I’ve lived in Dallas, TX for 45 years. Over that time one thing has become crystal clear; there’s something in the air or the water or the ephemeral plasma that transforms this person:
Into this person:
Like I said, maybe it’s the water.
Whatever it is, (thankfully) it doesn’t affect everyone. Lots of people drive safely and actually live up to the Texas slogan “Drive Friendly”.
But some do not.
Some people not only consider all driving laws driving “suggestions”, some obviously consider them challenges to be overcome.
Red light? Can’t\won’t tell the difference between green\yellow\red.
To them all the lights mean scream through the intersection at the highest possible speed with zero regard for anyone.
Stop Sign? That means scream through the intersection at the highest possible speed with zero regard for anyone.
School crossing? That means scream through the intersection at the highest possible speed with zero regard for anyone.
School zone? Obviously one should scream through the intersection at the highest possible speed with zero regard for anyone.
Are you sensing a pattern?
Listing all the different ways these drivers destoy the very idea of safety would take more time than we have in this universe.
But it’s not the water, or the air, or anything like that.
You may have noticed that, in the good old USA we live by one seemingly pervasive concept: The world in yours and you must take it any way you can.
Me first, everyone else who the fuck cares.
Dallas culture is the same, just dialed up to Eleven.
Squared.
Making the horrifically bad choice to drive somewhere, anywhere in Dallas doesn’t just mean risking your life. It means risking the lives of everyone you have ever known.
Don’t know how that works but it’s right there in black and white so it must mean something.
In visiting other big cities in Texas and elsewhere it becomes very clear to someone accustomed to the terror driving in Dallas: These people are different.
San Antonio, TX is a very historic and beautiful place. And the people actually drive as they cared about their own lives and maybe others too.
Same in almost every other Texas city.
The solution:
This is the only one that makes sense to me:
Have a nice day.
