Are you a "good" city driver?

Recently, I took a quiz titled, "Are you a good driver?" This topic really peaked my interest, because I have been notoriously called "a bad driver." I am not naming any names here, but this accusation can be traced back to some of my older family members, as well as my teenage cousins.
In my defense, I believe I am simply an aggressive city driver, one who takes control of the situation at hand, and makes traffic move more quickly. To truly understand how I perfected my driving skills, a review of my DMV record is necessary. (Warning: This may be extremely painful reading for parental figures).

Let's start with the teenage years. My first car was a 1996 Saturn coupe, which I received on my 16th birthday. It was a great little car, and cute, but that didn't last long. Here is the list of the things that happened to me while driving the Saturn.

1. The driver's side mirror mysteriously "fell off" while I was driving through the ATM, in a hurry to get some cash no doubt!

2. The passenger side mirror was swiped off during an incident in a parking garage.

3. The front bumper was dented, because I had to go through one of those gates at a parking garage. I lost my parking ticket and couldn't get out of the garage without it, OOPS!

4. I side swiped a BMW in a snow storm. Sorry, mom and dad. I know it was painful to have to pay the man in cash, so that we didn't have to file another claim with the insurance.

5. I passed a cop on the shoulder on Butterfield RD. in Wheaton. I still don't understand why he was stopped in the middle of a one lane highway? Let's just say he wasn't happy with me, since I was already driving on a speeding ticket.

6. This one wasn't my fault, I swear! In high school, I let a coworker pull my car up for me, so I wouldn't have to walk in the snow. Without my knowledge, he drove to the back of the nursing home I worked at and was trying to fly over ramps with my car. My car was dragging on the ground all the way home, the $2000 dollars in damage was not as scary as the expression on my Father's face when he saw the Saturn.

That's enough incriminating evidence against me for now. Let's move on to how these experiences have made me a better city driver.

After college, I bought a new Honda Civic. Anyone who put themselves through college and has $60,000 in loans to prove it, realizes that a &17,000 car is not cheap! I vowed to learn from my previous mistakes and keep my Honda in tip top condition. Shortly after, I moved to Chicago with a clean driving record, since all my offenses occurred before the age of 18. I found it much easier to obey the rules of the road in the big city!

Firstly, I have not had any speeding tickets in Chicago! That could be because the speed limit is as fast as you can possibly move on city streets (usually under 30 mph). I didn't have any accidents until September 2006, when I had a three car crash at Halsted and Dickens. I took 60 percent of the blame, but come on people, why are you stopping for more than 2 seconds at a stop sign?? Doesn't that mean that it's my turn? One mistake so far, but that's nothing compared to my past! On a positive note, I am often told by my passengers that I am the best parallel parker they know, and I can pass a slow driver on the right, or on the left if needed, with great ease.

Anyways, after reviewing my driving record and the results of my driving quiz, I came to the conclusion that I am not a good suburban driver (too many rules), but that I am a great city driver! I have used my past failures to assist me in becoming the best city driver that I can be!
However, I have decided to "fine tune" my driving skills just a little, so that in the future I don't scare any of my clients away!