Driving in 2007, Western Style

Westerners are nuts. That is my conclusion after returning from a driving trip across a couple of Western states. First, the amount of giant SUVs on the interstates seems to grow each month. As a passenger car driver, I was often in the minority. Are people having more babies? Are they taking parishioners on church trips in these SUVs? Are monster trucks the only things that can accommodate our huge American asses?

I am also continually astounded that the increasing price of gasoline since 2005's Hurricane Katrina, rather than causing Americans to downsize their vehicles, as has been the case in Europe for decades, seems to have had no effect. I recently heard that it can cost $150 to fill up a Chevy Suburban. No wonder the Mexicans are jumping over and tunneling under our border fences to get here -- we must all be filthy rich!

I also noticed that the drivers rushed up on slower moving cars and trucks in the right lane to try to pass cars in the crowded left lane, only to have to jam on their brakes, swerve left and cut off said cars. It is obvious from hundreds of yards away that there is nowhere to go in the right lane, yet they do it anyway. Isn't that the definition of insanity?

I exited before finding out whether all these drivers were following each other off a cliff.