Do Student Drivers Really Have THAT Much Power?

So....I woke up late for work yesterday and was rushing (not excessively speeding, mind you) across town in a futile effort to get to work on time. As I'm driving 45-ish in a 45 MPH zone I suddenly came to a clog of cars on the road. No one was going over 40 MPH...no one. I switched lanes in hopes that my new lane would be going just a little bit faster so I could inch my way closer to work. I assummed, naturally, that there was a law enforcement vehicle (city, county, state police, etc.) in the lane so everyone was meticulously checking their speedometers and avoiding a traffic ticket.

However, since I worked for a police department for 8+ years and realize that cops are people too, I understand that going a few miles over the speed limit AND PASSING A COP ON THE ROAD will not automatically make you the proud recipient of a speeding ticket.

Back to my story...so the lane I was in was going a little faster than the other lane and when I was able to see who was actually going the speed limit and slowing down all of the traffic I saw, not a police vehicle, but a student driver. WHAT?!?!?!? Since when are student drivers on par with police officers?

After thinking about this I've come to the conclusion that, in an effort to be a good example to the student driver, all the other drivers actually followed the rules of the road (aka: mirror check, head check, signal, etc.). Maybe there was a sudden and inexplicable outpouring of empathy from everyone as they mentally reverted back to their days as a newbie driver in a car.

I don't know, but I was gobsmacked. C'mon people! I'm late for work! Needless to say I eventually passed the student driver and continued on my merry, law breaking way.

NOTE: Just to reassure you, Mom and Dad, I really wasn't a speed demon...just a handful of miles over the speed limit...and I was only 15 minutes late. Not bad considering I woke up 15 minutes before I was supposed to be at work!

Beware: It's a jungle out there

I'll admit that as I'm writing this I'm supposed to be working at my office (temp) job...but I need a break from folding 500+ monthly statements and stuffing envelopes.

So as I've been "working", I've been people watching out the window. In my voyeuristic pursuits I was watching the mailman (mailperson if you want to be politically correct) getting the office mail from the mailbox. At that moment I realized the mailman (because he is actually a man) was wearing a pith helmet.

Someone answer me this, since when has a pith helmet been needed to pick up and deliver mail? Are so many cats chasing you down the street in their desire to thwart the delivery of the mail so numerous that head protection is needed? Is it so dangerous to open and shut mailbox doors and lower flags? Is the threat of papercuts so prevalent that head protection is needed? I think not.

What's next, office cleaning crews wearing Haz-Mat suits? Okay...that one I can see, especially if they're headed into the bathrooms.