Well, this is sort of a Rant and a Rave all rolled up into one, which is better than when I just rant >>> with no rave!
My Rave part is that our daughter has come home for a three week vacation between her jobs. She just finished up in New Orleans, and is headed for Washington, D.C. in two weeks. (She’s been home a little over a week.) She’s going to her first permanent job (after three one-year-long clerkships) and I am already sorry about her moving way out to the east coast.
We were so lucky to have her close to us these past three years. A nine-hour drive to New Orleans from San Antonio will sure beat the drive out to D.C.! (My husband used to fly a lot for his job, and thinks flying has become a total pain to do these days. As for me, I’ve never been that crazy about flying.)
Anyway we are totally enjoying having her here!
Now on to my Rant! While driving to our favorite Chicago Style hotdog place, we were driving on a very, very busy six lane highway and the lady to our left, kept weaving back and forth. She would drive normally, then veer to one side, and then jerk back into her lane. I thought maybe she had been drinking, which ticked me off a whole lot. However, since I became totally fixated by her car so that I could (again!) “supervise” my husband’s driving, I was able to see into her car. You cannot believe how doggone ticked off I became when I saw that she was actually putting on mascara! This, while we’re on a busy 65 mile an hour road, which to some San Antonians means 70 miles an hour!
Good grief! (And I can’t stress that Good Grief enough!) I know people have busy lives, and need to rush from one place to the other, but REALLY? I have to admit that I have been known to “adjust” my makeup while stopped at a red light (peripherally checking out the other cars moving for when the light turns green). But, I just can’t fathom putting on makeup while driving on a busy expressway. And, as my husband pointed out, just imagine what that makeup looks like when she is done!
Please leave a comment and let us know if you have ever seen or (if you have the nerve to admit it!!!) done anything like this.
Here’s a follow-up I wrote about all of your comments, which are great!
Jerri says
Congratulations on your daughter being home – I remember how thrilled I was when my son moved back from another state.
I once witnessed a horrible accident. I glanced in my rear-view mirror and saw a woman leaning way over to use her own rear-view mirror to put on mascara. She, too, was all over her lane and the one next to her. Crossing the intersection of a fairly busy street, she didn’t notice the light had turned red and BOOM lots of crunching metal. I’ll bet the masacara wand didn’t feel good in her eye, either. I pulled over to check, but a cop had seen the whole thing and began to move us all along. I can only hope that, in the mascara-driver’s stupidity, she didn’t seriously injure the other party.
Isabella M says
On my way to work and driving on inter-state 95, there was a woman who was putting on make-up. I think anyone who misbehaves this way is nuts and has very little regard for human life.
Marie says
First, so glad your daughter is able to have a nice visit before heading east.
Second, oh yes, I have seen the mascara morons more than once but to date the worst offender I’ve seen is someone driving 70 mph brushing her hair with both hands!!! I just don’t understand their willingness to jeopardize your own life as well as others.
Doing things while you’re at a red light is perfectly acceptable as long as you go when the light is green (can you tell I’ve done this too 🙂 )
Blue says
I know a person who used to brag about driving to work in a stick shift VW, drying her hair, and eating spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread without nary a problem.
She also turned right into the passenger lane of the bridge across the river at Niagara Falls.
Rob says
Actually, ladies, if you have a silent observer line where you can call in (when using your cell phone, obviously wait till you can pull over or tell someone else the plate number and vehicle description-with a brief description of the offending moron in the makeup-if you can refrain from puking while behind the wheel) and report her as a road rage hazard-call in the car, plate and color and where you were when you saw her. A cop can probably get on the next exit and follow her for a ways to see if she causes an accident. As you all correctly pointed out, this is obviously not an isolated behavior.
At some point, she is bound to get seen by a cop exhibiting this behavior-just hope she doesn’t kill somebody before she is caught.
ex-cop in MI
I’ve never had kids but I did just get a nice pop-in visit from my niece on her way home to Vermont from Oregon. My dad is 89 and we never know how much time we have. She wanted to see him.
It was fun even if for a short time.
Alexis says
That is truly awful. Here in CA it’s the danger of these trophy wives driving oversize SUV’s everywhere and they have no clue how to drive a vehicle that large but they have to keep up with their neighbors or their pathetic lives implode. They weave, do not signal, cut us off and pull out in front of us while eating, yelling at their brats and talking on cell phones. I had 100 worth of groceries including a 24 pack of eggs in the trunk when one pulled out in front of me, causing me to slam on my brakes and all my groceries were destroyed and I further injured my already damaged/broken neck. She shrugged her shoulders and took off just leaving me there in pain with a mess in my trunk! SUV’s are a terrible danger to the road and anti-American as they use a wasteful amount of gas. No SUV driver can see a normal car from their seat. No suburban housewife needs one! They do not even know how to drive a 4 wheel drive much less a big truck. Case in point, my friend’s husband insisted she get one, she had two accidents within a month, one running over a kid on a bike. She could not see them! SUV’s are my rant, I loath them and think they are both stupid to drive as well as a terrible danger to the rest of us. They are also so ugly, why would any woman drive one? And before housewives claim they do need the room, bear this in mind, my Mom had 3 kids and no car, we took the bus or walked! No one needs an oversize vehicle! Get a normal car for God’s sake.
Marja says
Oh Alexis I so agree! I’ve read a lot about driver safety and SUVs are a bugaboo.
People seem to buy SUVs bc they think they are safer than regular cars. NOPE. They are simply a pickup truck chassis with a house stuck on top 😉 … highly unstable due to their very high center of gravity. They’re harder to stop bc of their huge weight and so are much more UNsafe for their drivers and passengers than a more maneuverable car.
I think their appeal is two-fold: (1) to the human reptilian brain — drivers feel safer bc they can see farther; drivers feel safer surrounded by all that space and “steel” and (2) to arrogance (bc these drivers show so much of it, cutting other cars off, swooping in front of us at the last minute, driving on our bumpers if we’re not going fast enough to suit them).
They scare me, bc they are so heavy and big and many of the drivers are arrogant young speeders or distracted moms/dads. Late for soccer practice? Just mow the other drivers down, heh. If I’m on a two-lane road and one rides my bumper I pull over a soon as I can to let these self-styled VIPs get on by.
Sad thing — parents buy these things for their new-to-driving kids. BAD mistake. A small maneuverable car stands a better chance of allowing them to get around obstacles and teaches kids to be better defensive drivers.
/rant over/ 😉
Sue says
While driving back from a vacation in Nashville a few years ago my hubby and I saw a woman driving 70 mph on the interstate reading a book that she was holding on her steering wheel. Crazy! As if driving isn’t difficult enough!
Margaret M. says
Please believe me when I say, I am not a goodie-two-shoes, but when I drive all I do is drive. YES THAT MAKES ME CRAZY TOO. The other day I was across the street talking to a neighbor and Samantha said, “oh my god! that woman who just drove by was eating spaghetti!” I mean really? It is amazing the things you see people do instead of drive.
Rob says
No Margaret, you are one of few sensible souls that do what they are supposed to be doing-for your sake as well as others! I’m thoroughly in support and agreement of driving while driving! You’ll get my vote every time!
Thanks for being so careful in your neck of the woods!
Rob
Linda 2E says
lol…not only have I never done it, I would not even think about putting make-up on while driving any speed! It amazes me we need a law about not texting while driving – really? Guess like the comedian said, you can’t fix stupid!
Susan* says
Ok, first off, for those who like me, are used to kilometres, rather than miles (No offense intended Danna!) 65 – 70 mph = 105 – 110kph. (!!)
Anyone who would try to do their makeup at this speed… well, let’s just say that I think that the chemicals in the makeup must have had an effect on their brain. (Assuming they ever had one to start with, that is!)
Apart from anything else, one of these days, if she keeps this up, she’s going to poke herself in the eye with her mascara wand, and then there is going to be *big* trouble!
Can you imagine trying to explain to an unimpressed police officer that a major highway pile-up was caused by your mascara? *Snigger!*
Your hubby’s right, too – she’s going to look like a raccoon!
I thought, at first, you were going to say that she was doing the ‘changing lanes to get ahead’ thing, like a guy who came screaming past me, on the road, the other day. (He ended up two car lengths *behind* me, btw, due to uneven traffic flow in the different lanes!!)
Anyway, Yay! on having your daughter home for a while – it’s obvious you’re close. Enjoy your visit with her and don’t let morons on the road spoil it!
Ellen Byron says
Oh, that kind of stuff makes me CRAZY. People are so cavalier behind the wheel. It’s terrifying!
Lynnsbooks says
I’m surprised it was make up related. Around here in Bucks Co., PA, people are texting or otherwise using their phones. It makes me mad to have to watch behind me as well as in front of me for these dangers on the road. I wish I had a horn in the back of my car honking backwards to alert them so they won’t hit me.
Marja says
Can you believe they actually have to make public safety ads about “texting while driving is deathly dangerous”?
Drivers are incredibly distracted these days. I live in a small city with two universities and when school’s in session, I’m on my guard. SCARY.
Jacquie says
First, compliments on your good taste liking Chicago hot dogs! ?Second, I’ve also seen the “masced” drivers. What are they thinking? There was a case here in Chicago where a woman driver killed a motorcyclist because she was putting on nail polish while driving. She went to prison. Third, your daughter being in D.C. will make a great opportunity for you to combine a visit with the annual Malice Domestic mystery convention in D.C.
cindy says
I’m glad you have a chance to visit with your daughter. Maybe you could take the train to visit her in DC
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Cindy, we’ve talked about taking the train, but we would need to change trains in New Orleans, making it an even longer trip.
Julia says
When I lived in So Cal, I used to see stuff like that all the time. Guys shaving or women putting on make up. A couple of weeks ago, we were driving on a freeway here in AR and there was a big truck weaving from one lane to the other. He almost sideswiped us. I was afraid he was having a heart attack or something. But as we sped by him, I looked and it seemed that he was just sleepy. He must have been driving all night and wanted to get to his destination. I was afraid he would kill someone.
Marja says
I recently called 911 about this kind of thing. Tired truckers are so much more common than they used to be. They’re under tremendous pressure (undermanned & underpaid).
Do call 911 anytime about this extreme danger!
Mahrie G says
Man – that’s awful. I have seen the reading thing that one person above mentioned. Now, here in Alberta, we have a distracted driving law. You can be stopped and ticketed for phones, texting, and yes – putting on make up or anything else that takes you eyes off the road! The ads they show here should be shown anywhere there are roads!
Glad you were not hurt.
Margaret StashEmpress says
OH WHAT AN IDIOT!!!! Besides the obvious accident risk, isn’t she worried about (literally) putting an eye out?????
Krys says
I’ve seen it all — people eating with a knife and fork, the plate balanced between their chest and the steering wheel; women doing a full makeup job while driving; people reading; guys shaving. Once on the freeway at 70mph, a woman suddenly disappeared, searching for something that apparently slid onto the passenger side floor; at that speed a lot can happen in seven seconds. (I know how long it was because I counted 1 Mississippi….) Once I was in the passenger seat when my friend who was driving changed lanes rather suddenly. I was putting on lipstick at the time, and got a line of it across my cheek; I sure wouldn’t try to do it while driving.
Amy says
While driving through Wisconsin on a highway about 11 years ago, I saw a woman “driver” who had a book propped against the steering wheel (!) reading. Not only not watching the road but making it difficult to actually use the steering wheel. Crazy.
Sarah says
Oh, brother. Yes, I’ve seen similar things and it really is amazing, isn’t it? I live in the Seattle area, which has DREADFUL traffic (almost as bad as L.A. now) with looooong rush hours. That’s bad enough, but when people act irresponsibly like The Mascara Gal I don’t blame you for being ticked. It’s scary!
The worst I ever saw up here was a time we were trying to merge onto Interstate 90 to head into Seattle from our town of Bellevue, due east of Seattle. You have to cross a huge lake, Lake Washington, to get to Seattle from here, and for that you have to drive across one of two long floating bridges. (Check out a satellite map of Seattle and you’ll see what I mean.)
One day, my husband was driving me into town for a job. We drive a van, so I was up fairly high and could see into a woman’s small car right next to us. She was READING HER MAIL while trying to merge onto a highway!!
Neither of us could believe it. An accident waiting to happen if I ever heard one.
Congratulations on your daughter’s graduation. I used to live in NO a long time ago; it’s one of my favorite places.
Sarah Gunning Moser
Bellevue, WA
Sheila in CT says
Makeup putting on while driving is nuts. But also so is eating your breakfast or lunch and driving at the same time. If I tried that I would be wearing my food not eating it. Another irk are the people who exit their driveways or turn a corner to get in front of you (you look in the rear view mirror and no one is behind you but they couldn’t wait) and then drive at a snails pace in front of you.
Enjoy your daughter’s visit.
LindaMH says
Danna,
So glad you get to spend some time with your daughter before she leaves for D.C. Washington is a great place to visit–so much to see. Now you have a reason to go! As for crazy drivers–yes, I’ve witnessed many situations while commuting to and from work. Here are three that stand out in my mind:
*A man reading papers placed on his steering wheel
*A young girl with long blond hair who decided to brush it by placing her head down below the dash so she could brush it from underneath
*And the most unusual–a man brushing his teeth while driving 65 miles per hour–still don’t know what he was spitting into–yuck!!
Some people just don’t think!!
Marja says
Danna, that is a lovely suggestion to schedule a visit to DC during Malice Domestic, especially if your daughter likes cozies too 🙂
I completely agree with you on the makeup thing and have been known to whip out the lipstick at a stoplight. … but oddly, the light usually turns green when I’m halfway through! I’ll hold the lipstick like a cigarette, both hands on my wheel, waiting for the opportunity to finish the job, but the lipstick seems to work almost like a talisman … all the lights in succession will be green too.
I’m amused/disgusted to think of all the mascara women poking themselves in the eye ..!