Traffic and the social construct

Years ago, I lived in a fairly inner-city flat where I could lie on the sofa in my room and see a huge intersection with multiple entries and exits, all on a steep hill, without any traffic lights or roundabout action. And I would get wasted, listen to the new Pulp album and could just watch the traffic move around for hours.

There was something in the way it worked, the way everyone knew what they were supposed to do, where to turn and when to give way. And the more fucked-up I would get, the more I would be convinced that it was all some kind of deeper metaphor for the way humans can work together, if they all agree on some straight and simple rules.

This may be why road rage can spark up out of nowhere. Sure, you might only be 10 seconds later to your destination when some prick pulls out right in front of you and dawdles down the street, but they're also breaking that unspoken contract - the one where we are looking out for each other, and working together for the common good. Bad drivers are just bad people.

And there are some bad fucking drivers out there, because there are many bad people - so many people who refuse to do some absolutely fucking basic things like wear a mask that could stop other people dying, and they're not just showing how much of a fucking asshole they are, they're fucking up the whole social dynamic.

Just drive sensibly and responsibly and we'll all get where we're going so much easier. That mad intersection worked so well and there weren't many mishaps, because we all knew that was a pain in the ass, and potentially tragic.