The Canada Forces.ca – 1-800-856-8488 – License “Canada 67449” – IDIOT!

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Today’s Blog Post


The Canada Forces.ca – 1-800-856-8488 – License “Canada 67449” – IDIOT!

For two days this week I sat in long meetings in Kingston dealing with how we can help in Correction Service Canada. I work alongside Parole Officers that deal with Federal Prisoners.

One day was 7 Hours in meetings, the next had 3 and at that moment we were heading home. What was happening on the Highway at that moment was not something I needed or wanted. I was tired and just wanted to get home.

My wife and I were riding in a Rental Car, a small black Kia. Compared to the Van that we normally ride in, it is small… low and close to the road…but lots of pick up and zippy to say the least.

The road we were on is the 401 Highway, the large, wide and long road that goes between Montreal, Quebec and Windsor, Ontario. Originally named the MacDonald Cartier Freeway, it serves as the main artery for traffic across Ontario. Normally it is fast and free of encumbrances.

On Wednesday around 4:00 PM that was not the case. There was construction up ahead in the distance. The two lanes of traffic were slowed to a crawl and had been for about 3 miles. As we progressed I was driving in the left lane slowly passing the semi-trailers and slower vehicles in the right lane, one by one. This had gone on for about 20 minutes or more.

There on the left, up ahead was the first warning, a large flashing arrow pointing to the right. It indicated that up ahead we were going to merge into the right lane.

I was following other vehicles that continued to pass on the left. That is until I came up to the large bus in the right lane. The two vehicles in front of me sped up slightly to get ahead of the large bus. Both passed successfully.

The final merge was more than a half kilometre up the road where the road was finally into the one, right lane. There was still time at this slower speed we were travelling for me to follow the other two cars past the bus.

But there was no way that was about to happen. The Bus Driver was apparently angry with the other two cars that had sped by… and made a huge and very stupid decision to target us in the little black car. YES I SAID TARGET!

Following the vehicle ahead I sped up enough to start the left lane pass. My vehicle’s front end was almost at the rear end of the bus when the idiot driver did his stunt swerving into over almost hitting our car. I slammed on the breaks to miss a hit and the bus went back partially into his right lane.

Okay, maybe he just moved over by accident… so I proceeded again to attempt the pass.

That was the moment I realized that it wasn’t an accidental move over into the other guys lane – ooops kind of driving problem! He immediately did it again threatening my car with his big bus rear end. He was weaving side to side as if trying to tell, “Go ahead buddy try that again and you are dead!”

But now he was straddling the two lanes by driving with white line in the centre of his bus. I was still in the left lane. Immediately beside me were two other vehicles with no place for me to go… It was the centre median, grassy area off the road to the left or a slam into the vehicles beside me to my right.

It was then that I saw the driver of the bus watching me in his large mirror. I pointed up his bus and motioned a two handed question. He stuck his left hand out of the bus and pointed his thumb down… telling me his displeasure with me and his bus hovered in this middle of two lanes for the remainder of the two lanes until the left lane was gone.

The driver to my right was shaking his head and slowed to let me get in behind the large bus – where I stayed with my heart beating very fast. I was shaken by the road rage that I experienced with that bus driver.

How stupid can one person be?

The answer is REAL STUPID. The Bus was a “Canada Forces.ca” Bus with a “1-800-856-8488” telephone number below the Web Site. His license was a “Canada” Plate – with 67449 proudly showing. The Mile marker at the side of the road was #602 and the time was 4:15 PM.

Now a professional driver of any bus is always careful of his equipment and is respectful of all the other drivers on the road… just not this guy! He was a Canada Forces.ca Jackass!

Now was he a soldier given the task to drive the big bus that day? I don’t know. I couldn’t see any uniform – but I did see his leering at me when he challenged me to try to pass him again.

Was he just a mechanic that was moving the bus empty down the road? Maybe… If he had other Military personnel on the bus, there had to be some one that outranked him and would have given him orders to cut that out… or maybe it was orders to snuff the little black car behind them….

At the stage of being threatened I was only worried for my wife and my safety. The very close call with the CanadaForces.ca Bus was not something you have time to think who was doing what on the bus.

But on the way back home there was lots of time to think… and try to figure out this idiot’s mindset.

Pause…
Two doors down from where we live in Peterborough the family lost their son in Afghanistan. I was deeply moved by what they have gone through.

I have travelled to the Highway of Heroes and stood on the Overpass with hundreds of others to honour the fallen soldier in the hearse below.

I honour the men that have given their lives. They almost have legendary status in my mind.

But at 4:15 PM, at Mile Marker 602, with a Canada Forces.ca Bus threatening your life… I have brand new feeling about one Jack Ass Driver… who I sincerely hope will be reprimanded for very stupid actions on the 401 Highway!!!

Knowing that I am just a citizen that pays their salaries, that knows nothing about their Military ways… there will likely be nothing come out of this posting anyway. They are likely way above me… and their actions can be whatever they feel it should be!

Ironically in my last Tuesday Meetings with Correctional Services Canada the discussion did get around to one of their own. Former Col. Russell Williams, the Base Commander at CFB Trenton, is a Prisoner now with Corrections Service Canada. I thought of attitudes and Williams and the stupid bus driver that nearly hit us on purpose… and it makes me sad and mad at the same time.

How dare you?????!!

As I drove on I thought more about the idiot driving that bus. He had no idea that my 89 year old mother wasn’t in the car… she could have been.

He had no idea that we didn’t have our Grandchildren in the back seat… they could have been. And he didn’t care.

What really mattered was his being right and his bloody thumb telling me to “Go to Hell!” as he swerved at me.

What will I do about it?

I will be sending this by email to a few folk to get some attention. I will try to help get the driver some help.

Was I wrong trying to pass the bus on the left lane like the other cars did? There was lots of room to do so… lots of room.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/
Resource
http://www.forces.ca/en/home/