There are quite a few things that I would consider my pet peeves (more than I realize).  I will share one with you today:

For those of you who do not live in the Knoxville area or at least do not visit it often, this will mean nothing to you.  However, those who do, I’m sure you’ll agree.  I take Pellissippi Parkway to Lovell Rd., then Kingston Pike to get to work in the mornings.  It’s technically not the “fastest” route, but I find it’s the least life-threatening.  Going down Lovell Rd., you’ll find a series of redlights, several awesome restaurants and an intersection that leads to the ever popular (and patience testing during rush hours) Turkey Creek, home of an amazing assortment of shopping and eateries, all within about a mile and a half.  Around 7:30 am, Lovell Rd.’s traffic starts picking up pretty heavily, but the majority of drivers are very considerate, letting me off of the Parkway exit and allowing me to get in front of them.  Everyone pokes along for the mile or so that is 2 lanes, but it’s tolerable.  After a mile of snail’s pace, the road splits into four lanes (and one turning lane), but before it does this, the “new” right lane that develops starts out as a “right turn only” lane, followed by the street you turn right on, followed by the plain-Jane, regular right lane.  I usually get into this right lane, but only after I pass the street that follows the “right turn only” lane.

My issue?  Several times over the past few weeks, some person, usually a snobby looking older woman in a SUV, wants to come barreling down that right lane as soon as it becomes available.  I keep an eye on them, making sure they’ve turned before I get into the right lane, when…They don’t turn.  They speed through the “right turn only” lane, past the street and right into the right-hand lane.  What have they accomplished?  Well, they pissed me off, for one.  They also passed one car:  myself.  And they sped up to about 70 mph for about a quarter mile before…They have to stop at a red light.  Stop dead, at a red light.  If they insist so much on being in such a hurry that they cannot abide by the rules clearly stated by the huge painted white arrow on the road, why don’t they just go on through the red light, too?  Traffic laws obviously don’t apply to them and if that were me, I’d take over and pick it up to about 90mph, even if I did fishbone someone going toward the shopping areas and making myself look like a total ass.

If you drive normal, which I’m sure most of you do, thank you.  If you see yourself doing something like I’ve stated above, please, I beg you, drive into oncoming traffic.

Enjoy today’s haiku:

Sorry there, buddy
Speeding while on Lovell Rd.
Hurrying to stop