“But the fruit of the Spirit is [road rage]”?
About the Author
Ben spends most of his time working with underprivileged kids in Tijuana, Mexico, encouraging them to continue their education. He's an unofficial member of Iglesia Bautista Monte Horeb, which runs the elementary school, Centro Pedagógico Didaque.
I’ve almost put this in writing at all the wrong times—to let it all out and to gossip the dirt. It would have been a relief to rant and rave over the cyber-waves. Yet I have resisted because of my intense humility. Ha.
It’s no secret that the driving south of the border grays the lines. And it can be frustrating to be a part of the commute. Lane jamming, lack of signaling, ignoring the right-of-way, and bullying are commonplace. Couple those driving habits with the scene below:
- potholes and/or non-maintained dirt roads
- lack of signage and road paint/markers
- continual “Band-Aid” construction
- broken-down vehicles in the middle of the lane
- honking, loud mufflers, and blaring stereos
- intersections?—I could write an entire article on this subject
I recently had a conversation with my in-laws (who are Mexican) regarding the terrible drivers in Tijuana. They concurred and took the conversation to entirely new emotions, with evidence! Then my father-in-law said that the awful driving is now found in San Diego. “Well, yes,” cried my mother-in-law, “but only in areas where Mexicans are found. You’ll never see this kind of driving in white areas.” That’s when I bowed-out of the exchange with hopes of diffusing the heat.
But my driving habits have not been quite so levelheaded. I am not a bad driver. I’m not. And I should write another sentence just to emphasize this point once more. However, once the “fight has been picked,” I generally do not back down, often risking my sheet metal, possibly my physical well-being, and most certainly any resemblance of the fruit of the Spirit.
Legally I may win the case, but biblically I’m hard pressed to make an argument.