I knew traffic would be bad here – clear as mulled cider (the weather is just right for this metaphor) – but I had hoped that this volume of traffic would lend itself to safer driving habits than I had seen elsewhere. Disappointed again. Traffic is hell everywhere it turns out.

So when did the stop signs get reinterpreted to mean “slow down?” Since when is it okay to not stop at traffic, light, even cut people off, when you have a red light? Have the traffic gods granted us special permission to act like nuts? My message for all the traffic-clogging lane-swapping tailgating freaks out there is simple: Slow down like the rest of us. Is it really so important to rush and get to your destination three minutes earlier? I don’t know about you, but my work isn’t going anywhere until I get to my desk. It sits patiently while I travel and will still be there even if I am 20 minutes late.

I beg you – slow down. Stop at red lights and stop signs. It not only reduces accidents but it will be good for you to relax a little, Mr. No Patience.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Carl Weaver

Carl Weaver is a writer and brewer for RealHomebrew.com and has been making beer and wine for more than 20 years. He is also an avid photographer and writer and just finished his first book, about a trip he took to Thailand to live in Buddhist monasteries. He considers himself the last of the Renaissance men and the luckiest darned guy in the world. Follow him on Twitter.