Grumpy Old Man - can people drive and think at the same time

Because I swear there are people unable to operate both at the same time - as though the brain automatically switches off the moment the engine starts.

And I think they are is invariably men, because everyone knows they (or we) can't multitask.

Recently I was driving a fair distance, and spent time on the Hume Highway with the cruise control set on the speed limit to make sure I remained within the road rules.

And I was amazed at how many times people zoomed past me, obviously travelling well above the speed limit, then cut back into the left lane and slowed down.

What, do you think your speed is calculated on an average, and if you drive slowly for a while it compensates for speeding?

Now, as an inherently lazy driver, I hate having to apply the brakes, get around an idiot who struggles with the concept of safe driving, and then reset the cruise control so I can resume my journey free of worrying about copping a fine or demerit points.

But the weird thing was there were some cars that continued to act like that - speeding up and then slowing down, getting in the way.

For goodness sake, make up your mind whether you want to drive like a speeding idiot or a snail-paced pest.

But I finally got home and thought all that was behind me, which it was - for a day.

It was only then that two incidents in the one day proved that people in my home town seem to struggle with the concept of arrows at traffic lights.

I was second in line at traffic lights, waiting to turn right, when the green arrow appeared.

The person in the car in front of me didn't move, so I gave a short, polite beep on the horn to say, "Excuse me, but you need to move forward."

Nothing happened, so it was followed by a longer, irritated and frustrated beep saying, "Oi, Bozo, did you get your licence from a cereal box?"

The driver in front waved and then sat there, not moving until the lights were changing, meaning I was stuck for a few more minutes.

The same day I was at another intersection, waiting for the arrow to change so I could legally turn right, when another car zoomed up one of the lanes designated to proceed straight, and turned right through traffic in front of me.

I'm not sure, but I'm guessing it might have been the same guy from the earlier incident, trying to make up some of the time he lost.