Defensive
Driving
He drove until he
came to an intersection, a stop sign facing him from the right. Also to his right, on the road running
perpendicular to his own, was another car, also coming to a halt on account of
another sign. A four-way stop. He waved for this second car to pass, which
it did, the driver raising his hand in gratitude.
The man felt so good
and compassionate inside for allowing another to continue before him that he
decided to let yet another car to pass in front of him, while remained at his
stop. This filled him with an such
immense sense of satisfaction and good-fellowship that he simply waited at the
intersection, staring hopefully at the three signs at each of the other
possible avenues, for more people whom he could wave along in kindness.
Minutes
passed and countless cars rode on containing drivers perhaps a little happier
than they had been moments earlier, for they had witnessed a gesture of true
samaritanism.
A
heavy knocking shook the window. A
large face, weathered and angry, glared at him through the glass, motioning for
him to roll down his window.
He
did.
“What
the hell do you think you’re doing?
Look behind you!”
He
looked in the rearview mirror: a line of cars stretching to near infinity
behind him. One of them honked. He stared back at the angry man, still
glaring. “Go!” he said, pointing
forward.
Another
car came to the intersection opposite his own, but he pressed down the
accelerator without letting it pass, denying one more person a moment of happiness. He proceeded forward, troubled by humanity’s
selfishness.
— S. Parker
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