Sweet Sixteen: the golden birthday in everyone’s life that comes second only to the 21st birthday. Teenagers all over the country eagerly count down the days until they turn 16 for only one reason- their driver’s license. I received that wonderful ticket to adulthood about seven months ago, and despite a minor fender bender, I’ve had a blast driving all over town. There’s nothing better than cruising around on a hot summer day with the windows down and music loud. Driving is more than a means of transportation from point A to point B; it’s therapeutic. Often when I am stressed or overwhelmed, I will go out for a drive, just me and the open road. Unfortunately, I have to share the roads with my fellow community members, and let’s just say we all have different driving styles. Some of which, I must add, are more annoying to me than others.


Take my peers, for example. The unruly teens enjoying the first taste of freedom that comes with a driver’s license. While unexperienced in driving, they try to make up for it in “coolness.” Rap music comes blaring out of the windows, with the bass so loud that the entire car shakes, and profanities are clearly audible by neighboring vehicles. These idiotic youngsters also seem to think they are so talented at texting that they can do it while driving. Believe it or not, multitasking is not possible, and the enthrallment with a text leads to an oblivious driver. They swerve off roads, speed around sharp turns, and slam on the brakes, irritating everyone else driving. I guess it’s just a matter of time until teenagers fully learn the rules of the road.


While most adolescents take a few steps too far on the wilder side of the driving spectrum, the drivers who play it too safe can be equally as exasperating. These drivers explicitly follow traffic guidelines and then exaggerate them for added precaution. One of my biggest pet peeves done by these drivers is excessive and unnecessary stopping. They stop at yellow lights when they could have safely crossed the intersection in time, or wait longer than the normal three seconds at a stop sign when there are barely any cars around. Sometimes they will just stop in the middle of the road because they need to switch lanes or have realized that they are lost! I have found that driving behind a super safe driver can be one of the most frustrating situations on the road.


I love the elderly, don’t get me wrong. They are some of the sweetest, most generous people in my community. Their driving habits, on the other hand, bring out a not-so-sweet side of me. The way they drive is the same as everything else they do- slow. From my short time driving on my own, I’ve noticed that old people generally go significantly slower than the speed limit. There have been several occasions in which I’ve encountered a person over the age of 65 driving 25 mph when the speed limit was 45 mph. Bless their hearts, they’re completely unaware of the line of cars piling up behind them as they continue on their merry way. One of the most frightening things I encounter on the road is a little old lady driving at night or in the middle of the storm. Old people already have poor eyesight, why would they drive with even less visibility? I do my best to avoid elderly drivers because although they look sweet, they can be just as annoying as super careful drivers, or as dangerous as reckless teens.


Last, but certainly not least, this final group of drivers is by far the most hated by me, as well as all the other normal drivers out there. The aggressive drivers embody the worst driving habit- road rage. Where I live, we have no shortage of angry autoists who can make even the shortest trip a nightmare. Aggressive drivers love to use two things: their horns and their middle fingers. Something as petty as forgetting a turn signal or not flooring it the instant the light turns green can result in getting honked at, flipped off, or both. Lacking patience, aggressive drivers always seem to be in a hurry as they ride your back bumper even if you're already speeding. Road rage is not healthy, and these drivers need to get their emotions under control to make driving less stressful and safer for all.


There you have it, the four most annoying types of drivers I come in contact with on a daily basis. Even though these people can create a less than enjoyable transportation experience, I still love to drive. When I become that little old lady who’s going way too slow, I hope I still possess that thrill from driving I first got seven months ago. As I gain more experience driving I hope to develop habits that make for a respected and responsible driver. Maybe one day my fellow drivers and I will learn to live in harmony, but for now some of them are driving me crazy.