Dec 8, 2007 -
Courtesy Is The Antidote To Offensive Driving
In order to be courteous to a fellow human being, one first has to be aware of them… to notice the reality of them… isn’t that correct? The dictionary uses the locution “consideration toward others” to define politeness.
Let’s consider this for a second, shall we? The more you go on toward being an expert driver, the easier it is to discover that the common denominator to defensive driving is your feel of what’s going on beyond your car body bounds.
Most all the issues, less one, that can turn you into an evil driver revolve around actions inside the car. Phone calls, chatting to passengers, text messages, enjoying music… all this is what distracts you from concentrating on fellow drivers.
Another part is your attitude. Ponder it, if you are irritated with something, a car is not the best spot to be and you should be self-aware enough to adapt your driving until you calm down, or not drive at all. Your standard should always be politeness.
If you are courteous then a bunch of nice things are going on in that processor in your brainpan. When you are respectful, you are paying attention to what’s transpiring outside. You are also mindful to other drivers' needs, which is as good as it gets. There are tons of chances on the ordinary ride around town to be respectful to others. They may not invariably notice your respect, but they usually do. In my long experience those small good turns you donate to complete strangers usually get returned to you by other complete strangers as if by white magic… kind of cool actually. You unexpectedly notice drivers letting you into tight spaces when before they acted up like dorks… white magic I advise you.
If you will only try to be as courteous as possible to other drivers for a week, I predict you will be astounded. It actually switches your whole perspective on driving while at the same time clearly identifying you as a true jimdandy. Who among us doesn’t aspire to be a jimdandy?
What winds up going on, is that you shortly find yourself seeking opportunities to cut the other guy some slack, which makes you feeling proud of your actions. It also focuses you… pay attention here… focuses you beyond the bubble in your car. You are concentrating on what’s going on out there much more, when you try to be courteous to other drivers.
This small practice in human relations can propel you from a so-so driver to a safe one in no time. So… you if you want to be an expert driver, it is easy… just cut the other guy some slack. Even if they don’t recognize it, you will be a best human being and a safer driver for doing it.
