Sometimes it’s better to give than take
We’ve all learned as kids to share things and work together with others. For those who play team sports, you’ve learned the same things from your coaches. Quite often, we can benefit by working together as opposed to working as individuals. The same can be said while driving. But, how can you work together with other drivers and still benefit yourself?
With the latest of snow we’ve received, the snow plows have been very busy clearing our streets. The snow banks tend to make our roads narrower and if you add a parked vehicle to the mix, it’s pretty much impossible for two vehicles to pass one another at the same time. That is unless you learn to work as a team.
I’ve often witnessed two drivers trying to enter the same small space on the road at the same time. This usually ends up with neither driver making it through until someone gives. As I peer through their windows I often see both drivers flailing their arms and hands at each other; blaming the other driver for the blocked passage. What would have happened if one of those drivers slowed to let the other past before they got there? Wouldn’t that allow both drivers to continue along their trek?
Typically, the driver who has the parked vehicle in their path should let the oncoming driver pass if they all arrive at that point at the same time. That’s because it’s their lane that’s blocked and they’ll have to move into the oncoming lane to pass. However, if the driver with the parked vehicle can pass the tight space before the oncoming driver can, like the driver in this photo did, then go for it. In reality, I also slowed down slightly to let the driver proceed ahead of me. My slowing down cost me maybe 2 seconds off my travel time. Not a big deal at all.
Maybe, just maybe if we can all learn to give and take and not just take, we can all reach our destinations a little safer. Maybe it’s something we can soon (snow) bank on.