Are all BMW owners total asses?

Now I must admit I was a bit worried I would piss people off with that title. But really? I own a mini, they are made now by bmw, so don’t worry kids. I am insulting myself too!

Shortly after my return to the daily commute began, I stated noticing behaviors on the road. The way certain cars would maneuver through traffic. 

It became interesting to me the patterns that began to emerge. The first and foremost one that I could see on a daily basis, and call it a true pattern, was the way BMW drivers managed the road.

With all the types of jerks on the road that can be rude, the highest percentage has to go to the ones who rarely put on their license plates, and feel privileged beyond normal means that the road belongs to them.  These drivers are truly the ones who purchased the self-help book “Changing Lanes: The Right To Take What’s Yours”

The way they bunch up to other cars that are in their way and then suddenly swing into another lane practically pushing the poor car they cut off, out into the wild! Its amazing you don’t see more BMW’s in wrecks. 

For the first of several days I continued to be plagued by snotty drivers in their beemers. I began to find it humorous.  True in my cute lil ol’ mini, I could be a jerk just as much.  However, I have this thing for liking to use a turn signal when I change lanes. Call it old fashioned, but it’s what I do.

The other group of cars that could easily be lumped into a group type, were Toyota owners.  Now they are just the opposite of the rude bunch described above. They go the speed limit. Sometimes even slower! 

In fact it reminds me of riding with my grandparents when I was a kid. “No need to go above 50” are the words I hear echoed. 

So you traverse down the freeway, with one set of cars zipping in and out. Becoming annoyed that their choice of lane wasn’t as good as they hoped, so they zip in and out some more.  For the most part, they are zipping around the OTHER group. The Toyota owners. It kind of reminds me of a pinball machine when you hit the jackpot and a whole bunch of balls come flooding out, and you whack at them and they dance around the bumpers and obstacles on the playing field.  Chaos, I believe it is called.
 
Low and behold, I had planed this article for a week. In fact it was why I wanted to write the blog. So when I finally come to write it, I have no fresh inspiration from BMW’s!  All this week, I have hardly seen one on the road!  What changed? Then it hit me.  Vacation week.  They all took the week before labor day off!
 
Well then, nice Friday commute for me tomorrow. I think I will take the 101!

What? I commute on the 101 and 280? Am I crazy????

For my first commuting blog, I had intended more of an introduction post to start things gently. Alas my title has jumped into the fray and instead we cut right to the chase. However we shall pause briefly and still introduce just what this blog is about.

Three weeks ago, I started a job with a long commute. It is the first commute I have had in over 10 years. I live in San Francisco. I used to pride myself in having a job that allowed me to walk or even ride my bike to daily. It was great until the great layoffs in the recent "non depression".

After 2 years of occasional contract work and really not much of anything, I now find myself working in Sunnyvale. My first thought was SUNNYVALE? Down the peninsula?  That is a long ways away!  But then I looked at the map and said no sweat! Its only 42 miles away!

42 miles, yes. Easy? No. This was 42 miles on the dreaded 101: That snarled scrap of freeway that attempts to connect travelers up and down California. It is particularly snarled between San Francisco and San Jose.  Sunnyvale lays seemingly innocent along this road.  What the unwary traveler does not realize, is the horrendous backup that occurs where the bridges across the bay dump thousands of luckless commuters onto an already overcrowded freeway. This would be the Dumbarton and the San Mateo bridges. 

Who in the world thought the center of silicon technology should lay in the middle of such a rats nest of roads?  Is it their goal to protect the valley from people trying to steal technology?  If so I can’t imagine a better way than to prevent anyone from being able to drive there!  If this is their goal, they have succeeded.

My first drive to my new job was just 50 minutes. That was easy. I thought I would love this drive! Well, that was on a Friday. I was unaware that everyone in silicon valley takes Friday off. Probably so they don’t have to commute.   The coming Monday?  My first commute, 2 hours.  Traffic jams, accidents, mattresses, and a chicken all cause havoc upon the road. 

The dread began to grow on me.  I realize that this was no quick commute. And the following days proved to be even longer, and only occasional at the standard 90 minutes of heavy traffic.

It struck me right away the odd reasons for the delays. Accidents yes. But Mattress? Chicken?  I suddenly remembered my first commute drive in 1998 where on the radio it was reported “Traffic backed up on bay bridge because of pig on the road”. 

Mattress, chicken. Pig. Garbage can. People having sex on the side of the road, wow… this proved to be a most interesting commute after all!

Determined to keep a good attitude, and the suggestion of a friend to keep my sanity, I have started this blog. I will report my observations and try to find the absurd upon the 101 and the 280.   I will try to keep the wordage down, as I tend to add a few to many.  But on particularly bad days I promise nothing!

Onward we go dear reader!  The traffic awaits!

Stay tuned for our first real installment: Are all BMW owners total asses?