Neanderthals in a Truck

Posted under the category of, Tailgated Again by Neanderthals in a Truck

I'm driving from Phoenix to Gilbert, Arizona this morning in our Nissan LEAF. I'm headed south on 101 going with the flow of traffic at about 70 or so in the commute lane.

I look into my rear view mirror and what do I see? The grill of an older pick up truck filling my mirror indicating a special closeness to the rear of my car.

I speed up to 75 and the truck catches up and gets closer. Up to 80, same thing only closer. Now we’re at 85 and we’re closer yet. Now he’s flashing his headlights and high beams, like I'm going to pull over, because you know, 85 is just too slow.

That's when I decide I'm foolishly facilitating stupidity because of my own stubbornness and ego.

I slow down to 65. Now this idiot is practically on top of my rear bumper at 65 mph. Right around the transition to 202 San Tan, he finally breaks off and crosses all lanes of traffic to exit the freeway.

He nicely gives me the single finger salute before almost driving right into the freeway exit sign because he's looking at me.

Genius.

I reflect.

What is it that sets these mindless morons off that they would put me, themselves and everyone around us, in significant physical danger? How do they go from presumably just driving to work at 7:00AM, to literally picking a fight with other random vehicles at high speed on the freeway?

How does a mind work, or not work that causes them to flip off a total stranger for simply driving down the freeway?

A car that looks different, that has a YGETGAS license plate driving in the commute lane... legally?

How is it that this has happened to me so many times?

How are so many people so stuck on stupid? Are they so brainwashed by the fossil fuel industry that any option other than gas is an affront to them?

Do they ever consider their undying support of gas as a propulsion system for their ancient technology vehicles is providing direct support to oil rich nations that seek the destruction of America?

Clearly not.

Do they ever consider that by purchasing gas over their entire lifetimes that they are directly funding both sides of the war on terror?

Clearly not.

I'm starting to think the Model X may not be the option for us I was hoping it would be, (just kidding, that’s the electric vehicle that’s perfect for us if we can afford it someday).

But if I had the money, I'm starting to think a giant all electric pickup truck with ELECTRIC POWERED plastered all over the side would be the way to go to help people understand electrics are not threatening to their tender sensibilities.

Maybe I could add signage that says, DRIVING ELECTRIC USES DOMESTICALLY PRODUCED, NON-POLLUTING FUEL.

Perhaps, DRIVING ELECTRIC STARVES OIL NATIONS WHO HATE US would work.

Maybe, DRIVING ELECTRIC IS THE MOST PATRIOTIC THING YOU CAN DO would break through.

Do you think any of those statements would get the point across?

If I had that spare money, I'd build a big electric truck starting today, maybe with ALL those messages on it.

Of course our Neanderthal friends would find even those statements somehow offensive, as it doesn't fit into the "gas guzzling ditto's Rush" crowds broken ideologies.

It’s all gas all the time or something is wrong in their minds.

How sad.

The upside? In 50 years, we’ll all be gone and our kids and grandkids will be wondering what we were thinking when we used highly toxic, dangerously flammable, ridiculously polluting liquid fuels to get ourselves around.