Crazy Wednesday

Last Wednesday morning was one of my big annual events. The power company breakfast. They invite all maintenance heads of big consumers who have signed up to their discounr scheme and give us a slap up breakfast. The scoop is that on summer days when demand outstrips supply, we gat a phone call and have to cut our consumption to 10% of normal; in return we get a discount on our bill. The catch? Well, it's only on the hottest days this happens, when we really need our aircon and we have to switch it off. They show no mercy, if you keep the air on, you get a huge fine, it can be $400 an hour. It doesn't matter that you have 400 children in the building and their parents for a big event, all the lights have to go off except in the office. It could only happen in the USA. "Yes folks, install great air conditioning systems in your churches and schools, then on really hot days when you desparately need them, swith them off and we'll give you a discount on your bill". "Excuse me sir, isn't that the very time we need the aircon?" Who said that? Must be a foreigner.
On the way back to the office I encountered an all too familiar moronic driver, but this one was a real star. He was about 60, with pony tail, large earrings, leather jacket, the full hit. I was driving on the freeway, and he was coming on on the ramp. The road was very quiet, there was one car in front of me, and nothing behind me. All doom brain had to do was pull in behind me. I should explain that most US drivers are genetically incapable of pulling behind the car in front. This has always baffled me and has caused many dozens of near accidents in the time I've lived here. Well, this moron was abviously going to force his was between me and the car in front, even though there wasn't really enough room, instead of doing the obvious and slowing down slightly and pulling in behind me in the half mile of empty road. I let him in front of me, by slowing down, to avoid colliding with him. He then started making abscene gestures at me and slammed on his brakes, causing me to nearly crash in to him. He then left the freeway at the next ramp, a very short distance away, still screaming obscenities and making gestures. One other thing I find difficult here is why, when you are minding your own business, keeping the speed limit and staying in your lane, when the onus is on him to merge into the lane, and all he has to do is slow a couple of miles an hour and pull in behind, I'm suddenly the bad guy. The rule seems to be that whatever moronic thing the other driver is doing, speeding, shooting a red light (happens many times a day in front of me), forcing me out of the way when they should pull in behind, refusing to signal what they're doing, if I get upset, I'm suddenly the bad guy; so the rule is let the other driver do anything they want, even up to the point of risking your life, and you'll be fine. Try to keep the driving lawsa, you're in a lot of trouble. The wild west is now the highways over here.