Boomer on the Loose: Rainy Driving

Every time it rains, we hear about California drivers and how unable they are to adapt to rain.  Like all cliches, there's truth at the core of this observation.

I've been driving around in the drizzle the last four days, and noticing how many drivers DO NOT use windshield wipers.  As I was tooling around on errands the other afternoon, I had my intermittent wipers on, and started counting the drivers who used their wipers.  I think I counted about TWO drivers using wipers, and 50 or 60 not.  Nor did they turn on headlights.  Even a school van had no wipers going--didn't notice if there were kids in it or not.

I like to see as clearly as I can while driving, don't you?  Do you think it's wimping out or something to put on the wipers?

This is the same as my observations about Californians using umbrellas or wearing coats on rainy days.  Why don't people do either?

I've lived in California more than 30 years now, so I'm pretty much a native.  But is it a born-here thing, or what?  I notice my 20 year-old daughter is the same.  I try to force umbrellas on her, but when it rains, she has none.  

When I first started teaching here, I was appalled that there were no buildings or even covered spaces for the kids to use at lunch hour in the rain.  As if the building designers just didn't accept the possibility of inclement weather.  And when my daughter was in high school at Los Al, she said the kids walked around all day with wet feet, because they often wore flip flops, and the school had so many puddles, you'd get wet with or without shoes.

It's hard to find your coat or sweater when you seldom need either one.  

But why not at least turn on the wipers so you can see me in my car?