On the Flip Side

On Friday my friend was in town to check out some graduate schools in DC and was staying with me, so I decided to drive in to work for a couple of reasons.

1. I didn't want to overwhelm her with the concept of slugging at 7am on Friday morning. I planned to pick S up right before we got on the HOV lane to make the three-person requirement and to make S's commute in a bit easier, too.

2. I wasn't sure what time my friend would be done wandering DC and I wanted to be able to leave ASAP after she was done. Driving in would give me that opportunity, and I would just pick up a slug on the way home since S would still be working.

The morning went as planned. Traffic was really light since it was Friday, and we got S and made it into the city and parking garage in good time.

The afternoon was much more interesting. Little known fact: I hate driving in DC. Especially in rush hour when God knows who is going to change lanes at the last second and cut you off. I managed to pick my friend up in Dupont Circle after going around a couple of different circles multiple times. (Be quiet, B.) We proceeded to make it back past my office, and downtown towards the Washington Monument.

I had it all under control driving-wise, even though I was road-raging-it-up as cabs stopped abruptly and potholes popped up left and right. No almost-accidents, or anything. I got to the stoplight right before the slug line, and was all in place in the right lane. So proud of myself. Piece of cake. Then I see it--a car still parked in the right lane, and perfectly placed about ten feet in front of the beginning of the slug line. Great. I looked to my left to judge if I could gun it and beat the car next to me to change lanes briefly, pass the parked car and get back over. It was a van. No problem. My little Corolla could do it. (I just saw Fast Five last night, so I feel pretty lame right now.)

Of course another car was pulling in front of the parked car at the same time as me, and didn't move up very far, soI had very little space to pull over into. The tail end of my car sticking out more than I was comfortable with in DC rush hour traffic, so I was trying to get people in my car and get out as quickly as possible. I called out the window where I was going and said that I could take one or two, but that they'd have to move some of the stuff in my backseat over. The guy said, "Oh, that's ok," and just got in and didn't tell the guy behind him that I could take another.

So as he closed the door, the passenger seat window was still open and the next guy in the slug line yelled, "TAKE TWO NEXT TIME!" My road rage got the best of me and I instinctively yelled back, telling him to bite me in more or less words.

The guy who got into the car with me was someone I'd seen in line before, and had a good sense of humor. He kind of laughed and said something like, "Some people...". My defense is that I did try to get two riders. The guy didn't relay the information and I just wanted to get out of there before my left bumper got tweaked by another driver not paying attention. Poor communication between the slugs combined with DC driving anxiety caused me to break my own code of slugging, but that's ok because, as the rider I did pick up and my friend pointed out, the guy was a jerk so if I didn't want him in my car before, I didn't want him in my car after that anyways.

But don't worry, guy. Next time...I'll take two. Just not you.