Herd Instinct

While driving to work this morning, I was once again reminded that I should write about a certain topic, but continually forget to by the time I get home. Even though I drive right through the reminder again, and grumble about it all the way home. Perhaps this isn't something that bothers most people, or maybe its something everyone just thinks is normal, but it bothers me somewhat. So I will pose a question. WHY do people on the freeway like bunching up together like frightened African prey animals? Its true. There will be long stretches of zero cars on the freeway, and then clumps of shee... I mean cars, packed so tightly together that they could be passing cookies and coffee through open windows. Hell, who needs cell phones, just roll the bloody windows down and have a chat with the cars' occupants clustered around you. Meet someone new; socially network face to face, glance to glance while you drive on the freeway. Its really no worse than having a Borg implant.

Just remember, if you happen to be a herd animal, that if someone slams on the brakes, you're all going to die in a twisted, burning, wreck of exploding horror. I won't be with you. I'm anti-social. I'm the, I'm sure many times cursed, person who drives at a sane speed and in the gaps between the herds. Sure, I'm probably more likely to get hit by a speeding distracted nitwit, but at least I have room to maneuver. While traveling in packs, unless they are synchronised driving teams who train for stuff like this, you run into someone. For the synchronised driving teams out there, no offense intended.

All annoyance aside, I began wondering if there are scientists out there who study driving patterns, and if so, what are their findings? Is anyone even watching the prey drivers and the social-driver loners? Considering only my Mom reads this blog (or at least she's the only one who comments) I'm not expecting answers. But if someone out there is looking for a place to study flocking patterns of the human animal while driving, then I've got the perfect freeway for you to watch. Let me know. I'll point it out.

And at the end of all this, I feel I should say that normally I'm not this cranky, but I today I have a splitting headache. It makes me irritable, cranky and generally unpleasant company.

... perhaps I should've put that at the top as a fair warning...