Friday, April 26, 2002

Road Rants

Things that make my blood boil while on the road... and they're all people. In random order, they are:

1. The non-signallers. Those who do not know how to use their turn signals. Many do not signal at all (thinking that we all have ESP and therefore know what they'll do next). I've even seen some who were signalling for one direction but going the other. How funny is that?

2. The speeders. Okay, I once was. But I've stopped being one (although Jing still claims I am). It was just too stressful. On the other end of the spectrum, we have the very slooooow drivers. They're fine most of the time but I think that they also often cause traffic to build up.

3. Corollary to #2, the speeding truck drivers. They have no business speeding. Slow trucks are okay. Well, I often pass them as I can't stand being behind them but they don't make me mad. After all, they're carrying my Big Mac. Without them, how would the businesses survive?

4. The lane-weavers. Many of these lane-weavers are non-signallers and speeders, too. Have they ever heard of the word "accident"?

5. The sneakers. Those who, from out of the blue, will cut in front of you, often without signalling (of course, they don't have time to do that). And frequently, they do this even if there's no car behind you (or it's several feet away) and there's very small distance between you and the car in front. What satisfaction does one get from doing that? The good feeling of not being the last in that lane? Is second to the last any better? It's just beyond me.

6. The last-minute-mergers. You know how at junctions, traffic often builds up? There are many drivers who are just not patient enough to queue up and move along with us. Instead, they will pass all of us and merge into our lane at the last minute, right where the road splits into two, often causing traffic to also build up in his lane and occasional honks from the cars in either lane.

7. The selfish. Those who will just not let you get into their lane. Instead, they'll speed up until they've passed you. Thanks for making way... not!!!

8. Carpool violators. Need I say more?

9. Drunk drivers. The ultimate no-no!!!

10. I wish I had a tenth one. But I can't think of anything else. I'll update this blog once I come up with one. Mr. Letterman, if you're reading this (yeah right... dream on...), this would be a good Top Ten List, only incomplete for now.

I drive 160 miles to and from work every day. And I get to share all those 160 miles with these people. Why can't they just be normal like me? ;)

If you are one of them and you happen to be my friend, well, you're still my friend. Just don't let me share the same road with you. ;)

Btw, the name of the company that had the billboad ad in my previous blog is Polycom. We use their products here at work. Still not sure which of the two meanings the billboad was trying to convey.

Later!

Monday, April 22, 2002

Duasense

Finally, another blog... I was driving on 101 on my way to where Jing worked when I saw this billboard ad that said "Because waiting isn't working". I didn't catch the name of the company. Anyway, I dwelled upon that sentence for a couple of minutes and thought that it had dual meaning. It could mean waiting is not the same as working (or in math, waiting equals working). Meaning, when you're waiting, you're not being productive. Or it could simply mean that waiting does not work. Now, as for which one the ad was really trying to say, I have no clue. If and when I see it again and have a closer and longer look, maybe I'd know.

I wonder if there's a technical term for sentences like that. duasense perhaps? Yeah, let me coin that now. Let it be known that duasense is a sentence (or a clause or a phrase) that can mean two (or more) different things. I just looked it up at dictionary.com and no, it's not there.

By the way, while we're on the topic of "meaning". I wanted to share this link:
http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/odb/odb.shtml

Visit it every day and make you life more meaningful. ;)