Shoulder pains

Thanks for the well-wishes, everyone. Don't panic, I feel much better today. I just caught a rather nasty head cold that sapped me of all desire to exist. I hope I never say the words, "Ugh, I don't have the energy to e-mail" ever again.

As I was driving to Osco Drug today to pick up a box of Kleenex (because God knows I went through the 75 in my first box in the last three days), I noticed another interesting Chicago driving phenomenon that I wanted to comment on.

Back in Jerseyville, there wasn't much traffic to speak of. But there was one habit of Jerseyville drivers that was sure to cause some sort of road rage. In Jerseyville, a city of two-lane roads, if someone wants to make a left turn, you're stuck waiting behind them until they make the turn. But Jerseyvillians (Jersey Villains?) are not that patient. They have places to go and cows to tip. So they pass on the right. On the shoulder. But only some people did it, and the cooler-than-thou crowd (i.e. me and mine) decried the practice as hickish and unclassy.

In Chicago, EVERYONE passes on the right. AT BUSY INTERSECTIONS. And if you, for some ungodly reason, do not follow suit, YOU GET HONKED AT.

Is this dangerous? Of course. Illegal? Probably. Common, accepted practice? Definitely.

It gets to the point that you want to make a left turn and the guy across from you does too, you can't just assume it's safe for both of you to go, because the crazy people will probably start passing on the right as soon as the light turns.

It strikes me that this is yet another piece of information that should have been imparted to me by my roommate. (Failure!)


P.S. Dinosaur Comics, how offensive!