The Soft Courtesy Wave

Length of Shower: sure, I'll let you in--So the other day I was driving along in a four lane highway when this other driver came out of nowhere and cut me off.  Of course I was pissed and immediately started thinking bad thoughts about the driver and his car.  Thoughts like, "Who does this @#&hole think he is?"  and "Why is he so much more important than I am that he needs to get to his destination first?  What a D!$%."  But then came a nice little wave in front of the rearview mirror.  A small wave, directed at me, as if to say, "I'm sorry, that was closer than I thought" or perhaps "thanks for letting me in, I'm in a bit of a hurry.  I owe you one."  Either way, it calmed me down rather quickly.  I began to think nice and sweet thoughts about the driver.  Thoughts like, "What a nice person!  I bet they are a doctor on their way to save a whole family from leukemia or some rare form of a blood disease.  What a great guy!  I hope to be like him someday."

The following day as I was driving in the right lane of a freeway I approached an on-ramp and noticed a car about to share a lane with me.  "Hmmm, will they go ahead or behind me?" I thought.  That's when that same type of hand appeared but this time out of the open window of the driver's side.  The hand reached out and spoke to me in a way that said, "I'm here, can I please merge in front of you?"  I naturally let them in because I felt better and less stressed about the approaching delemia.  The delemia that was now solved. I felt secure because we were communicating as drivers sharing a road instead of hogging it for ourselves.  It was pleasant and nice and even freeing to be driving and thinking about other drivers that way.

So, I began to use the "Soft Courtesy Wave" myself after that.  Whenever I needed to quickly change lanes in order to make an exit, I would use the "SCW" to warn or apologize to other drivers and let them know that I am not a mean or selfish or evil person, but rather I am a nice guy.  This seemed to work for a while and things were going rather well and I was getting places faster and happier than ever before.  Life was gooooood!

But too much of a good thing can never last, and that's when it happened.  Not to me, but close.  I was waiting patiently in a right turn lane and planning my next "SCW" when the car in front of me suddenly bolted into his right turn excercising his right to turn on a red light.  He was in mid "SCW" when the car he pulled in front of plowed right into the back of his car causing metal and glass to fly everywhere!  Both drivers were unharmed but both cars were totaled.

That's when I realized that the "SCW" was something not to be abused but rather something to be used with caution and only when needed.  Taking unecessary advantage of the "SCW" doesn't make you a nice person it just makes you an unsafe driver who is trying to feel better about themselves by over using the "SCW".

Drive Safe Everyone!