Traffic Buttheads

I am NOT a fan of control freaks.

There are three lanes, but a hundred yards past the light, the left-most lane ends. We all usually let the impatient types take that lane, and we KNOW they're going to scoot on ahead and try to break in in front of us. I figure, let them. Better to have that kind in FRONT of you than behind you, you know?

But, today, the two right-most lanes were full-up, the left-most one was pure empty, and the light was about to go green as I was approaching, so I shifted over to the left. That way, I wouldn't have to brake, see?

'Cept for the butthead in the white Whazziz, some SUV-wannabe thing. He was in the center lane, which was the lane into which the left-most lane would merge.

He slammed his foot to the metal, there, determined to make sure I did NOT cut in front of him.

'k.

Like I said, I don't want THAT kind of person behind me. So let him get in front.

Except as soon as I merged in behind him, he put his foot on the brake, and pretty much rode that brake pedal, keeping in line with the slowest car in the right-most lane. If the car to the right sped up slightly, SUV-Wannabe would speed up to match him. If the car to the right slowed, SUV-Wannabe slowed.

I knew that I'd get a break a few miles up, when a new left lane would appear. The guy could NOT take both lanes, not realistically. So I stayed behind him, watching his antics, until the new left lane appeared. I hung back, watching him. He stayed in the center lane, still even with the car to the right of him. I came up on his tail, then, and without signalling (there were no other cars on the road), shifted down, moved into the left, and accelerated my little Miata heart out, passing him easily while he was braking (because I was too close and he wanted to teach me a lesson, no doubt).