Has Anyone Else Noticed Central Maine Drivers Doing This?!

Hello friends, Matty James here. If there's one thing you know about me it's that I... well, wait a second. If there's one thing you know about me it's that I have a strange love-addiction to chicken nuggets. If there's TWO things you know about me, it's that I have a strange love-addiction to chicken nuggets and that  I love to bitch and complain. That's me. The chicken nugget eating bitchy complainer... And while I'm not currently eating nuggets as I write this, I am about to do some bitchy complaining. But this time it involves safety, so it's totally legit.

I've seen this happen many times over the years, typically on a really well-lit section of Augusta road around dusk. People driving with their headlights off either on Western Avenue or Civic Center Drive, heck I've even seen it on KMD in Waterville. And, at least on these busy, well-lit stretched of road, I can almost understand it. People driving at or just after dusk don't have their headlights on because the roadway is so bright from the city lights that they don't even notice. Here's the part I don't understand.

Five times in the last three weeks I have come up behind someone (different vehicle each time) on Route 17 headed from my town of Windsor to Augusta. Now until you get up past the Cony Road intersection there really are no bright lights or street lights the shine on the roadway. Nope, Route 17 (Eastern Avenue) is dark in the morning before the sun comes up. Yet I still find myself coming up behind drivers that do not have their freaking headlights turned on. Why?!

Not only is it incredibly dangerous for you the driver, it's also dangerous to oncoming traffic and people like me who are coming up behind you. Sometimes I get to 4-5 car lengths away until I realize there's a car in front of me. Sometimes the drive into Augusta in the morning is incredibly foggy. Why don't you people have your headlights on? What if a deer ran out in front of you? Would you see it? Or would you take an ass-load of Bambi through the windshield of your '97 Grand AM?

Okay, I'm rambling. But I beg you, for the sake and safety of yourself and all the other early-morning drivers on the Maine roadways, turn your damn lights on when it's dark out. I can't even believe I have to put this out there.

Geez... I'm all wound up now. I need to go calm down with a heaping helping of crispy nugs.

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