Everyone says Massachusetts drivers are the worst in the United States, so when we arrived I was somewhat concerned about what I'd discover on the roads.
So far I can't tell that Mass drivers are much different from Bay Area drivers, but here's one thing: The first week we were here this woman in a purple car tailgated me all the way home-- jiggity jig-- about six miles. I was surprised because, while I'm cautious, I'm no Sunday driver. Sometimes I'm a bit of a Saturday driver-- just get me to the stinken party already.
Then she followed me down the dirt road that leads to the lake and stopped to check her mail the same time I did. So, we're neighbors. I thought she might apologize at the mailbox for her rude driving behavior or at least look at me with sheep eyes, but she said nothing.
I've been harumphing about it ever since. Every time she drives by I think, "There's the purple tailgater!"
Then yesterday it occurred to me that I am quite often tailgated around these parts. I really am not a slow driver. I try to go no faster than six miles above the speed limit because I often have visions of deer and moose leaping out from the dark of the trees, but that doesn't seem unreasonable.
So now I've decided that tailgating is just the way most people drive around here-- maybe it's even on the driver's test. However, I will not be picking up on the habit because my California sensibilities still tell me tailgating is downright rude, but I guess I 'll have to stop all of this harumphing now.
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