Slug Tales
Uuuuuggghhhhh…
You’ll have to excuse me, as I’m still a bit carsick from my slug rides today.
Unfortunately, I have a tendency to get motion sickness unless I’m driving, which I rarely do since my building does not offer parking for most employees. However, I slug back and forth to work all the time and can generally handle it without any problems.
But not today.
This morning, I almost didn’t think I’d make it to my office without getting sick. The driver we rode with, a lady who used her rental car as an excuse for her horrible driving, was all over the road. Distracted by all of the unfamiliar buttons and adjusting the mirrors every few miles, she would find herself drifting off into the other lane before jerking the wheel back to her own lane.
“Wow, I’m telling you, there’s nothing like driving your own car!” she laughed.
Here’s an idea, I thought. Why don’t you just pay attention to where you’re going and stop playing with all of the shiny buttons? I managed a disingenuous laugh instead.
Despite barely driving the speed limit, which is 65 mph in the HOV lanes, our driver couldn’t seem to gently tap the brakes when necessary. Instead, she’d almost slam the brake pedal, sending us forward in our seats each time.
I closed my eyes and attempted to escape to my happy place, but it was too much. The swerving back and forth, the crawling pace, even the sun beaming hard through the window – I couldn’t handle anymore. By the time we got off of the exit and ended up at a traffic light, I quickly took the opportunity to jump out and walk the rest of the way to my office.
I needed fresh air.
By the afternoon, I had all but forgotten about the bumpy ride to work. When I hopped into the backseat of a car, all I wanted to do was close my eyes and wake up back at the commuter lot. I was so exhausted! But when the driver peeled away from the slug line like Speed Racer, I quickly realized that this ride would be anything but relaxing.
Hybrid drivers, who don’t necessarily need to pick up slugs in order to access the HOV lanes, have a reputation for being some of the slowest on the road. I’m not sure why, but I’ve found the stereotype to be fairly accurate in my experience. This driver was certainly out to disprove that. I watched as his speedometer climbed to 75, 80, 85 mph He was driving pretty fast at times, but it wasn’t the speed that bothered me so much. It was the tailgating, the weaving in and out of traffic, slamming his brakes when the cars ahead of him weren’t traveling at lightning speed. It was borderline terrifying!
Keeping my eyes closed, I said a quick prayer. Then I contemplated typing up a quick will on my iPhone. You know… just in case.
I never said a word, never asked him to slow down or to drive more cautiously. Perhaps I should have, but I’ve never felt comfortable speaking up when someone I don’t know is driving erratically. After all, slugs are supposed to be seen and not heard – and what if a seemingly simple request to drive safely escalated into an argument? I’m not a confrontational person, and the very thought of such a thing gives me anxiety.
Thank goodness he was driving so fast; at least we arrived back at the commuter lot quickly, instead of dragging out the ride as we did this morning.
I jumped out the car at the first stop at Horner Road, wished the driver a good evening and walked back to my car. On the outside, I probably looked worn out and tired. On the inside, I was kissing the ground and thanking my lucky stars that we’d made it back in one piece.
It has taken me a while to recover from the stress of both slug rides, but such bad luck is pretty uncommon. My fingers are certainly crossed for a smooth ride tomorrow!
