“People are dumb.”
“Our society is seeing its downfall.”
“Social media is a cesspool.”
We have all heard — or said — some versions of these phrases. Calling out groups or whole bodies is way easier than singling out an individual we know. Even harder is pointing at the person in the mirror.
Aren’t we all people and part of society? Aren’t most of us on social networks?
This same conundrum exists in the driving environment. Any time I discuss traffic with folks, other drivers are some of the worst they have ever seen. And I agree. I spend many of these columns pointing out bad habits and scenarios other commuters put forth on the streets. But what about me?
Truthfully, since becoming a traffic reporter in 2004, I have tried to remember to display defensive, unselfish, and careful behavior behind the wheel. I have especially tried to keep this mentality since I started writing in this space in 2017.
But even if I fail at this one time out of 100 (and I fail more often than that), just that one time can be the difference in life or death. Or it can be the difference between spreading goodwill and ticking off someone. A wavering of the code by just one percent of the time also makes me a part of the “others” we all curse.
A recent debate has recently come to a head in NASCAR. Hosts of drivers have complained about etiquette on track, each saying that “other drivers” don’t show respect for one another and run each other over. But they rarely call the other drivers out by name, and not one of them says that they themselves should dial it back. The closest to any sort of mea culpa from a NASCAR Cup Series star is to say that the dog-eat-dog nature forces them to act as such.
In any case, they say disrespect isn’t the driver’s fault. It is the collective’s fault. The aggression is a byproduct of the environment. Someone should do something!
Another example is from the Bible in 1 Samuel 12. King David of the Old Testament slept with his friend’s wife, got her pregnant, then essentially had him murdered, so David could “make it right” and marry the mother of his child. The prophet Nathan then came to David and told him a story about a rich man who had everything he needed, but he killed his poorer neighbor’s prize and only lamb to eat it.
David became full of rage and claimed that the rich man should be put to death. Then Nathan looked at David and said, “You are the (rich) man!”
David instantly became full of regret and remorse.
Georgia has ranked in the top five in the United States in traffic deaths in the last few years, with traffic deaths increasing despite our cars being made safer. This pattern needs to break.
Change always starts at home or in the mirror. If most of us can agree that something on these barbarian streets needs to change, we have to start with our own hands.
The same small excuses each of us make are the same ones we see others doing and about which we complain. And each one of those allowances could trigger delays, anger, or worse, tragedy.
If we want a better society or social media experience, we must spread kindness and use tact. And if we want the roads to be safer and more friendly, then we need to be the tip of that spear: “We are the drivers!”
Doug Turnbull, the PM drive Skycopter anchor for Triple Team Traffic on 95.5 WSB, is the Gridlock Guy. Download the Triple Team Traffic Alerts App to hear reports from the WSB Traffic Team automatically when you drive near trouble spots. Contact him at Doug.Turnbull@cmg.com.
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