By Shane Mead | Staff Writer
My day is going great.
I’m out of class early, my favorite song just started playing, and I’m still living off of the high of watching the Chiefs get demolished in the Super Bowl as I travel north on Bagby Avenue towards University Parks Drive.
Then, a switch is flipped. I slowly approach ‘The Crash Out Simulator’ and my heart starts pumping. Will this end smoothly, or will I lay on the horn and throw up the bird? Only time will tell.
The two-block stretch, beginning at the intersection of Bagby and Fifth Street followed by the Bagby and Fourth Street intersection, is something I dread. It’s the ultimate patience tester.
I approach Fifth Street with caution as I watch students crossing in all directions with a Toyota Tacoma sticking halfway in the intersection waiting to turn left. He forces his way through, almost pummeling a few students.
I’ve reached the intersection. I just have to wait for the cars who approached before me to go first (take notes, everyone).
Phew. Sweat-free, and I’m moving again. Just one more intersection and I’m back to singing my heart out.
This one is worse — I knew it would be. That wonky path with cars going south on Bagby always seems to screw things up.
2:45 p.m. on a Monday probably wasn’t the best time to take this street. Why didn’t I just take La Salle? Is that kid driving a go-kart?
Never mind that; it’s time to lock in. I’m next up, and all I have to do is wait for this car to turn left.
Oh no. I quickly slam my brakes as the Jeep Wrangler heading west on Fourth Street does a California stop — rolling right through the stop sign. The rules of the road don’t apply to them, remember? That’s alright, my stomach dropped but I’m alive. Let’s keep it pushing.
The brakes slammed again. Another California roll? Are we not in Texas? This time it was a BMW X3 that didn’t have its blinker on and had places to be.
Alas, I am through the hellscape. I can finally be at peace, but I can’t stop thinking about how this is too common of an occurrence.
This Hunger Games-esque stretch of road has to be a canon event for Baylor students. I’d argue it has solidified itself in second place behind attending a Baylor football game.
Unfortunately, this is everywhere. The intersection of Bagby and 12th Street is also no slouch when it comes to grinding one’s gears. It’s fascinating how the entire student body of this school lacks basic driving skills. I don’t remember that being on the application.
And I know I’m not the only one frustrated by this either. I’ve heard your honks. I’ve seen your middle fingers. I think it’s time we come together and use this column as a rallying cry: Let’s be better drivers.
I promise you, waiting the extra eight seconds for the car which indeed does have the right of way won’t cost you anything more than a bit of patience. I believe in you. I know you can do it.
This isn’t all on the drivers, either. I’m well aware that students love aimlessly waltzing onto the street with their heads looking nowhere other than their calculator app (you don’t have that many texts — I know you don’t).
So student pedestrians, let’s be better as well. Cars are thousands of pounds, and I think we’re starting to take the grace of their owners for granted.
Road rage is real, and it exists in every one of us. I am fully confident when I say that we will have a happier campus if we students dedicate just a little extra patience to our driving routine. Little decisions always go a long, long way.
