Battle Scars

• There is rarely anything ahead of you that is worth dying to see. If something is important, you'll want to arrive in one piece. Slow down!

• There is rarely anything behind you worth escaping at such a high rate of speed. If there is, you'll want to escape unscathed. Slow down!

• Many times, rude drivers are behind the wheels of some pretty nice cars. A lot of times, they worked hard to afford such rolling status symbols. Why are you in such a hurry to get out of your cars? Enjoy them. Slow down!

• Those in the crappier cars (hey, me included!) sometimes drive as if they've got nothing to lose. Really, I drive as safely as I can and respect others. My crappy car can't handle a wreck, and we're not in a position to go out and replace it if it gets crunched. Slow down, fellow owners of aging highway chariots.

• Some people take it personally if you pass them. If I pass you, it's probably because you're driving slower than the posted limit. It's nothing personal, I just have somewhere to be. In contrast to some of the above, my time is too precious to waste driving too slow, too.

• When we forget how fragile human life is, we are sometimes reminded in the ugliest of ways. It is also irreplaceable (cloning or no, there's only one you). Automobiles are necessary in some places for getting us to and fro, from here to there. Let's remember to respect the powers of speeding steel, iron, rubber and plastic, and the value of each and every person inside.

• No one person owns the road, and yet all of us own the road. Don't act like you're the only one!

• What you drive does not make you a better person in any way, shape or form. But having an attitude about what you drive can affect you negatively.

• The larger your vehicle, the more carefully you should drive it. So often I see people practicing the opposite. This also applies to how fast and sporty your car is – the road wasn't built to highlight your (lack of) driving prowess. Besides, take it from a former Mustang owner, the police are gunning for you to do something stupid.

• Road rage is stupid. Plain and simple, there's no good reason for it. Keep your guns at home. Keep your offending fingers to yourself. Keep your drunk butt at home. Don't provoke. If someone tries to provoke you, please please please just let them go. Don't take others' bad manners personally, because they only know the outside of your car, not the real you. Take the high road!

• Here's a tip the Petite Filet heard about and used for a little while. If someone's driving offends you, making a silly noise to yourself. Don't touch the horn, just say "whizzbangamomma-homma!" in a silly, happy voice. And let them go.

What an exciting world we live in that offers us so many modes of transportation. Rarely do I see the same vehicle twice – at least in one day. Even those of the same make, model and color have often been modified or personalized in some way. Sure, there are some cars that probably don't belong on the roads, but that's none of my business. Drive and let drive. Respect one another. Drive defensively, not offensively. Get where you're going safely. Protect the ones you love.

Happy driving!