Speed traps and the kindness of strangers

One of my freelance editing gigs is for a company in San Ramon, and I've been going out to the office pretty regularly. I've been taking Crow Canyon Road as a shortcut through the hills from Castro Valley to San Ramon.

It's a beautiful drive through a little slice of ranchland in the middle of the Bay Area, and lately Crow Canyon has been even more spectacularly beautiful. The slopes, with grazing cattle, sheep, horses, are green, like golf course green, so green it looks fake to my native eyes. As soon as the rains stop, it will all turn brittle-yellow and then crisp to gray-brown in the summer heat. But now it is green green green, and the skies are blue blue blue, and the road winds delightfully through the canyon beside Crow Creek.

If I were the only car on the road, it would be perfect. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Either I'm stuck behind a very slow driver, or a pushy driver is right behind me, or, usually, both at the same time. You shouldn't be braking for every slight curve in the road -- that's what downshifting is for -- and you certainly shouldn't be braking while going UPHILL! And I hate the cars that aggressively pass me on the city streets of Castro Valley (or San Ramon) and then immediately slow down once the road begins to wind and bend.

My favorite drivers, though, are the ones that stick it to the man by warning oncoming cars of a lurking highway patrolman. About halfway through the canyon, the valley flattens out, widening enough for the road to have an extra passing lane in each direction. And lately, the CHP has been staking out the area in the hope of catching speedy passing cars. I've learned to watch for flashing headlights as I approach the passing zone and adjust my speed accordingly.

If I have to drive out to an office, I'm glad I get to take a drive I actually enjoy.