An Open Letter to the Driver Doing 45 MPH in the Left Lane With Their High Beams On.

Hi, it’s you again. I pass at least two of your kind a day going the other way, and I’ll always get stuck behind one of you at least once a day. If it wasn’t for auto-dimming side and rearview mirrors, I might react with some road rage, but for now my hostilities will be put into words.

Your kind knows no ethnic boundaries. You are never always a male or female, and never of one faith. Age is also irrelevant, as is type of car or social status.  But it seems that you all are under the impression that no matter what time of day or night it is, high beams are a good idea. And why not?  Nothing says “I’ve arrived” like serving up a whole dish of blinding HID goodness to your fellow motorists who still use that tungsten based  method of illumination.  Maybe you think that bright blue icon on your dash means your headlights are on, and no one ever told you differently (I call it a blue comet looking thing). Who cares right? You aren’t the one being blinded by oncoming traffic. I bet you feel smug and safe in your car on the parkway, knowing that everyone sees you. They might not see the pedestrian, road hazard or disabled car on the road because they are blinded but hey, that’s not your problem, right?

But why are you in the left hand lane doing well below the speed limit? its called the passing lane.  I get that some people are a bit slower, and some like to drive with their brights on, but why both? Are you really that unaware of your surroundings and the rules of the road that this seems like a good idea? I wish one of your kind would go on the record to tell me what you are thinking as you cruise along, creating a wake of traffic and disgruntled drivers behind you. I really am at a loss for words what can be going through the minds of these people.

Your cousin, the no-lights-on-at-night person?  He called and wants to know that he appreciates your enthusiasm, but he will remain in the top spot of most unaware driver on the road most likely to annoy and /or kill others.

So, on behalf of the commuters of Metro NY, Long Island and NJ, I beg of you, that driver doing 45 in the left lane with your brights on, to at least move over to the right. If you cant move over to the right due to some other reason, try pushing or pulling the column stalk on you car, and realize that with the amount of streetlights and light pollution we have, you barely need headlights much less high beams.

And if someone gets behind you and starts flashing their high beams, realize how annoying it is, move over, and check to see if that little blue comet-looking icon in your dash is on.

NY thanks you.