Tulsa, OK

I heard that the Vatican has a few New Rules for us. The Vatican on Tuesday issued “Ten Commandments” for drivers.

A lot of people seem to think this is beneath the Vatican. That there are far more serious problems in today’s world than how badly we drive. But how we drive can be an indicator of how we live the rest of our lives. Odds are good that if you’re a selfish jerk while driving, you’re probably a selfish jerk when you’re off the road as well.

Not that we don’t all have our Jekyll vs. Hyde moments, but for the most part, the majority of us are fairly consistent in our behavior towards others. I’m not saying that we treat everyone identically. That would be silly. Of course, you don’t treat your children the same way you treat your best girl friend, or your husband the same way you treat a coworker. I’m saying that if you are a person who routinely opens doors for others, you’re unlikely to be someone who runs another person off the road to reach your exit first.

It seems to me that if people were just less self-absorbed and inconsiderate, driving conditions might improve. We all spend so much time trying to do far too much. Then we wind up driving while talking on the cell phone, putting on makeup, writing, reading, and a thousand other things that pull our attention away from the road. With no one paying proper attention, bad things are bound to happen.

Just driving the speed limit will earn you dirty looks, honks, and obscene hand gestures. Try driving a few miles per hour under the speed limit. People get downright hostile. I’ve had people pull up beside me, roll down their windows, and start screaming obscenities at me for daring to drive 63 mph in a 65 mph zone. That is crazy to me. What kind of rush are you in, that you can slow down just long enough to throw that kind of verbal filth at someone before careening off down the highway?

I don’t know that these new commandments are the answer, but a few common courtesies wouldn’t be amiss, both on and off the road. Unfortunately, common courtesy seems even less common than common sense.

I remember my parents requiring a “yes, ma’am/ no, sir” response to anything and everything, just because it was polite. Polite people were good people, because you can’t be polite without being nice, and nice people are good. I’m not sure how sound the logic behind their argument was, but I do think there is something to be said for being well-mannered and considerate of others.

Maybe we all just need reminding that nice matters.

Vatican, New Rules, Ten Commandments, problems, driving, drivers, Jekyll, Hyde, behavior, common courtesy, common sense, nice matters