Commuting with Tom

As I have a fairly lengthy ride from home to work each morning, I thought this would be a good place to post some of the follies and foibles associated with sharing the road with some of the world's worst drivers -- Las Vegas drivers.

Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Not a bad ride overall. Only cut-off once and not even by someone with California license plates. No one tailgated me this morning, either.
Soundtrack: Chris Isaak, "Always Got Tonight"
Beverage consumed: None
My bad: Ran a red light at Oakey and Campbell.

Grade: A-

Thursday, July 14, 2005
Note to all aggressive drivers: Do NOT advertise who you are with personalized license plates. Case in point, the woman in the silver Chevy Impala who, on I-215 westbound this morning, raced to pass me then came to a near stop in front of me when, trying to depart the freeway at the Sunset/airport exit, she realized there was a wall of traffic and no place to go. She finally did sneak ahead, on the shoulder, cutting off a pick-up truck in the process. Congratulations, Miranda! You're the Cheesebrain of the Day!
Number of vehicles changing lanes or turning ahead of me without signaling: 4
Beverage consumed: Double soy latte
Random thought #1: I hate that giant reader board sign at Mandalay Bay on northbound I-15.
Random thought #2: Mandalay Bay's giant reader board sign makes the little signs behind it for Luxor and Excalibur, the ones with the billboards and scrolling text, look rinky-dink.

Grade: B+

Friday, July 15, 2005
From the "How did that happen?" file: One of those little flat-bed type construction trucks, on the northbound side of I-15 and straddling the Jersey barrier in the median -- facing southbound -- with no other vehicles involved.
My bad: Intentionally sped-up to prevent a white car with a "W '04" bumper sticker from entering my lane.
How I made up for it: Slowed down to allow a lady in a green Toyota to enter I-15 at Russell Road. She did not have a "W '04" bumper sticker on her car.
Schlocky magnetic "ribbons" observed: 4 (two yellow, one pink, one red, white and blue)

Grade: A

Monday, July 18, 2005
Must be Monday: While buying a double soy latte at It's A Grind, I realized I had left my cell phone at home. So, driving back to get it, I ran a red light at Wigwam and Eastern. Then, three-quarters of the way to work, discovered that I left my water bottle for the gym at home. And I can't remember where I put my watch for the gym, either, even though I took it from my nightstand when I went home to retrieve my cell phone. But I made good time.
Soundtrack: KNPR-FM
Times cut off: 4
Times cut off by a small pick-up with a "Support Organic Farming" bumper sticker: 1

Grade: B+

Tuesday, July 19, 2005
I'm not sure about other metro areas around the country, but in my own Vegas-centric way of looking at the world, I would say it is a safe bet we have the most debris along our roadways than most communities of our size. Of particular note this morning was the median on I-215 east of Las Vegas Boulevard, where I counted among the Big Gulp cups, work gloves, shredded tires and sundry other crap not one but two coolers -- one red, one blue. Somewhere in our valley, a couple of contractors are slapping up poorly-built houses with nothing in which to store their bologna sandwiches and Red Bulls.
Beverage consumed: None
Smart move on my part: Allowing a huge 18-wheeler with Ontario license plates to enter the lane ahead of me (can you say "roadkill" if I had chosen the alternative?)
Oddest vehicle observed: A small Mercury of some sort, green, with a non-factory red spoiler mounted on the trunk, a huge Nike "swoosh" on the rear window and the word "Puebla" emblazoned on a sticker above that, and Indiana license plates, on I-15 northbound at Spring Mountain Road.

Grade: B+

Wednesday, July 20, 2005
What a crappy morning. Woke up to find one fish dead and another, my favorite goldfish, dying in the koi pond. Not that has much to do with my commute, but it set the tone -- as did the woman in the SUV who pulled a Miranda at the Sunset/airport exit off I-215 (see post from July 14 above). Her driving skills, or lack of the same, led me to use my horn for the first time this week. Couple that with the guy in the pick-up who was not gonna let me get on the 215 off Windmill in the first place, no matter long my signal had been flashing -- and the couple in the van who almost did the same on the 15, leading me to muscle my Saturn Ion in front of them -- plus shenangians pulled by a collection of other assorted loonies, and this was my first truly aggravating commute of the week.
Soundtrack: An interview with Paul Anka on NPR; seems he has recorded swing versions of songs like "Jump" by Van Halen, "Love Cats" by The Cure and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. Sort of a Richard Cheese thing, but lacking the f-bombs. May still be worth buying.

Grade: D

Friday, July 22, 2005
An accident waiting to happen: Typically aggressive guy on I-15 northbound in a small SUV of some sort (not sure what make or model as most small SUVs look alike anyway), passing to my left only to whip around me and cross over over two lanes to the Flamingo exit, whereupon he again changed lanes to his left -- sans signal, natch. Not sure where he eventually got off, but mercifully, I did not see him after that.
Soundtrack: Bruce Springsteen, "The Rising."
Beverage consumed: Lemon-flavored Propel fitness water.

Grade: B+ (despite the aggresive guy, not a lot of traffic -- but it is Friday, after all)

Monday, July 25, 2005
I’m all for neighborliness. In this impersonal era, who isn’t? I am especially grateful for our neighbors – they have both helped us out immensely (he by helping with a flood in our back yard, and she by virtue of the fact that she was our Realtor). So when I saw them working in their front yard this morning, I passed along my thanks to her for helping with an issue involving our home warranty policy and a situation with our pool last Thursday. Of course, recent rains have ratcheted up the humidty, so while we were talking, I was sweating like a government witness in a racketereeing case whose cover has been blown, and who suddenly finds himself confronting a fellow whose middle name is "The Weasel." I wanted nothing more than to dive into the car and crank up the a/c. But instead, I told her we had new doors installed on the house over the weekend, which served only to lengthen the conversation. I managed to end our talk, deftly and politely, noting by my watch that I was running about 15 minutes late. Time well spent, however; never take your neighbors for granted, especially if they resolve flooded yards and help you buy your house at a reduced commission.
Soundtrack: Aerosmith, "Honkin' On Bobo."
Ohana to da max: A pick-up truck departing I-15 northbound at Russell Road with eight sea turtle decals on the back window – two medium honus on the left, a huge one in the middle and five little ones on the right.
Freemason specialty license plates observed: 1

Grade: C-

Tuesday, July 26, 2005
If you're gonna smoke, fine. If you're gonna smoke in your car, well, it's a free country. But if you're gonna smoke in your car, use the damn ash tray! Don't toss your cigarette butt out the window! What is that all about? Smoke in your car, fill it with noxious airborne toxins, but for heaven's sake, don't extinguish the cigarette in the ash tray -- I mean, who in their right mind would want that smell in their car? Must've been what the fool in the white car on I-215 east of Las Vegas Boulevard was thinking this morning. Yeesh!
Soundtrack: The Who, "Then and Now: 1964-2004"
Vehicles with license plate frames from Las Vegas-area dealerships but out-of-state plates: 2 (Alaska and New Jersey)
Other out-of-state plates observed: Alabama, Arizona, California, Louisiana, Utah, Washington
Near-accident experiences: 2

Grade: B-