Dear Editor@Matzav,
I am writing this letter with a profound sense of frustration and annoyance regarding an issue that continues to plague our roadways and test the patience of countless drivers in our frum communities.
It pertains to those individuals who seem to have an inexplicable desire to drive at a snail’s pace, completely oblivious to the long line of vehicles they hold captive behind them. What’s worse is that these slow drivers have the audacity to become indignant and irritated at those of us who simply want to drive at a reasonable pace and not endure an excruciatingly slow journey.
It is baffling to witness these drivers nonchalantly trundling along, seemingly in a world of their own, with no regard for the impact their leisurely pace has on others. They show little concern for the fact that driving significantly below the speed limit causes frustration, congestion, and, at times, dangerous situations on the road. It is as if their leisurely cruise takes precedence over the convenience and safety of the countless drivers behind them.
Plainly put, it is pure chutzpah.
We live in a fast-paced world where time is of the essence for many individuals. We have responsibilities, appointments, and commitments to honor. It is not too much to ask that fellow drivers exhibit a basic understanding of this reality and show some consideration for others. Deliberately driving at a snail’s pace, obstructing the natural flow of traffic, is not only inconsiderate but also demonstrates a lack of awareness and respect for the needs of fellow commuters.
Furthermore, it is utterly bewildering to witness the anger and hostility these slow drivers display towards those of us who dare to express our frustration or signal our desire to pass them. Suddenly, they become self-righteous and confrontational, as if our reasonable request to drive at a normal speed is an affront to their leisurely disposition. It is an absurd double standard that leaves me dumbfounded.
I implore these slow drivers to reflect on the frustration and inconvenience they cause, and to exhibit some empathy towards their fellow motorists. Driving at a pace that obstructs the natural flow of traffic is not only discourteous but also potentially hazardous. Please understand that the road is not your personal leisurely stroll; it is a shared space that requires us all to be considerate and mindful of others.
Sincerely,
A Frustrated Driver
Oy may you never get old so you don’t have to experience what it is like to be an older driver. They can be perfectly capable of driving, just not as the same speed they used to and don’t have whom to rely on.
Some people may be from somewhere else and don’t know the roads as well as the natives, they need time to get used to where to turn, stop
Someone with emunah knows they will get to where they have to get whenever Hashem wants them to and if He put you behind a slow driver then that was part of His plan to get you there when He wants it. Patience, my friend, patience. It’s a midah you should have learned in kindergarten. Not everything is coming to you when you want it. We share the road, it is not just yours either. Learn to get along with others even if they do things that bother you and you will be a happier and more content person! What are you going to do if the slow person is on line in front of you up there in shamayim?? Prepare for it now and it won’t upset you so much then! Work on your midos here while you still can. And why are you always in a rush?? Manage your time better!
Hey Mr. Preacher Man, listen to what you are saying, “We all share the road” That means that there is an obligation on the people who drive and who are oblivious to the people behind them and the situation behind them, to care more about others. The road wasn’t just created for them. Don’t be selfish just because you can make it through the light, speed up so another 1 or 2 cars can also make it thru
Unfortunately we live in a place that at every corner there is a red light. If a slowpoke is in front of you, that means that you will be stopping at every red light there is until you arrive where you want. This could easily add 10+ minutes to a short ride. That, plus looking for parking, plus double parked cars and traffic is enough to make you lose your cool.
So it is not the slow pokes in front of you, they are the icing on the cake that could make you go bananas!
If they can’t drive the speed limit, they should not be driving. By the fact that they are driving slower, it proves that the traffic is too fast for them and perhaps they should not be driving.
The problem is not the slow drivers. The problem is the world we have built for ourselves where we feel we have to move fast or we will miss something important. Maybe we all need to slow down a bit.
I agree! Move it, slowpokes!
Furthermore, on Erev Shabbos, the roads are crowded with shoppers. How inconsiderate! People have places to go! By car! You should be walking or taking public transportation to do your shopping! And why are the lines so long at checkout on Erev Yom Tov??? I’m busy! Why couldn’t you shop the day before??? I declare, some people are just so selfish!!!
Take a bus, train or taxi. You’re the impertinent impediment to safe driving.
Consider Lyft or Chirmo.
While it IS true, that someone who is simply going at his own leisure while others are obviously constrained by time, is doing a very bad thing, and is behaving with rishus.
And what is more, people who are texting or on the phone or whatnot, who hold up traffic because of this, are engaging in absolutely disgusting selfishness. Unfortunately its become all too common.
However, Many times, if not more often, it is the “fast” one who is being irresponsible, unreasonable, and acting with rish’us.
The problem with this is that its very hard to tell when someone is driving slow, or when YOU are driving unsafe.
Many times i’ve been tailgated down a specific road, where the speed limit is 25, and I am already doing 35!
I dont feel comfortable going faster because its a road that has a lot of children blia”h, but for some people that doesnt seem to make a difference.
Furthermore there are older individuals, or people with different realities who may not be able to drive as fast as you would like, and they have the perfect right to drive at a pace that they feel safe at, as annoying to you as that may be.
So, hard letter to really get behind. Moral of the story, drive safe drive with others in mind, and if you find yourself constantly being stuck with time, maybe its possible to leave earlier?
Spot on!
I so relate to this problem! While I am not asking anyone to speed, I only ask them to drive at the speed limit. That already reduced speed limit is not merely a suggestion, it is the speed you should be driving at.
I hope I don’t know this person who wrote this. Really?
Totally agree. Learn how to drive or get off the road!
The letter writer doesn’t state where he lives or where this alleged problem of slow driving is taking place. We need a little perspective. I assume Matzav just posted a random stock picture.
Having said all that, I live in Flatbush and our beloved State government continues to make living here as difficult and miserable as possible. They keep LOWERING the speed limit. They ultimately want the white middle class to get so frustrated, they’ll just stop driving altogether. We already have redignt cameras and speed cameras at every stinking corner. Big government is at it’s most evil point. It’s all about GOTCHA! How can we beat down the middle class white taxpayers until they bleed to death.
Yes. How dare they impinge on our constitutional right to speed and run red lights!!
And I strongly implore the frustrated driver to remember that he will not arrive where he is going 1 second before he is supposed to, so instead of being over on the midah of ka’as, maybe remeber there is an eibishter who fers the velt.
Hey Mr. Preacher Man, listen to what you are saying, “We all share the road” That means that there is an obligation on the people who drive and who are oblivious to the people behind them and the situation behind them, to care more about others. The road wasn’t just created for them. Don’t be selfish just because you can make it through the light, speed up so another 1 or 2 cars can also make it thru
Hard city. Maybe you need to go smoke a cigar.
The light at the end of the tunnel is sublime.
Most probably drivers are mostly texting or playing with their smartphones. It used to be boring waiting by a red light. Now I hope for a red light so I can finally finish sending my text.
A Frustrated Driver
Frustrated indeed. Odds are, not only on the road but at home and in business too.
Troll letter
I am with you on being frustrated with slow drivers, but in my experience they are usually going the speed limit. It’s just a ridiculously low speed limit.
Why is this posted? Are so selfish that you drive fast and in danger other people?
I can’t count how many times I saw dangerous things on the road today.
Please post when you are driving so that other drivers can watch out.
Oh please!
Dear Frustrated:
You really need a chill pill. I have nearly never encountered a driver going too slow in Brooklyn. Quite the contrary. Most drivers are either at the limit or above. And this is far more dangerous, for reasons so obvious that you should be able to grasp, even in your frustrated state. There is a point about drivers thinking much too little about others on the road. But you got the speed thing backwards.
Having noted this, the actions of those who wish to speed and impose their impatience on others are far more dangerous, offensive, and irritating than those of the driver going slow. Surely you have observed the cussing, name calling, and yelling from the perpetually impatient.
On the religious side, we should recall that Hashem put each of us in the place we should be at that given moment. And if this results in our arriving later than desired, that’s His preference for us. We should be mekabel, and resort to our hishtadlus, with full recognition that the results are choreographed by HKB”H Himself. So, calm down. You’re exactly where He wants you to be. And the slow driver might be inconsiderate, but Hashem placed him there.
What bothers me here in BP is, aside from all the double Parker and those who don’t move to side when they double park, it’s the school busses. The school bus drivers seem to know that they own the road. There are 4 or 5 stops to pick up and let children off on any given block. What happened to when children walked to the corner for bus service? Pickup for these children rught in front of the their homes! That used to be only for handicapped children. Further, the driver opens the door and the flags stopping both directions of traffic while mom is still scrambling up the children’s eggs and the rest of us stupid idiots who drive cars and not ebikes and the like will be ticketed if we pass the bus while the ebikes ride way faster than the posted speed limit on the street AND ON THE SIDEWALK TOO. Cars can only go in the direction of traffic while these e-scooters and e-bikes zoom on the sidewalk and street alike in both directions.
Dear A Frustrated Driver:
If you’re so passionate about this issue then speak with your local elected officials and petition them to impose a minimum speed limit in your area. Don’t waste your time posting on matzav?
If you tailgate me, i’m going to slow down to the speed limit – i’m not going to take the risk of a high-speed collission.
If you buy yourself a mocher police-esque car, I’m going to slow down to the speed limit as well
Article 2 long ..wrt shorter
No tim 2 rd it all
Bored me..learn 2 text Article in 15 letters
The only thing I can say is it’s important to maintain the speed limit as well as perhaps maintaining the speed of traffic. If you are going uphill you need to make sure that you are maintaining your speed. Far too many times drivers, no matter what their age is, go up a hill on a highway or anything, and their speed drops 5 to 10 miles an hour maybe even more. And once you get over the top of the hill, suddenly the speed picks up again and the slowpokes are out of the way.
The other thing is for gosh sakes, stay OUT of the left lane. The left lane is for passing traffic. If you want to drive like a granny, stay in the granny lane which is the right lane stay out of the hammer lane.
I have not seen anyone write that there are people that drive slow because they are looking for a parking spot, or that they are new drivers, there are alot of limudei zchus for people that drive slow. I am not saying that there are people that look at their phone and that is why they drive slow, but somehow I get the feeling that the writer is not angry at them, but maybe I am wrong.
The slow drivers are not the issue. The drivers who drive on city streets as if its a highway and ignore red lights, and ignore people crossing are the issue. It is literally life threatening.
THERE ARE 2 SEPARATE ISSUES THAT REALLY NEED BIG CORRECTIONS.
1) THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY NERVOUS IMPATIENT DRIVERS ON THE ROAD WHO COULDN’T CARE LESS ABOUT SPEED LIMITS OR ANY OTHER RULES OF THE ROAD. SOME OF THEM EVEN PASS STOP SIGNS AND RED LIGHTS AND SOMETIMES EVEN CAUSE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS!! SOME OF THESE SAME WISEGUYS PARK IN PLACES THAT THEY SHOULDN’T BECAUSE THEY ARE “RUSHING’ AND HAVE NO TIME TO FIND A LEGAL SPACE. MANY TIMES THEY BLOCK PRIVATE DRIVEWAYS, CAUSING THE OWNERS GREAT AGGRAVATION—BUT THEY DON’T CARE AT ALL. WHEN THE DRIVER IN FRONT OF THEM DRIVES AT THE 25MPH SPEED LIMIT THEY START BEEPING NON STOP WHICH CAN ONLY CAUSE A ÇHILLUL HASHEM. THESE KIND OF CRAZY PEOPLE REALLY NEED A BIG FIX.
2) THE LOW SPEED LIMIT ALSO NEEDS CORRECTION OR THERE SHOULD BE A SIGN ON EACH AND EVERY BLOCK WARNING ABOUT IT. VERY MANY PEOPLE ARE NOT AWARE OF IT AND THEREFORE BLAME THE DRIVER IN FRONT OF THEM WHO IS AWARE OF IT. I MYSELF GOT A FEW TICKETS BEFORE I WAS AWARE THAT THIS IS NOW THE CITY LIMIT. IF PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW ABOUT IT, OF COURSE THEY WILL GET UPSET AT DRIVERS WHO ARE DRIVING SO SLOW.
Having seen an impatient car kill 3 young Jewish children crossing at the crosswalk, this letter gives me pause to think. I understand the desire to get to your destination quickly but the extra minute taken to ensure safety will surely be rewarded but the One who provides these minutes.
Impatient driving is dangerous. Road rage is not a Jewish middah. Please dont rely on skill or your car’s brakes.
Be a Mensch. Leave the speeding to ambulances and thank Hashem that you dont need one.
To those who disparage older drivers – remember Pirkei Avos, one day you will be the older driver.
Rules of the road
Nothing should disturb you when you drive,its YOUR road, if you make a turn down a block & someone is pulling out of a driveway or stopping to let someone off. Immediately honk him many times with flashing bright lights on him, dont wait till your near him, Immediately after your turn, even if you see him 500 feet away, dont wait till your close to him.flash& honk right away.
Also tailgate the car in front of you. Flashing your light,if he is going slow, or he is slowing down to make a turn, flash your lights & honk him to go faster.
If your dropping off a passenger, don’t drop him off in front of his house, keep going fast until you see an opening were you can pull over, and let him walk back to his house, we can’t slow down traffic.
If car in front of you is making a left turn & waiting for traffic to let him in, honk & blow horn at him, encourage him to take a chance of getting into accident ,in order that you can make your turn, its your road don’t forget.
At red light also start honking him,even before it turns green, this way you can get going quickly, get that head start.
Get good brakes so you don’t have to slow down if their is a slight chance, you can pass the accident ahead of you, dont worry that a car might pop out as your passing the accident, its worth the risk, the road is for you to go quickly, just be ready to hit the brakes,in case you you to, the last second. This applies even in a store..always when you see someone before you, going to where you want to go, cut them off asap
I cannot believe how many people were duped by this satire.
I can’t believe this garbage on erev Shavuos. This is not ok.
Many of the impatient drivers are b“h gvirim whose „time is money“ literally.
Many of the slower drivers are living off their ss checks and cannot afford to make regular donations to the municipal budget by paying speeding fines etc. Nor can they afford to lose their licenses.
We need to reinstitute toll roads like route 6 in Israel for those who can afford it and/or can use the charges as business deductions.