Help for driver aggression

I tend to be an impatient driver. 

While following a truck and trailer going 15 km/h down a residential street this week, my blood pressure rose to dangerous new levels. The truck almost came to a standstill because there was a fresh patch of water – that's right, water – on the street. 

"It's okay, Dad," reassured my 11-year-old daughter, who has yet to get behind the wheel. 

That same day, another driver felt it necessary to go 35 km/h on a busy street where the posted speed limit is 50 km/h... minimum. As he approached a green light, he cautiously slowed to 30 km/h, then stepped on the gas as the light turned yellow. 

I nearly swore. 

My wife has said my impatient driving gets worse in summer when I'm biking to work every day. The constant motion offered by biking seems to make me adverse to the confines of a car in traffic. Now to be honest, the traffic in Saskatchewan is virtually non-existent. We just came back from vacationing in BC where the traffic flow is steady at best. Vancouver at four in the afternoon is a congested hive of commuting drones. 

It's painful, but thankfully some new car technologies have eased my pain. Instead of having to constantly apply the gas and brake, my car can do it automatically using radar technology to follow the car in front of me. After a while, I almost forget I'm driving.  

You might think this automation to be dangerous, and I suppose it could be if you're foolish enough to take your eyes off the road (alas, you're still required to steer). But I've found it actually does a better job of driving than I do. It prevents me from being careless in following a car too closely, like I did a month earlier when I was rear-ended. 

Most importantly, it forces me to relax. There's nothing to do but steer while taking in the lovely Vancouver scenery... Rows and rows of glass condo towers and million-dollar beat-up bungalows. 

Now if you can't afford a new car, there's a cheaper option to help you relax, and it's called hauling a canoe. If you can manage it, buy a used (or new!) canoe and strap it to the top of your car. I guarantee it will slow you right down. 

We picked up ours while on vacation. As soon as it was up top, a sense of calm enveloped me. No longer did I feel the need for speed. I let people merge in front of me. I even drove the speed limit. I was, after all, a Canoe Man. 

Canoe Man drive slow... reeeal slow

As two impatient motorists sped past me near Banff, I understood there was also a monetary benefit of transporting an over-sized boat on top of your car. The cop that waved to them from the side of the road was not just being friendly.  

Unsure of whether I was also being stopped, I slowed to a crawl beside the red-faced RCMP officer. He gave our car a glance, with our green 16-foot boat hanging brazenly over the back hatch, then gave me a wink and a nod. Okay, there was no wink, but he did motion with his hand for me to carry on. 

Although he said nothing, I know what he was thinking... "You go, Canoe Man. Continue your slow, stable journey. Go find some nice calm waters and paddle... paddle to paradise." 

And so I did. 

Canoe Man and Family