When I first moved to Carrboro in 2003 I was so impressed by this community’s patience and decorum on the roads.  Having moved from Washington DC, where I was born and raised, I was accustomed to a far more aggressive scene.  I was used to seeing things like: people leaning on their horns, screaming out of their car windows, giving the middle finger, getting out of their cars to go up to someone’s car window and yell at them, driving very recklessly out of anger to prove some sort of point, and getting into screaming matches over parking spaces.  

 
So, you can imagine my relief to be in this lovely town where people don’t do that. I made up my mind that I would NEVER use my horn again.  I don’t want to be responsible for introducing a different driving culture.  The one that exists in DC is deplorable, so why bring that here?  
 
In the time that I have lived here, Chapel Hill and Carrboro have grown and more people have moved here from other places.  I can only assume that most people move here because they like it here and they value the way of life.  But, to my dismay I see more and more ugly behavior on the roads.  Is it inevitable?  Does every town eventually grow to a size where people feel anonymous enough to act downright mean in traffic?  
 
I hope that as a community we can remain kind and patient with one another on the roads.  It’s a dangerous world out there and it is a much happier place when you can get from A to B without having to cope with a bunch of angry, impatient people spreading their misery around. 
 
(And to the lady who blew me a kiss in traffic recently as a way to say thanks for my letting you in… thank you! You made my day! I wish there were more people like you on the roads.)

Those are my thoughts. Let me know yours in the Comments below!

Aubrey Fox Williams
Chapel Hill