Driving Etiquette

No, I am not talking about road rage, horn honking or talking on your phone. Nor am I talking about picking your nose, putting on make up, or shaving. I think we can all agree that none of these should be done while behind the wheel of a large automobile. Yet, I am sure we all have done at least one maybe two of these and will never admit which ones. It's ok! I can let one or two imperfections slide, just don't let it happen again!!

The driving etiquette I would like to discuss today is "To Sing or Not to Sing." I have been racking my brain for sometime now and cannot figure out why people are so hesitant to belt out a good tune once in while. And god forbid you throw in a dance move!! Personally, I find it very comforting when I see someone rocking out to a good Journey ballad. Think about it...that person is 50 times more likely to be in a great mood. Drivers who are rocking out are probably less likely to cut you off, tail you or just be an overall dick on the road. Living in Massachusetts, we call these jerks of the road "Massholes."

Ok, back to the rocking out while driving - what is so wrong with it?? Driving into work today I was jamming out to Daft Punk's "One more time" (GREAT driving/dancing song). Now, this is not a singing song, but more of a shoulder toss and slight head bop song. I don't usually pay attention to see if other drivers notice my jam session, but today I just did a quick glance here and there. Let me tell you, 4 out 5 people I saw looking at me were either smiling or just flat out laughing. Most people would have one of two reactions to this, one being pure embarrassment or two, which of course is my reaction, pure joy and satisfaction. I may have single-handedly made these people's day!! Think about it, most of these people are on their way to work, a part of the day that most people dread. While thinking about all the work they have to do before the Thanksgiving holiday, they glance over and see this chick (yours truly) rocking out so hard it shakes her car. How could this not make you smile?? I mean come on!! If you don't get even a slight chuckle out of that, I am truly worried for you.

This picture is not me, but perfectly captures the reaction of a couple of my fellow commuters this morning. I would like to clarify, I don't recommend you dancing or singing at a level that makes it dangerous for you or other drivers. While singing, please do your best to keep your eyes open and not closed while hitting the high notes. While dancing, I recommend a good shoulder shuffle and SLIGHT head bob, anything more could impair your driving and we don't want that!

So, next time you are in your car and a good song comes on, JAM OUT!! Not only will it put you in a better mood, but it will put the drivers around you in a better mood too. If you are a beginner, I suggest to start out easy-try singing to a Journey song or two. After you master that, move on to the dancing part with a shoulder toss or two. If you can do both of those safely, you can graduate to some Michael Jackson, be careful not to get TOO into it though. We don't want you trying to Moonwalk in rush hour traffic. And always remember, you are NEVER going to see these people again, but you will probably make their day and maybe inspire them to do a little jamming of their own. Please dance and drive responsibly!!