Urban Driving

One of the best parts about driving is that it's like a real-life video game, in that it is sometimes enjoyable. One of the worst parts about driving is that it's like a real-life video game, in that there always exists the possibility of death and destruction, only instead of starting over, you actually die/have to pay a large amount of money. I was reminded of this fact today, when I drove to UC Berkeley to tour some housing.

The streets of Berkeley aren't quite as terrible as the ones in, say, San Francisco, because at least the intersections are designed in ways that make geometric sense and don't form mazes that invite unsuspecting drivers to cross into oncoming traffic. However, the people of Berkeley more than make up for this in that they apparently give up all sense of self-preservation when stepping out onto the road.

Like any urban area, there are drivers more used to it than the pampered suburbanite you are, which means that they will be blazing through said madness at ridiculous speeds as you try to determine whether the street you are about to turn left onto actually has a lane intended for travel in that direction. The non-drivers are worse, though. The pedestrians and bicyclists seem to forget that they are inevitably destined to lose should they decide to test their structural integrity against that of a two-ton metal vehicle. Therefore, they will jump in front of your vehicle at random times, often, in the case of pedestrians, running crosswalk lights in the process, and further your dismay.

Luckily, being the awesome driver that I am, I managed to escape the city of Berkeley for the welcoming civility of I-80 without causing any deaths, injuries, or property damage. It's amusing how awesome the streets of Rocklin are when you are grateful for things like two-way roads and protected left turns.

In other news, Berkeley housing is pretty cool.