You’ve heard of Dancing with the Stars? Well this is Dancing with the Cars – it’s called the Red Light Shuffle and if you like to excel in your car, then I’m sure you’ve done the dance. You know that dance. You’re approaching the red light. You’ve been stuck behind that car that’s going impossibly slow for the past three signals and the car in the lane to your right mercifully decides to turn. Ahhh, an opening! So, you do that quick sway of the hips (or axles) at a one-two count and take over the number one position in the other lane. And there you sit, internally bobbing up and down doing the happy dance all for the pleasure of accelerating on the green at whatever pace YOU choose. Admit it. It’s exhilarating! Then, for a moment you carefully look around for heads shaking in disapproval if you cut someone off in the process. Tell me something. Do you look in your rear view mirror and watch the car you were once stuck behind get smaller and smaller as you leave him behind in the dust? The red light shuffle is the driving equivalent of the Virginia Rio. Pass your partner, to the left, dosee doe and away you go! Everyone in LA does this dance at every intersection. But why? Are we all in such a rush that we really can’t wait? Is it this never ending desire to get ahead, if not in life then at least metaphorically on the road? What do you think?
Tune in tomorrow for the “Ode to the Red Light Shuffle!”
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