maps, and you have a recipe for disaster.

Thursday night, for example, I had two near misses with vehicular carnage within five minutes.

I was cruising eastbound on Flamingo, on my way to school, when I decided to get over into the right lane in preparation for making a right turn onto Eastern...and had to slam on my brakes because two cars were stopped to let a man on crutches jaywalk across the street. Six lanes of traffic, by the way.

I wanted to tell the idiot to throw away the crutches, because I was going to put him in a wheelchair! Not to mention what I wanted to say (and do!) to the morons who actually stopped to let him limp his way across.

Two minutes later, my adrenaline still pumping, I had just made that aforementioned turn onto Eastern Ave., when I was forced to slam on my brakes again because of three nimrods who decided not to wait to turn into a shopping center from the center turn lane.
Naturally, only the first two cars made it into the parking lot, the third car stopped, blocking two lanes of traffic.
I screeched to a halt about two inches from the passenger side of that car.
Good thing I don't have a gun in my car. 'Nuff said.

I know what you're thinking...road rage, moi??!!

Actually, I've gotten much better at controlling my temper while driving, which is good, because my kid has a total potty mouth now thanks to me!

Hope you all are having a great weekend, I know I am, since I'm done driving the dangerous Las Vegas streets for the day.

More to follow, just taking a breather.

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