My route to work is 19 miles, mostly on back roads. On the way to work, during the first 15 miles or so there are only 4 places to pass in the opposing lane (not that some people really wait for the dotted line, but I do). It's pretty common for me to get stuck behind a horse trailer, a dually hauling God knows what, or some type of farm machinery.
I live around DC so this morning as you probably heard I woke up to some snow. 3 inches of heavy, slushy stuff when went to clean off the car. Schools are closed, the Feds have shut down and most people are staying home in anticipation of a whole lot more snow this evening. My company almost never shuts it's doors.
Roads are fine, little to no accumulation, just a little slush here and there. I get behind a prosthetic limb colored Nissan Altima about two miles into my journey. They're braking hard at every little thing that even looks like snow/slush and it's getting aggravating that no matter how much of a gap I leave, they always seem to close it. I'm eagerly anticipating and hoping that either they turn right on the major route going South or that the first passing lane will be empty of snow. Nope, they don't turn and there is traffic in the opposing lanes on the first three passing zones. Ugh....
One passing zone left to go, it's an uphill stretch in the woods (no shoulder), only about 1/5 of mile long, with a blind crest on the far end. The speed limit is 35 mph and I can't see a bit of slush on the road.
No oncoming traffic.
I left a gap and then I gunned it (I'm in my wife's 1995 E300)
I make it to 45 mph behind the guy and move on over.
He picks his speed up. Grrrrr....
My front bumper is next to his rear wheel. OMG there's lights coming toward me!
Crrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaap......
I release the pedal, dab of brake and coast back behind him.
He slams on the brakes... Honking while gripping the steering wheel hoping it will help the car stop. I just barely missed rear ending him.
Turns out he freaked out about going through a very insignificant puddle that's in an indention in the road surface.
I end up at a light 2 miles away next to him. He rolls down the window and screams "what's all the honking for!?!?!"
What!? Are you freaking kidding me?
I kept my window up and drove on. Right after that the sight of a WRX driving too fast and ending up in the median on the highway lifted my spirits.
