Driving in New Jersey

I just spent a somewhat harrowing hour plus driving home from New Jersey with the sun in my eyes. I could see some, part of the time, but at one memorable moment I got off a ramp onto a highway totally blinded. I guess my number was not up.

Living in Delaware has seriously impaired my ability to hold my own in New Jersey traffic. The trucks intimidate me, especially when they are on all sides of my puny little car. They could crush me like a bug. If all the 800,000 people who live in Delaware got on the road at the same time, Delaware traffic still wouldn't be as bad as New Jersey.

When I drive in Delaware, I listen to WRTI, which gives traffic reports from Philadelphia and New Jersey during rush hour. As I listen, I feel sympathy for those people who are stuck behind an overturned tractor-trailer that is holding up traffic for ten miles. But I also feel a little smug.

I was kept company by the woman who resides in my GPS. Really, it's almost like having another person in the car, and it's helpful. If the voice had not directed me I would have gotten lost, especially because of the fancy lane changes required. Sometimes I resent the voice, when she tells me to take a u-turn and I know a better way. Then I disregard her advice. Sometimes I wonder if she will get mad at me and give me false advice to get even. You may say that there is not a person residing in this device, but how come she led me to the Home Depot parking lot when I instructed her to guide me home? Doesn't this show some malice on her part?

I told my stepmother about my GPS voice, and it seems she has a woman living in her GPS also. She uses it when she drives, but when my father drives he totally disregards the voice. Being a much nicer person than I am, she hopes her GPS doesn't get its feelings hurt.

In related news, I managed to get someone to pump gas for me! Yes, it's illegal to pump your own gas in New Jersey. Now there's a law I can get behind. Much, much more useful than banning trans-fats. And the gas was cheaper.