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Inconsiderate Drivers (share your stories, etc.)

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  • pat84pat84 Member Posts: 817
    The VA police did a study of distractions that caused accidents. #1 was rubbernecking at an accident.. Eating was worse than cell phone use.
      I 've driven from Miami to Key West. I do not remember a Seminole Key.
  • seminole_kevseminole_kev Member Posts: 1,696
    I get that from time to time. It's actually Seminole_kev. I think the underline for the hyperlink makes it look more like a "Y" than a "V". I'm from Flordia, but it stems from being a FSU fan. College football and cars are my two passions in life. Sure throw my wife in there too so she won't get angry ;-)

    Been stuck out here in Oklahoma City ever since the military put me here (I've been out for about 5 years, but I have a good job and the IT job market sucks right now.) I'll move back some day though.

    Kinda rambled on there. Sorry about that.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    ... of course, you realize that it makes too much sense and wouldn't cost a whole lot so it's not a viable alternative...LOL

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  • pat84pat84 Member Posts: 817
    Sorry about the "key" "kev" mess up. So FSU graduates are Seminoles ? I'm a MDU Terrapin.
     When I was there, all our teams really were pathetic.
  • seminole_kevseminole_kev Member Posts: 1,696
    no problem. Hope you didn't think I was upset by it. Yeah, It's the Florida State Seminoles. So, Seminole_kev it was. Actually started up on a football message board (duh) and just try to keep the same logon at other sites (Edmunds included). So chances are, if you see a Seminole_kev elsewhere, it's probably me. (If not, I'm suing!)

    By the way, just got a tip about a 1959 Jaguar Mk I for sale. Going to look into it today.
  • seminole_kevseminole_kev Member Posts: 1,696
    Yeah, seems like you could have to collapsible post (to fit in police car trunks) and a yellow plastic tarp. Stow it in a cop car's trunk and erect it over the site of a crash. May not be big enough to cover a couple of cars, but generally a decent crash has at least a couple of police cars on it anyway. Just an idea.
  • kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    Interesting story regarding expecting the unexpected. Friend was telling me of an incident on the parkway this morning. Traffic was moving at 75, speed limit 65. Cars usually leave about 1 car-length at this speed.

    Duck is flying about 3-4 feet over the ground. Goes onto the parkway. In center lane, a car hits the duck, duck bounces into windshied. The impact demolishes the right side of the windshield, leaving left side intact. Thankfully all drivers keep their cool and there were no injuries, or crashes other than a demolished windshield.

    It could have been worse. The unexpected does happen. Wonder what would have happened, had the driver been going at 115?
  • seminole_kevseminole_kev Member Posts: 1,696
    if it had been a geese? Or, as actually happens somewhat frequently here, a deer or a cow? Why not drive 20mph on the freeway in case some bizzare event might take place?

    Speaking of geese, it reminds me. When I was in the military, I worked on the E-3 Sentry (Awacs) aircraft. We have 2 jets that get stationed up in Alaska and one day we lost one due to geese. Right after take off it struck somewhere between 30-50 geese if I remember correctly. Lost two engines and deformed the wing so badly that it no longer provide lift. Rolled over and pitched into the ground. Lost some good guys (and gals) that day.

    Boy, I'm in ramble mode today aren't I?
  • akanglakangl Member Posts: 3,282
    Yup, that happened at Elmendorf AFB I believe, I think I remember seeing the memorial the last time I was down there. My husband is at Clear AFS and we frequently stay at Elmendorf when we are in Anchorage. Darn birds anyway.
  • kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    "Why not drive 20mph on the freeway in case some bizzare event might take place?"

    Will it cut down on traffic fatalities?
  • seminole_kevseminole_kev Member Posts: 1,696
    yes it would. And driving 5mph could probably be even better than 20mph. Remember, you've got helmetless motorcycle riders out there as well.
  • seminole_kevseminole_kev Member Posts: 1,696
    Yes you are correct. Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage. Jet was 354, call sign "Yakula" if I remember correctly.
  • akanglakangl Member Posts: 3,282
    Sounds right if I remember the memorial correctly, very nice one too by the way, they did a good job keeping the memories alive.
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    Years ago, we had a student F4E pilot take a bird strike on the front bullet proof windscreen! Yikes!!! Of course it was almost a miracle IFE that ended with the plane landing! We also heated the F4E on the 120 degree tarmac with the requisite southern florida 98 % humidity before we were given the go ahead to fix it! Yuck ! :(
  • seminole_kevseminole_kev Member Posts: 1,696
    yeah we have a memorial here at Tinker AFB (Oklahoma City, OK) as well for them as it is the "home" for AWACS
  • seminole_kevseminole_kev Member Posts: 1,696
    my uncle worked on Phantoms in the Navy. When I would deploy to Turkey, I learned to hate the F-4's that the Turks still used. You see, our tents were right by the flight line and even though I slept with earplugs in, those damn F-4's would wake you up. Louder than hell! Hated those things for that!
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    Despite its "strong points" they were a maintenance nightmare! :(
  • eharri3eharri3 Member Posts: 640
    "Don't people get scared driving that kind of speed? I just can't see it. Driving 70 mph in a 65 mph zome is good for me. Driving 60mph in a 55mph zone is good for me as well."

    Actually, driving 60 while everybody else on the road is swerving around me at 85 on both my left and my right is far more frightening to me.

    " think it is either a mental thing where they just subconcously start pacing off of you, or that they wake up from the mental fog and start going faster like they'd like to."

    Most definitely. You hit it right on the head, I've said it a million times. It is against many peoples' natural instincts to complete a pass because they get next to another car and get this lonely feeling like they're afraid to be driving themselves without other cars around them. So they slow down and match speeds. And when people are getting passed it suddenly makes them feel unadequate, and they try to over compensate immediately by speeding up to match the speed of the passer. Peoples' natural instincts in general on the highway seem to be the opposite of what common sense would dictate because they take the instincts that the human race gleaned from thousands of years of traveling on foot and apply the same things to traveling by car. This is what makes driving so dangerous.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    Are you a bad driver just because you drive through a stop sign with no one around? Is that the only criteria that makes you a bad driver? Kinda sorry IMHO.

    Kinda like if a regular 40 year old guy runs out and finds a 20 year old wife he's denegraded. Rich folk do it all the time. Is the regular guy not allowed to be a perv?

    Porn is almost one of the biggest money making industries in this country. But if you get caught using it, you are a "bad" person. Hell SOMEBODY is buying the stuff. It ain't like it's rare.

    Speeding is the same way. You can say a speeder is a "bad driver" but again we all know there are roads where EVERYBODY is doing 80-90 mph. How in the world can a cop stop you on an empty highway for doing 76 in a 60 and give some BS about "speed kills" or you were going too fast. It breeds nothing but contempt for the law and a total lack of respect for the police.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,675
    Last night I was behind one of those Auroras with the bright rear lights that blind you. They're like the Jaguar rear lights. They're continually on super bright, just like a rear-facing fog light.

    I also was behind another car, Avalon? Nissan Maxima? I don't know what it was and it has a superbright light within a red lense area that had several lights all in one.

    I would be nice if they only used them in foggy weather where someone might not see them easily from the rear. It's like all the cars with the bright driving lightsw on the front that are meant to be used with high beams for Driving fast, but instead they come on with the low beams so they blind oncoming drivers.

    Any cure for these bright rear lights?

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • eharri3eharri3 Member Posts: 640
    And the funny thing is you NEVER see cops obey the speed limit. Not in their patrol cars, and I've ridden with plenty off duty and fromer cops in their privately owned vehicles too. Those guys drive at insane speeds, in large part because they can always be confident they won't be charged accordingly like the rest of the driving public. This is not necessarily to say that I think that that preferential treatment in and of itself is bad or undeserved. Heck, my truck would have an FOP sticker on it too but I prefer not to advertise any clues as to what I do on my privately owned vehicle.

     And cops are the ones who see all kinds of nasty stuff, gory, bloody stuff at accident sites every day, so you know that would make them want to drive in whatever manner they think is most likely to see them safe. And I hardly ever see them goin 55 on the dot, usually more like 15-10 over the limit at a MINIMUM.

     So it can only make me think that all the preaching they do about the evils of speeding while on duty is the b.s. line their superiors make them spew to justify their revenue collection duties imposed upon them by state and local politicians.
  • kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    "So it can only make me think that all the preaching they do about the evils of speeding while on duty is the b.s. line their superiors make them spew to justify their revenue collection duties imposed upon them by state and local politicians."

    One thing has nothing to do with another. If one doesn't like the fact the laws of our society are applied unequally, we have the power to change this, which is our right as American citizens. It's called voting. If one doesn't like the laws, we use the same principle to empower politicians on our behalf to change these laws. In the meantime the public is bound by the laws of our society, which should be enforced equally for the common good.
  • eharri3eharri3 Member Posts: 640
    "One thing has nothing to do with another. If one doesn't like the fact the laws of our society are applied unequally, we have the power to change this, which is our right as American citizens. It's called voting. If one doesn't like the laws, we use the same principle to empower politicians on our behalf to change these laws. In the meantime the public is bound by the laws of our society, which should be enforced equally for the common good."

    Sure it does. IT's a law I don't feel safe obeying. It's a law that has no connection whatsoever the common good. IT's a law that probably won't change with the politicians because it's indirect taxation, and the only alternative, an increase in direct taxation, will always be more politically unpalatable. It's a law that most people who are paid to enforce don't obey. THAT in and of itself should tell you there's something wrong.

    Therefore my own safety is a higher priority for me than obeying an arbitrarily set limit. HEck, I enforce immigration law and I know even though I do a ton of good there's a whole lot that's wrong and seriously misguided abou the laws I am paid to enforce. But judging the laws is not my place. Im paid to enforce them, not criticize them or judge them. Im sure it's the same in many ways for local cops.

    Im realistic and I tell people I bust all the time, "look, you were doing what you had to do. I understand why and I don't blame you for it. IF I were in your position I would probably be doing the same thing. But I'm not and my hands are tied so I can't allow you to do it today because I have a job I have to do."
  • kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    "Sure it does. IT's a law I don't feel safe "

    Well you make your choice and you live with the consequences, if any.

    The fact there are members of the community (sic: American citizens) who have the opportunity to break the laws of our society and not pay the consequences or who have the law applied to unequally, is irrelavent to the conversation.
  • eharri3eharri3 Member Posts: 640
    I can't see how you could possibly find it irrelevant that those charged with enforcing these laws don't even respect them.
  • kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    There are two issues. 1) breaking the law and getting caught or not, 2) breaking the law and not to worry about being caught.

    Obviously if I knew I could speed to my hearts content and not get caught I would do it. The issue of whether or not it is safe would be irrelevent to me. If I caused an accident, there would probably be a backlash. But if I didn't, no backlash.

    The reason I keep up with the flow of traffic, even if I'm speeding, is to not get caught speeding at 20+ miles over the speed limit. The side issue of is it safe, takes a back seat. Obviously nobody is going to say, 65 (speed limit is safe), while 67 (speeding is not). It's a matter of degree and it becomes the pervue of the enforcer to judge when speed is not safe.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,675
    "charged with enforcing these laws don't even respect them."

    The problem is some with police uniforms or other ranks of power don't have to worry even if they do get stopped. In this area they have a little medal that they have on their license plate; their family members also can have that medal.
    Then they are given a courtesy pass when others would have been cited. If an accident is involved all possible is done to protect them from being responsible.

    In Cincy some police were in trouble for preventing an off-duty policeman who had been drinking in an accident from being tested.

    I have noticed some of the dangerous speeders and lane changers have medals on their plates, hence less if any reseponsibility.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • fjm1fjm1 Member Posts: 137
    I understand your point and think kdshapiro is missing it.

    BUT, don't mistake police intelligence about the facts of speeding with arrogance and ignorance.

    Because cops see incidents related to speed on a regular basis does not mean that they are well informed or knowledgable.

    My kid watches cartoons alot, doesn't make him an animation expert. He can't even color inside the lines ;-)

    Maybe cops just don't like coloring inside the lines?
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    Having done "ride alongs"
    (I do recommend them if you are ok with waiving idemnification) I can tell you that there is a different philosophy. By in large, the cops do try to follow the traffic laws.
    But job requirements can and do bring out seemingly incongruous behavior.
  • fjm1fjm1 Member Posts: 137
    I understand your point and think kdshapiro is missing it.

    BUT, don't mistake police intelligence about the facts of speeding with arrogance and ignorance.

    Because cops see incidents related to speed on a regular basis does not mean that they are well informed or knowledgable.

    My kid watches cartoons alot, doesn't make him an animation expert. He can't even color inside the lines ;-)

    Maybe cops just don't like coloring inside the lines?
  • ny540i6ny540i6 Member Posts: 518
    The last few posts go to an area that is pretty big with some of us - the difference between legality and safety. Eharris, myself, others, are all basically asking (saying) the same thing - we don't see where the line exists that says 50, or 60, or 65 is safe, with a sharp line that says 70 is unsafe, regardless of driver, car, road, weather, etc etc. I keep seeing posts that say don't speed, because it is illegal. I then have to ask "If the speed limit was 85, would you be ok with it?" Just curious.
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    The other thing is whatever or wherever the boundary, there might still be disputes. I think that it is common knowledge that highway engineers understand where the greatest percentile drivers on a given pathway travel. So for example, if the 85th percentile is say at 70-75 and the speed limit is 65 mph, one does not want to be the one stopped for speeding at 66 mph.

    Conversely, there are roads that folks travel at 80-85mph, with a 65 mph speed limit. I usually have to get out of the way of an overtaking squad car! :)
  • tornado25tornado25 Member Posts: 267
    "IT's a law that probably won't change with the politicians because it's indirect taxation, and the only alternative, an increase in direct taxation, will always be more politically unpalatable."

    I think your exactly right. In WI, we have 33 state senators and 99 State Assembly members. I can only vote for one of each. Even I called them up and told them "I won't vote for you unless you increase the speed limits on rural interstates to 75" and they then did indeed vote to increase them, I still need 49 other Assembly members and 16 other Senators to vote to do so. If they do not, what do I do about that, exactly? Nothing. Many people are not politically attuned enough to bring themselves to vote solely on the basis of speed limits, much less calling their appropriate reps to complain.

    For anyone to say "well just vote them out". Yes, that would work, if the way my senator and Assembly member voted meant the law would apply that way to me--unfortunately, this is a statewide issue that I cannot fix by voting. As I've said before, the law here is applied in a broadbrush manner so all types of 4 lane roads are 65mph. The least safe of those roads, I have no problem going 65. However, is it really logical to say 65 represents the same level of safety on 4-lane, controlled-access (ramps only), divided highway as it does on a unrestricted access (driveways right onto the road, cross-traffic, etc), divided 4-lane? No can say they are equally safe for the same speed. So why are the limits the same? Because politicians set the limit without regard to the scientific information that would tell them what the limit on each road should be. And to that point, catching people for speeding who actually try to set a speed for the road they are on is easier on the safer roads, since many (me included) will go faster on I43 than Highway 41 because I43 is safer for that speed.
  • pat84pat84 Member Posts: 817
    Of course, all those local senators and assemblymen are exempt from driving the speed limit
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    To get us away from strictly speeding and back towards the topic title... this morning I got to witness a single car accident... and it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

    The roads were wet, with spots that had a little slush/ice coating here and there. Nothing really dangerous... unless you weren't paying attention. Driving along, I notice a lot of "action" in my rear view mirror, and along comes a 20 something, driving a Firebird/Camaro style vehicle, stereo thumping bass that was shaking my teeth as he went by, weaving in and out of traffic, generally looking in a hurry. He gets past me, we go around a bend and he tries to make a quick left turn into the parking lot of a restaurant. Well, it happened to be right on one of those patches of road covered with slush/ice. A telephone pole was on the right side of the parking lot entrance. He started to slide, hit the brakes and bye-bye directional control.. hit that pole dead center.

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  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    Poor telephone pole! It probably didn't know what hit it! :)
  • grbeckgrbeck Member Posts: 2,358
    He'll probably sue the telephone company for placing that pole in his path.
  • eharri3eharri3 Member Posts: 640
    Will get you every time. If he lived and was not seriously injured, I say he deserved it and hopefully it taught him something. If he did not walk away, I withdraw my admonition and reserve comment.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    I certainly wouldn't be busting on the guy if he had been injured... well maybe I'd still be busting on him, but not laughing about it.

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  • pat84pat84 Member Posts: 817
    I was coming home from work yesterday on a 55 MPH divided 4 lane (2 lanes each way). A car waiting at a stop sign, pulled out in front of me so close that I had to hit the brakes. I was being passed at the time so I could not change lanes. The most amazing part of this was there was no other car behind me for at least a 1/4 mile.
       I guess he figured "I've waited long enough at this stop sign, I'm pulling out right now."
     .
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,675
    " A car waiting at a stop sign, pulled out in front of me so close that I had to hit the brakes."

    Another reason not to be in the right lane on multilane roads. Let the LLDs use that right lane and they can teach those stop sign folks how to do it.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • vchengvcheng Member Posts: 1,284
    ....that those with a tendency not to stop at a STOP sign, also have a tendency to swing wide into the second lane rather than the right-most lane when joining. Obviously, pressing the brake long enough to stop the car is too much effort, and thus turning the steering wheel another half-turn so you do not swing wide is way too much effort.
  • black_tulipblack_tulip Member Posts: 435
    http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Insurance/Insureyourcar/P4196- - 4.asp
    I found one trait interesting:
    "More than 60% of bad drivers say they are frustrated driving behind SUVs because they are wide and tall and block their vision"
  • carlisimocarlisimo Member Posts: 1,280
    I wish they said what percent of "good" drivers are frustrated driving behind SUVs. I doubt it's much lower.
  • 6thbeatle6thbeatle Member Posts: 180
    last christmas, i was circling the parking lot for what seemed like hours down at the shopping centre when i finally spotted someone leaving. so i waited, and then pulled into the open spot when suddenly an irate man in a ford f250 got outta his truck, came over and picked up my unicycle and tossed it into a nearby bush! the nerve of that guy, and during the holiday season!!
  • ny540i6ny540i6 Member Posts: 518
    Thanks! I needed that laugh. I felt a little guilty, until I remembered that last Chrismas the F250 was in the shop, and all I had was the M1 tank, so it wasn't me.
  • oldharryoldharry Member Posts: 413
    The bad drivers are more anoyed by the SUV in front of them than good drivers, because they are tailgating and the SUV blocks more of their field of vision.

    Tire speed ratings ( I get tire industry trade magazines because I sell tires) do not mean that because you have "H" rated tires that you are safe up to 130 MPH all the time. (adjust to appropriate speeds for other ratings). The speed rating means that a sample tire is occasionally pulled from production and tested. The tested tire must not fail when operated for ONE HOUR at rated speed when:

    Inflated to maximum rated pressure,
    Carrying rated load,
    On a dynamometer (with no bumps or chuck holes),
    At an ambiant temerature of 70 degrees F,

    This is a brand new tire that has never been overloaded, underinflated, subject to road impacts, or excess temeratures or ozone. Underinflation/overloading is the most common cause of premature tire failure in the US. If your tires have ever been driven under one of those conditions, the speed rating no longer applies. Tire companies also say that if a tire is repaired, the speed rating should be buffed off, as the tire is nolonger safe for that speed.

    Just something to think about.

    Harry
  • gambit293gambit293 Member Posts: 406
    Today I got stuck behind one of the worst kind of Left Lane Campers:

    The Police Cruiser LLC!

    The Ohio State Trooper calmly mosied along 71 north doing about 69 mph in a 65 mph, slowly passing semi trucks. And behind him: a building line of about 20 cars on what was not a very busy time of day.

    The icing on the cake is that once the cop clears the trucks, everyone is afraid to pass on the right since he's a cop.

    Of course, the cop exited the freeway: A) at the same exit I was heading for; B) as the freeway was finally splitting into three lanes; C) right before a pickup and van came flying along at 85 mph oblivious to the cop.
  • pat84pat84 Member Posts: 817
    I always allow a cushion of about 20 mph on how fast I'll drive relative to the speed ratings of my tires. My current 4Runner came with "S" rated tires, rated at 112 MPH. The top speed of the 4Runner is listed at 124 in the literature.. I'd never even consider 124 in a 4Runner. I never do over 75 in it,so the 112 rating is good enough.
       I do run them at 20 PSI when I go out on the sand at the beach. I doubt that's really bad as I never get above 5-10 mph in the sand.
  • ny540i6ny540i6 Member Posts: 518
    Anyone other than me irritated when you see someone waiting to cross the street with a baby carriage and they do this - the adult is standing firmly on the sidewalk, with the carriage firmly in the street?
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