Random Access

I'm sure it wasn't any revelation to most people who navigate the streets of Mississauga to find out that the worst driver in Canada lives here.
If you're like me, you probably think you've been behind him a few times this week already.
Complaining about bad driving is like complaining about the weather: it doesn't change anything but it gives us a common denominator with which to begin to unburden our many complaints against the ways of the world.
Remember the good old days when people only ran yellow lights, not reds?
The deterioration of our driving habits is truly frightening, especially among the many young people I see flying around our streets. Apparently, signalling your intentions to turn or change lanes is passé and actually coming to a full stop at one of those bothersome red octagonal objects is an inconvenient sop to bourgeois convention.
Oh, did I just cut you off again? Don't fret. Think of it as your chance to see my collection of off-colour Italian hand gestures.
The most alarming trend on the roads recently is the epidemic of U-turns. I see them everywhere.
When you travel south on Mississauga Rd. in the morning and prepare to turn east at Dundas St., you are often faced with a long line of cars. Some drivers solve this problem by turning right off Mississauga Rd. onto Dundas and then pulling a U-ey just beyond the concrete median. Or, if there's too much traffic on Dundas, they zip along to the Sherwood Forrest Shopping Mall, turn in there, make a U-turn and turn right onto Dundas so they're heading east again.
Of course, the people who specialize in such nefarious manoeuvres will rush to point out that U-turns are not illegal in many places in our city. No they're not illegal, they're just dangerous as can be.
Is it really that tough to sit through a couple of traffic lights before you make a turn?
It obviously is for an increasing number of people. I hope they make really good use of those two extra minutes they get to enjoy at work.