Fear and Loathing in Wisconsin
Should I be afraid?
Are pick-up truck-driving Trump voters a threat to me?
We are driving to the hospital for an early appointment on a two-lane road in the dark hour before dawn. I’m not used to being awake at this hour, and I’m wary of hitting a deer, so I’m only going five miles over the speed limit. Soon I have a pair of headlights blasting right behind me. Someone is in a hurry to get to work! I slow down at the next passing opportunity to let him get by, but the guy behind me is content to tailgate me with his 1000-watt LED lights. At the roundabout, I take an extra round and let him get by, but soon I have another pick-up truck come up right behind me. I am already anxious about the hospital visit, and this guy obviously wants to push me to drive faster. When he finally passes me, the exhaust roars on his big truck. I can imagine him cursing me for daring to go near the speed limit in my little Prius.
Driving in a sedan in rural Wisconsin means that all those pick-ups and SUVs shine their lights right into our car. It can be blinding, even when they are not using their brights. When people are tailgating, I just want to pull over to just let them pass. It isn’t safe!
Until recently, I never thought of pick-up truck drivers as a group of people. I thought that some pick-up drivers are assholes…
