Anyone noticed how rude all drivers seem to have become lately? When I was young, and learning to drive, I was taught, "Courtesy is the golden rule of the road." At that time, professional truck drivers were the most courteous. You could depend on it. Sadly, that's no longer true. On a recent road trip to Arizona, we encountered many professional truck drivers who were courteous, but about half were downright rude, cutting off other drivers, passing other trucks SOOOOO slowly, making a rolling roadblock that lasted literally miles, while more than a dozen cars were backed up, waiting to pass, refusing to dim headlights, etc. All the kind of things you expect pros to avoid.
There have always been some rude truckers, and even now, there are many who are courteous to a fault, but the ratio has changed dramatically. Truckers used to be models of courteous behavior on the road. You could depend on it. The few who weren't were the obvious exceptions. Now, based on our recent road trip lasting four days, it seems to be reversed: the courteous ones stand out as exceptional. What's behind the change? Are there just more trucks on the road? Is there more pressure on truck drivers to save every minute? Or does this reflect on a less courteous population of drivers in general?
I don't know the answer to this one, folks. But the truth of the observation is out there for all to see. Just get out on the Interstate and go. You'll notice the difference right away.
