Poor drivers make 'new start' difficult

Every year about this time, it is not unusual to feel like it might be a good thing to start fresh, be a better, kinder person.

I felt driving around the Northwest suburbs could be a good place to start. Wave some people on through, let someone else go first, don't crowd the person in front.

On Jan. 1, I was pulling into a parking space at a convenience store when a guy backed out without ever looking. This forced me to lock up my brakes and go slightly up on a curb to avoid hitting him. When he finally did look my way, I gave him a little shrug of my shoulders, kind of a "What was that?" gesture. He flipped me the bird and drove off.

On Jan. 2, I was driving down a residential street when a large truck was sitting in a driveway. The driver looked right at me, put the truck in gear and pulled out.

Again I had to lock up the brakes and skid to a halt. My office is right by a large warehouse that always has several trucks coming and going, I am familiar with the "I am much bigger, they will stop" attitude. It is extremely impolite as well as kind of dangerous, but it does work.

On the third, I sat through an entire left turn green arrow behind a woman who was on her cell phone, putting on make up and may have been doing a crossword puzzle. (Not sure about the puzzle but something kept her from proceeding when the light was green.) She made up for it a few blocks later though. She drove right through the clearly posted stop sign.

Be a polite, kind driver. I should have tried to quit smoking. It would have been easier.

Marc Thomsen

Elk Grove Village