Driving in Texas

This blog took a break last week while we were in Texas visiting family. The week included a six hour drive from the Hill Country to the Fort Worth area. The relative giving directions pointed us away from I-35, the route Google Maps suggested, and towards going up route 16.

Route 16, for the most part, is a two lane road. I knew this and worried, thinking we'll never get to Fort Worth on this tiny road. My fears subsided when I realized that, since towns are few and far between, the speed limit is 70 miles per hour for most of the trip. I thought, if this road went through Massachusetts, we'd be lucky to get 50 miles per hour.

One thing that impressed me with the trip is how good and courteous Texas drivers are. On route 16, if a car comes up behind, looking to pass, it is common courtesy to pull into the bread down lane (which is pretty wide) and let the car pass. That way there is no one getting upset for miles while driving behind a RV going 45.

The freeways are the same. When traffic has to merge, cars "zip" with respect for one another, taking turns. There are no cars trying to get ahead of the rest, which usually causes backups anyway.

The freeways going through the cities are magnificent to watch. It is common to see two highways going over another highway, in what looks like a roller coaster ride. It actually does look beautiful.

Why all this travel talk? Well I have thought over the years that you can learn much about people, individually and as a culture, by the way they drive. Somehow, the trappings of "niceness" disappear in the car. I once heard an expert on this subject say that, since you cannot see the face of the other person, since you cannot make normal human contact, something more primal often comes to the surface. Think of it: if you bump into someone on the street or at the office, the first thing to come out of your mouth is "sorry!" It's almost automatic. Not so on the road. Somehow, more of who we are, in all its ugly truth, comes out on the road.

No doubt, Texas is a completely different culture from Massachusetts. Teenagers still refer to their elders as "sir" or "ma'am." A huge percentage goes to church regularly. Families matter, and family rituals matter. Parents have time for kids. Values are passed down.

These might sound like vague generalizations, and I certainly know that Texas does have its share of problems, including problem families and agressive, mean people. Yet I think about this drive through Texas and then think about our drive home from Logan airport, back to Quincy. It was the 4th of July. A minivan and a suv were in front of us. The minivan, in front stopped as a light turned yellow. The suv in back slammed its breaks. The driver blaired her horn. You could see road rage all over the driver - just because the car in front of her obeyed the law.

Driving does say a lot about a culture. Perhaps Texas can teach us a few things. Slow down, you don't have to rush to everything. Take it easy. Enjoy the things that matter in life. Be kind in the most ordinary things you do. Even if you cannot see the face of the person in front of you, he or she is a human being and deserves the love and respect that all humans should have. Perhaps they had a really bad day, maybe a tragic one - who knows?

One thing I do know, life is much better when people are courteous and obey the law on the road and during the rest of our lives.