Has anyone else seen some odd things on cars lately? Specifically two things. I’m talking about the “Student Driver Please Be Patient” magnets and the yellow construction lights on trucks. Please tell me this is happening everywhere. I’d hate to think that the type of people that would do this only live in the area I live in as well.
First I’ll address the “Student Driver…” stickers/magnets. It goes along with my annoyance of “Baby On Board” signs. Why am I expected to change the way I drive because YOU have a child in your car? YOU are responsible for making sure your child is restrained properly in a car seat. YOU are responsible for obeying traffic laws and speed limits. Don’t tell me how to drive because you decided to procreate.
So with these “Student Driver” magnets, what message are you trying to convey to me? Are you telling me that you let your kid drive your Audi even though he’s only had his license for a week or two? That’s not on me, that’s on you. Is your child timid and unsure of their driving ability? Perhaps then they shouldn’t be allowed to drive without a guardian in the car until they’re more confident.
And why is it that whenever I get a look of the driver of one of these vehicles, it’s usually one of two people:
-a middle aged soccer mom who obviously is NOT a student driver. No, she’s not one of those rare people who hasn’t driven for all of their adult life and has just now gotten behind the wheel to feel more independent. Is the magnet for you because you want people to be nice to you or is it for your kid and you just forgot to take it off after the last practice session?
OR
-it IS a young adult who DID probably just get their license. However, they’re like most kids who knew how to drive when they were 10 and now mom and dad will only let them take the car out if the magnet is on it, because ‘MAYBE it will prevent an accident… somehow….’
But 9 times out of 10, as I pass the car, the kid is paying more attention to their cellphone than the road. So to ask me to “be patient” is horrifyingly laughable.
I‘m going to provide the same patience I would to ANY other motorist on the roadways. You do you legally and safely, I’ll do me legally and safely, and we’ll all get to where we’re going legally and safely.
Then there’s the flashing yellow construction lights people are putting on their pick-up trucks. Why?! So you can go places that only construction vehicles go? Because we’re supposed to think, “Oh, that person has to get where they’re going because clearly they’re hauling important construction materials that are needed, so I’ll get out of the way!”??
I understand that in this area, almost every major road is under some sort of construction. Are you so desparate to “fit in” with all the ACTUAL construction vehicles? Because, Newflash!: your Ford F-150 Limited Edition with leather interior and dual-pane sunroof doesn’t even know the definition of real construction.
These lights are obviously non-OEM, aftermarket crap bought from Amazon and installed (probably incorrectly) by the driver. I’m just trying to understand the point of them. Do they make you feel important? Do they make you feel special? Do they allow you to live the life you imagined you’d have as a kid, playing with your Tonka Construction Vehicles set and you’ve always wanted to be a construction worker when you grew up?
These things make me angry because I feel like I am expected to behave differently when driving near cars that are displaying them. On top of that, I don’t understand WHAT is expected of me. If you feel the need to make a statement with your car, just stay with the political bumper stickers, the stick-figure family, or the 26.2 sticker because I don’t care if you ran a marathon or not. I’ll keep my “My Dog Ate Your Honor Student” sticker.