A Plea to Miami Drivers

Driving in Miami is like the Hunger Games. Everyone is trying to survive the treacherous arena that is our road network. Each one of us has a different weapon (er, car) and each one of us has a different, incongruous strategy for using it. Some of us use our turn signal, some of us don't. Some randomly stop and turn on their hazards, some turn them on amidst a downpour. It's a mixed bag of surprises, but one thing is for certain: everyone is in it to win it, others be damned.

Back in 2013 I narrowly avoided death. I was driving on I-195 eastbound where high-speed traffic from I-95, SR-112 and downtown merge, when a car on the left lane decided it had to exit stage right onto North Miami Avenue. (If you're not familiar with this area, there are four lanes you need to cross and less than 500 feet to do so.) In his haste, the driver nearly sideswiped my car on the driver side at 80mph. That is, the driver nearly sideswiped me at 80mph.

After that incident, my frustration with Miami drivers reached a fever pitch. It reached a tipping point at which I considered moving to a different, safer city where I was not letting Jesus take the wheel every time I had to go to a meeting or run an errand.  Instead of moving, I started this blog. I needed a positive place to remind me that Miami is much, much more than self-serving maniacs behind the wheel.

Example of why Miami drivers are the worst: they block the box.

The fact remains that we do have self-serving maniacs behind the wheel. Miami's driving privileges—because driving is a privilege, not a right and one most of us here do not deserve—are a mechanism for mutually-assured destruction. Alas, this is a wake-up call from me to us that we can't continue to live like this. We need a clear set of road rules and we need to agree to follow them...for all of our sakes. We need to recognize that, as cliché as it sounds, it is better to arrive late than not arrive at all.

So next time you want to scan Instagram while operating a moving vehicle or you want to make a hail Mary attempt from the left lane to make your exit, think about the fact that someone's daughter, sister, wife and friend (read, me) can be the collateral damage to making your life a tiny bit more convenient. (And, god forbid you are the victim of someone else's selfish driving decisions, make sure you get the best Miami medical and lawyer referral service to show the culprit the true cost of bad driving.)

Safe travels, Miami! And for Pete's sake, don't block the box.

This article was sponsored by 1800injured.care.

An Ode to Miami's Mythical Cultural Scene

Apparently "there is no culture in Miami." I have heard this apocryphal declaration made by many a Miami-an and certainly by every import from the Northeast. And, while I agree that we are not as institutionally cultured as cities like New York with its world renown museums, galleries and theaters, we definitely have a cultural scene. You just need to know where to mine beneath our glittery exterior of EDM, bandage dresses and champagne showers for those raw cultural nuggets.

For starters, our highly diverse community is brimming with culture by its very nature. As our contributor Celeste points out, "This flavorful melting pot has been brewing for decades. From mass Cuban emigrations to organized crime in the 70s, these hardships still echo and manifest themselves in the flavors and sounds of the city." You can't escape it, but you can definitely bask in it at the Tower Theater with a Cuban film, at the Little Haiti Cultural Center on Caribbean Market Day, at Libreri Mapou during a book reading. One of the most memorable experiences I have had as a writer in the last five years was taking a fiction writing workshop at the Coral Gables Museum led by award-winning novelist Anjanette Delgado, known for her Miami-inspired latina themes...so don't tell me "there is no culture in Miami".

I will concede that our definition of culture is different from other cities. That said, Miami also offers culture in the traditional, high society sense. Earlier this summer I went with a friend to see the NuDeco Ensemble featuring Ben Folds at the Arsht Center, which was perhaps on the avant garde side of the spectrum but was: a) incredible and b) in the end, still an orchestra performance. This year my mom also treated my family to the classical Chinese dance performance, Shen Yun, at the Arsht Center. 

There is culture in Miami. One of the local cultural offerings that Celeste and I both love is the Miami City Ballet, which puts on top-notch performances throughout South Florida from Fall through Spring. If you're looking for an "in," a place to meet Miami culture, we recommend starting at the ballet because everyone loves it and we have a world class ballet company in our very own backyard. Don’t just take my word for it—see for yourself! Their 2018/19 season is getting ready to kick-off on Friday, October 19 with Company B. (Make sure you say hi to Celeste who will also be in the audience!)

Celeste and I are hoping this blog will be your go-to resource on your quest to uncover Miami's mythical cultural scene. If you need inspiration, we regularly post about our cultural musings here and on the #ThankYouMiami Instagram. We also want to hear from you. How do you take advantage of culture in Miami?