Work has begun in earnest. I've been commuting down the hill five days a week.
The job is going well. Taxes are like a puzzle that I'm learning to put together. Still much to learn, but things are coming along.
We've had a good bit of rain in January. There was over 15 inches in the first two weeks.
This, along with my frequent trips on the highway, has led me to observe a few things.
Most notably is that folks living in Hawai'i seem to have missed some of the basic automotive functions and highway informational points.
Here are some of the top items that I would love for my fellow highway travelers to learn about.*
- Lights. Helpful see and be seen in dark, rainy or cloudy conditions. I promise they won't drain your battery too much. I volunteer to donate the ten cents or so of battery juice they consume. No, parking lights don't count.
- Windshield wipers. Really handy when it rains. By installing working wipers you avoid getting your head all wet sticking it out of the driver's window to see.
- Duct tape, string or wire. If you are not going to make it to your destination without some piece of your vehicle falling off or flying open, use one of these to tack things together. Having your hood pop open at 50mph just ain't fun. Mufflers are not meant to drag on the asphalt.
- Turn signals. I know that you know where you are going. Believe it or not, I don't. Neither do other other folks out here on the road. Save us the mind-reading classes and use a blinker. This goes double when you are also guilty of #1 above.
- Tarp or tie down. Even if you have three kids and two dogs piled on top of your trash on the way to the transfer station, you may still need a little extra to keep all those wayward bottles and bags in the pickup.
- Yellow center line. If it's solid, stay in your lane. The highway guys didn't make it that way just cuz they had extra paint that day. If it's dashed you still need to look ahead. Generally a good idea to hold off on passing until there are not cars immediately in front of you coming toward you. A hint...if the car coming towards you has to drive on the shoulder to avoid getting head-on-ed, you didn't allow enough room.
*Bad drivers are by no means unique to Hawai'i. The California top list contains even more grievous behaviors, such as speeding, cell phone talking and doing your makeup. I have just been struck at the interesting things that people do or don't do along Highway 11.
