Back in the day, Pennsylvania had passed a law that all traffic should be in the right lane, making the left hand lane for passing vehicles, only. I'm pretty sure I was in college when this occurred. The PA houses had just passed the law, it was Nov, I think. It wasn't supposed to take effect until January. Not that big a deal, right? I think every other state had had this in effect all around us, and since most driving our highways are from somewhere else, on their way through, it was just the natives that had to get used to it.
I forget where I was going. I was in Angus, the blue Ford escort, this is post-Warwick mobile, and I was going through Harrisburg on Front Street. For those not in the know, Front Street is a one way, three-laned street that runs south along the river. I was in the middle lane, because, honestly, Front Street is my kryptonite. The lanes seem so narrow and it freaks me out. So, I think to myself, if I drive in the middle lane I'll be fine. Drive in the right lane, I'll hit a curb and flip down the gully and into the river where we will all drown (granted the river is only 3 feet deep in most areas). Drive in the left lane, someone will pull out in front of me and we'll all die in a fiery blaze, probably on the front lawn of Beth-El.
So, I was driving down the center lane of Front Street on the morning after the PA Legislature has passed this law. Alongside me, in the right-hand lane, comes a guy and a woman who are keeping neck and neck with me. I'm freaked out. Then he starts yelling at me. I'm really freaked, but also polite, so I roll down my window. Expecting one of my brakelights is out, or my entire bumper is missing, I look over his way with a smile and try not to end all of our lives in the river or on the lawn of Beth-El.
He yells across, "You're in the wrong lane! You're gonna get pulled over! They just passed a law saying that you need to drive in the right-hand lane!"
Several things went through my mind. How does this guy think all of Harrisburg's traffic is gonna fit just in the right hand lane? Can he be serious? CAN he really be serious?
I yelled back, "That's only on the highway."
"No," he yelled, "its for everywhere."
I rolled up my window and drove to wherever I was going.
To this day I can't figure out if the guy was alerting me out of his concern for me, or this was his way of complaining despite his ignorance. I still picture him, though, faithfully in the right hand lane driving through life, yelling, warning others of their impending doom.
(There's probably a sermon in this, somewhere...)
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