One of the most common daily experiences we face is also one of the most frustrating tasks we face, that of driving.  While we all claim to be excellent drivers, by definition, half of us have to be below average drivers, right?  Almost every day, I figuratively run into several drivers who “impress” me with how below average their driving skills are.  At the risk of sounding like an old codger, many of these tend to be younger than I and I think I know the reason for the decline in driving abilities.  I blame Mario.

Back in my day, if you thought about driving and Mario, you would have been thinking about Mario Andretti, the race car driver who is one of only two drivers to have won races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR. While Mr. Andretti may have driven fast, he knew how to drive.

These days, I think too many people have learned to drive like Mario, the Plumber.  Before they could drive, they spent years driving in video games where they could drive off-road, throw bombs at other cars and use a rocket boost for extra burst of speed and they appear to attempt to use these tactics out on the interstate.

Be safe out there and remember that your drive to work is NOT in Battle-mode.