The Crittenden Automotive Library

Drivers who shouldn't

Drivers who shouldn't

Gus Philpott
Woodstock Advocate
February 2, 2009

There are some drivers on the road who just shouldn't have licenses. My pet peeves are tailgaters and those who stop unnecessarily, when they hear a siren. The lady (errr, woman) driving this car won the prize today!

I first noticed her behind me in Crystal Lake, where the two westbound lanes narrow to one just west of Route 176. She was so close behind me that I could not see her front license plate in my rearview mirror. And that's close!

The speed limit there is 35MPH, and she was itching to pass. The heck with the fact that it's a no-passing zone and that there was heavy eastbound traffic.

Then she about ran over me at the 40MPH sign just west of the traffic light at South Ridgefield Road. She was leaning hard against the driver's door, as it that was going to help her see over or around my little car.

Once we got to the 50MPH zone, she backed off just a little but then came up very close behind me at the light by MCC. And that's where I was able to read her license plate, just in case she hit me and took off. Illinois license - A75 6984, on a grey Ford SUV (Expedition?). I mean, how much time was she going to save by riding my bumper???

When the roadway opened up to four lanes near Culver's, around me she went! And then back into the right-hand for a right turn onto Lake Avenue.

There was a paramedic vehicle eastbound on Lake Avenue with lights and siren operating. It was on the other side of the median on Lake Avenue at U.S. 14. It was going to turn left toward the hospital. It was not on "our" side of the median, moving against traffic! And so what does this woman do?

Right in the middle of the right-turn lane from Hwy. 14 to Lake Avenue, she stopped. Not just pulled over to the right and slowed down, but she stopped dead in the roadway.

Dumb! Stupid!

The only time you have to stop for an emergency vehicle is when it is necessary to allow it to pass safely. And where do I catch up with her again? At the red light at Lake Avenue and Route 47. I thought she was going to run the red light, but she didn't. Well, at least she did one thing right.