Roadblock of the Mind

On the way home from work tonight, I waited my turn at the light just two blocks away from home. When I was clear, I turned left onto the boulevard, and drove about 30 feet, gradually catching up to the truck ahead of me. The driver of this truck waved to the car at their left (in the center turning lane) what appeared to be a friendly goodbye greeting, as that vehicle made a left-turn into the gas station. Then the truck immediately in front of me put on its brake lights. It was not going that fast to begin with, and I was confused why the driver would be slowing down. I quickly realized that they were not slowing – they had come to a complete stop, blocking the traveling lane. I pushed my brake pedal down harder to come to a stop behind them. My close stop being unexpected provided me very little distance if I were now to chose to make a maneuver to pass the truck ahead of me. Fortunately the other cars behind us also came to a stop at this unusual place in the road. I watched the driver ahead of me, who leaned toward the center console of her car, picked up a cell phone, and put it to her face. The driver appeared to be talking, while parked and blocking the progress of everyone behind them. About a half a minute later, I could still see no apparent reason why we should remain motionless. I was about to sound a friendly “beep-beep” of the horn, when this driver (without signaling) slowly began a left turn into the same gas station, crossing the center turn lane and oncoming traffic lane to do so. I sped up to the full speed limit of the road, and continued on the two additional blocks to reach my home. I felt bewildered as I tried to reason out what had happened and what that driver was thinking?

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