Damn you, New Jersey Drivers!

New Jersey has the reputation for having some of the worst drivers.  We don't use turn signals, we don't merge well, and if you aren't going at least 5 miles over the speed limit, god help you.  Now, I don't claim to be the best of drivers.  (Why did the image of my husband smiling, patting my shoulder and saying "oh hunny... you aren't even a good driver." just pop into my head?)

"Good driver" this!

But I do have an expectation that the basic rules of the road will be followed.  Unfortunately, we often must share the road with even more hanus drivers than ourselves.  I had to do so yesterday and unfortunately, I might be the one to pay the price.

I was approaching a green light, intersecting with a major and very busy street.  As I heard the sound of sirens, I glanced in my rearview mirror to see the firetruck coming.  Like all drivers should, I stopped before the intersection and pulled slightly off to the side to let it pass and turn.  Apparently the driver behind me was annoyed I hadn't immediately slammed on the gas pedal, jetting across the intersection as the light turned yellow in the few seconds after the firetruck had cleared my windshield.  So her solution was to go around, cutting me off as I'm less than halfway thru the light.  Of course, this means I had to break to avoid getting hit and lands me right in the middle of the street when the light turned red.  Not a huge deal, right?  It happens.  The other drivers will wait to let me get out of the way.

But the part that really ticks me off?  I know that intersection has a red-light camera and I was caught right in the middle.  At least, I know there is one going the other way on the busy street.  Time will tell if there's one going my way.  In other words, I'm standing by the mailbox, rolling my eyes and tapping my foot, for a ticket.

Of course, I will dispute it if I do get one.  Hopefully they will have the whole thing on the same tape.  It just seriously irks me at how completely unnecessary her actions were.  It totally wouldn't have been worth an accident!  But the icing on the cake was watching the same driver 10 yards ahead whip around, making an illegal left turn into a shopping center while cutting yet another person off.  And not a cop in sight.

Ah, stupid New Jersey drivers.  You(we) are the true genesis of road rage.  Congratulations.