Good Behavior on the Road

After my daughter obtained a learner's permit, she noticed other drivers' bad behavior. "That person didn't signal," she would report. Or she would note, "That car didn't come to a full stop at the 4-way stop sign intersection", "Is that okay for that SUV to drive on the right [shoulder] and cut ahead of everyone?" and more.

One afternoon after dismissal time, I was driving on Muncaster Mill Road past Magruder High School when my daughter commented, "Oh, no wonder everyone is driving slowly ... There's a police car.”

Sure enough, a police cruiser was right in front of me. I glanced around for an accident but thankfully saw none. During this usually busy time, the scene was unusually calm. Traffic was heavy but cars were merging politely and everyone seemed mellow. No one was in a rush or tailgating anyone else.

This scene confirmed an adage I once heard: "People don't speed when police are around." I think this saying is applicable to different situations when people are temporarily on their best behavior, like Office workers don't surf YouTube while the boss is in and Shoppers don't cheat at self-checkout when a clerk stands nearby.

And now I apply this adage to a new scenario: don't speed or curse at other drivers when my student driver is also in the car.

Easy Rider

Now that Bowie Mill Road has been repaved, I love driving on it. To me, the “smoother than a baby’s bottom” ride has been worth the one-lane traffic and weather-related construction delays. The only bump that could mar such street sleekness would be a talking bump – like the one in "The Pothole" Seinfeld episode, when George dropped his Phil Rizzuto keychain in a pothole that was later paved over ... a bump which shouted, “Holy Cow!” whenever a car ran over it.

I am glad that the Bowie Mill makeover is complete in every sense of the word. A friend’s street was recently repaved by PEPCO (or another one of those ubiquitous companies digging up the roads in Olney) in what she describes as “a half-a—ed job.” Literally. I drove down her street and sure enough, exactly one half of the street is dark and even while the other half is gray and pocked. I wouldn't be surprised if drivers spoiled by Bowie Mill Road would mistakenly drive down the wrong side of the road on her street just to stay on the smooth side. Come to think of it, I might have done just that. Luckily there was no oncoming traffic.