RUSHING ETERNITY.

Driving along the New Jersey Turnpike, one could qualify for a driver’s license in any state or country in the world. The drivers are so bad there that one should have serious doubts about survival. If you can survive the ordeal, you qualify to drive anywhere.

Driving at breakneck speeds, hairpin turns on a straightaway, and sometimes not touching the ground to save rubber on your tires is, not uncommon.

One lady drove on the line, another lady drove, coming up to the line, drifting away and back again to the line as a car came near. Of course there is always the young guy or gal that loves to stay in touch, one hand on the wheel and one on the cell phone, unsure which one to heed. Some of my favorite drivers are the old people, doing 25 mph in a passing lane, totally ignoring the crank behind him, as he causes a bottle-neck, his little wife, obliviously staring out the window.

I would get behind a Crown Victoria, or a Grand Marquis, the grumpy driver with his thin moustache and little white haired wife sitting next to him, for miles, watching his left turn blinker, at 20 mph.

Moving at the speed of light is mandatory if you wish to live. TLW has become a sympathetic backseat driver, who vocalizes what I’m thinking, which is good. I can concentrate on driving and she can do the yelling. I should really teach her to swear in Italian.

Trucks. What can one say about the trucks? They own the road, don’t see you, don’t care to see you, will tail gate a run down clunker without mercy. SUV’s? Why they are sports cars in the minds of the drivers. They can also be trucks, and boats, whatever the owner deems it to be, as it tailgates, crosses lanes more frequently than a rabbit procreating, burning fuel and rushing to get to wherever it is before it runs out of fuel.

Try parking in a rest stop. 400 little children climb out of an old van, doors opened into adjacent parking spaces, as the parents stand there, stretching their legs, the little children, running around the van.

As one navigates the lot, big, husky ladies casually walk, their heads down, unconcerned about what might crash into them. Usually, there is a whole gaggle of kiddies following behind her behind, but she never looks up!

Nearly 10% of America's drivers couldn't pass a DMV licensing test if they had to take it today.

* 20% of drivers do not know that a pedestrian has the right of way at a marked or unmarked crosswalk.

* 1 in 3 drivers don’t usually stop for pedestrians even if they’re in a crosswalk or at a yellow light.

* One-third admit they speed up to make a yellow light even when pedestrians are in the crosswalk.

More frightening? Drivers in the heavily urbanized Northeast scored the worst..

New Jersey drivers on the New Jersey Turnpike the worst of the worst, according to CBS Morning News!

Drivers older than 35 were not only more likely to pass, they were less likely to treat their time behind the wheel as "down time." Younger drivers, though, reported doing everything from applying makeup to fiddling with iPods at much higher rates. About 1 in 4 had sent text messages from a cell phone; 8% had changed clothes while driving.