defensive driving

I like to pretend that there is an invisible car on the road. Maybe it's the influence of a Herbie movie or certain comic books, but I never completely trust my perceptions enough to rule out the possibility of a car that I cannot see.

So I use my turn signals even when my car is all alone on the road. And I try to slow down before I reach intersections, to give the invisible car in front of me time to move out of my way. I move slowly in parking lots, and try to keep from driving through parking spaces, just in case an invisible car is parked somewhere at the edges of the parking lot. I figure it's their own fault if the invisible car is parked in a place I would actually want to park.

This method of driving didn't suit me all that well when driving in heavy traffic, but then I expect that invisible cars wouldn't travel much in such conditions.

But someday I just know that I will be changing lanes too quickly or pulling up to a stop-light and experience that sickening crunch that says my car will need expensive body work. And I'll be pretty angry if that other car is invisible. It'll be their fault, right? But regardless I will have spoiled their secret mission, and I'll probably feel guilty.

Lunch today was Culver's take-out. A butterburger with cheese and everything else, with a basket of fries, ketchup and a Diet Coke. I wanted a fried cheese curd, but I never asked for one. So that's my own fault.