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Driving

Discussion
May 14, 2010
by: basilvetas
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 The other day I was driving on the freeway and I began thinking how bizarre it actually is that everyone follows the rules while driving. True, there are those that speed, run lights, and commit other traffic violations, but for the most part people seem to follow the rules pretty well - at least compared to a lot of other fields in society. Really what I'm getting at is that people disagree over so many things: politics, religion, education, environment, industry, business, correct ethical and moral values, etc. but for some reason when it comes to the rules and regulations of driving, people seem to comply pretty well. There are so many situations while driving when it would be very easy to take advantage of the road, yet people refrain from doing it. The freeway is a good example of this phenomenon;  the slightest mishap can cause a huge accident, but most people don't take those extra risks despite how easy it may be. In fact, at least from personal experience, many people are friendly and cooperative on the road. Sure, there are those who cut people off and are impatient, etc. but I frequently see people stopping at cross-walks or slowing down for others to change lanes; why? Because it is the right thing to do. So why don't people act this way in other areas of life? The only reasons I can see for this is that due to the personal risk to their safety they aren't willing to break the rules, or, because of the fear of immediate repercussions (getting a ticket or fine), people are discouraged from doing it. This makes me wonder if we need to make changes in society in order for things to run smoothly. Is the only way people are going to work together if they are constantly worried about their safety? This idea reminds me of the book we read earlier in the year 1984, where the nation constantly remained in a state of war to ensure internal peace. "War is Peace" because if people are worried about their safety they don't want to take the risk of disagreeing or being confrontational. This is a pretty extreme idea in my opinion, however, and I don'y really think it is the best solution. I am interested to hear what other people think of this observation. Is this really a problem in our society that we tend to disagree on things simply because we have nothing to lose, and what might solutions be to get people to work together, like so many do out on the road. 

 

Comments

Basil,    I've often

Submitted by CassieAdams on Sun, 2010-05-16 19:05.

Basil,

   I've often wondered about this myself. In general I think it's true that people obey traffic laws more than one might expect given the fact that many of them are either easy to break without personal consequences. In The Great Gatsby, Jordan is a reckless driver because she knows that as long as everyone else on the road is being cautious, she can pretty much drive how she wants. In the book, her driving parallels her similarly reckless attitude in life. If the way people drive truly does reflect how they live, I guess it's a good thing that people obey traffic laws. But then again there's a difference between cutting someone off and conveniently overlooking a stop sign or red light on a deserted street at night (metaphorically, of course).

Basil- I have had the same

Submitted by Cricket on Sun, 2010-05-16 21:17.

Basil-

I have had the same thought. My favorite moments are when an emergency vehicle comes down the road and you just see all the cars pull over. It's like this simplistic beauty when everyone just works. I too wonder why people can't follow the rules in other parts of life. I don't think many people recognize what they are doing on the road as being 'right' or 'wrong' but more just a habit. If people in jobs or politics continued to do the right thing or work together, eventually that too would lead to a habit and the world would would just be that much better.

I really appreciate you bringing this up Basil; it's something I too have wondered a many times.

-Cricket