The Way of the Dodo

What is wrong with the drivers of today? That's a rhetorical question, but feel free to provide insight if you desire. 

Nobody gives the courtesy wave anymore! Except on Wednesday, when one out of two DID show me a thank-you. I was headed to town, and had to pull over on the grassy shoulder of our gravel road to let a sedan pass. Hmpf. You'd think it was my sworn duty to get off the road and allow others to go by me without moving an inch out of their unmarked lane. The road is muddy for everyone, you know. And not quite wide enough for two whole automobiles.

Out on the county blacktop road, I saw a full-size school bus approaching. I have a soft spot for school buses, having dedicated my life to school work. I was on a stretch that has no ditch, but a level access to a farmer's unfenced land. I pulled over with two of T-Hoe's tires in the grass, and waited for the school bus to pass. The driver WAVED at me! Not just the courtesy flick of two fingers off the steering wheel, but a full-fledged WAVE of the palm back and forth. It warmed my heart cockles.

Do only old people understand this courtesy wave? Many times, I stop and wait for an oncoming car to cross the low-water bridge. Maybe one in five give me the courtesy wave. Why don't people teach their children this age-old habit when they are learning to drive? It seems to have gone the way of the Dodo bird.

Nor do I notice drivers warning others of potential hazards. I was raised to give a brief flash of the headlights or bright lights if I had just passed an accident, or something blocking the road, to warn oncoming traffic that they needed to slow down. Nobody does that anymore. In fact, I am sometimes reluctant to give the warning flash, lest a driver take it wrong, and come after me with road rage. 

I suppose I'm expecting too much. I should be happy if drivers merely stay in their designated lane these days, and stop at red lights.