Turn Signal Idiots

This week I ran a call with one of the four medics that I am comfortable allowing to attend on a shift, so I happened to be driving.  It was a very long, very busy, very hot day.  All of these things conspired to make it so that I didn’t have time to eat – and a hot and hungry medic is an irritable, overly critical medic.  At least on any ambulance on which I’m working, that is.  So I wasn’t in the best of moods.  On the eighth call of the shift, we took a patient to the hospital – about 4 miles away from their house.  On the way to the hospital, with my partner in the back providing for the patient, I was behind a crappy old Honda minivan.  This idiot was driving along a main road for miles in the number one lane with their right turn signal on. 

At first, I thought that they were attempting to change lanes.  But as the miles passed, I realized that the driver was just a moron.  This was the kind of driver that had real problems staying in their lane, washing their vehicle, and other minimal issues of vehicle ownership.  What a jerk.  Driving along with their yellow turn signal light flashing like a imbecile.  As is my habit, I used this opportunity to check my own turn signal – yep, off like it should be, because I’m not an idiot. 

In any case, my partner and I dropped the patient off at the hospital and were assigned another post.  So we headed out.  On the way to the new post, there was another oblivious dimwit driving along with their turn signal on.  What is the matter with these people?  What causes a person to be so oblivious as to not recognize that their turn signal is blinking away unnecessarily?!?

Since it is a pretty well engrained habit, I checked my own turn signal again.  Still off.  Wait.  My turn signal was indeed off, but my arrowstick has been on for the 20 minutes that have elapsed since we were on scene of the last call.

Damn.

I guess all of us can be idiots at one time or another.