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2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Harry
Anyway, it's late-dusk with light rain. 99.9% of the drivers have their headlights on, as they should. A compact oncoming car with parking lights only. I give him a quick lights-off/lights-on (2x) and he comes back RIGHT NOW with his brights. No hesitation at all. It was almost as if he was driving with his finger on the flash-to-pass stalk. Hmmm.
james
I see this also. What is their rationale? This could be easy pickings for cops. Cities, towns, counties could charge say $100-$200 fine. They could post notices in newspapers for a month ahead of time and then start pickup of these folks. Fine could be considered as tuition for these drivers to learn about proper vehicle lighting. Good revenue too for locals.
Why? Still not used to the electro/luminescant (or whatever you call it) dashboard on the new car. It's one where the dash is basically dark, and ights up when you start the car. Looks the same pretty much with the lights on or off (although it dims a bit when you turn on the lights).
In any case, you lose that visual reminder (that is, you can't see the guages), and Honda even adds a little lights icon to tell you they are on. I was on a highway, then a 4 lane localbusy road with lots of lights (stores, etc), so it wasn't particulary noticable to me (obviously), but probably ticked off a few other people!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Sorry dudes and dudettes, it looks anything but cool
If there's a need for driving lights, it's in open country to watch for cows on the road or bears or... when driving at speed.
I have gotten in the practice of turning on my high beams in response to those driver's with bad aims on their "driving" lights.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Exactly. Driving lights are for driving on open road and are far too powerful to illuminate while sharing the immediate roadway.
But, to get back to the parking lights only person, what did you do in response to the displayed antics?
Hahha.... the other day I did a doosey to my wife. I turned off the headlights when we stopped at work for me to drop myself off, and she did not notice them off! She hopped in and drove almost all the way home in darkness wondering why everyone else's lights seemed so bright!
Eventually, a few miles from home, someone was courteous enough to double-flash her and she put 2-and-2 together! Hheheh.... I felt bad about that one.
This time of year it was just reflexive. I really dislike it when people leave their cars idling in parking lots, sometimes for hours on end, and leave the headlights on.
If you see ONLY the fog lights on, then the owner has fiddled with the wiring.
Driving lights, OTOH, should be wired to come on only with the high beams, because these are intended to aid in long-distance illumination.
Does anyone know of cars today that are factory-equipped with driving lights?
In the middle of the road (in between the two lanes of oncoming traffic) I see a flash, the sun reflecting off a shiny wheel. The wheel is attached to... a wheelchair! It's slowly, very slowly wheeling across the street just half a block from a crosswalk. Well, the light's been green for a while, so there are a lot of cars stopped in the middle of the road waiting for him/her to cross.
Then I look back ahead of me, and there's a woman in the middle of my lane! She's calmly walking behind the wheelchair (20ft behind), walking like... well, almost like a runway model. She's crossing diagonally, so she's facing away from my side of traffic. I come to a stop 10ft away from her (not a panic stop - I saw her in time) and as she walks through my lane she never turns her head to see my lane!
I start up and go again and come to a light that's turned red, half a block from where they were crossing. I turn around and see that she's pushing the wheelchair. I still don't really get it.
That's how I wired in my drivers. Technically, I could have just wired them through their own switch, but that would not have been road legal according to Alaska law and, more importantly, I would have had to switch them on/off manually which would increase the reaction time and margin of error.
Sometimes it is better NOT to get it!
My brother just got a 1987 Mercedes 260e. It has yellow fog lights in the same housing as the high beams, which is the only time I've seen fog lights that weren't mounted lower. Probably not cool to drive with those on.
Guess what? The guy behind me was all of a sudden tailgating me not allowing the other guy in the right lane to merge in. Once we lost the right lane the guy behind me fell back and left a large gap between us again. What is with some people, there was no reason for that guy to do that.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
So, I turn on my parking lights and then pull out the light switch to engage the driving lights in the bumper (2006 Land Rover LR3HSE).
I've checked and my driving lights are aimed perfectly as not to blind on-coming traffic. Since I have xenons, I would rather not use them during the day and use the bumper driving lights.
I have not seen anyone flash me in 1,500 miles. And, I have not seen any crazy drivers either. Even the truckers are staying to the right on long up-grades. One of my pet peeves is when truckers try to pull a long grade at 50 miles an hour (speed limit 75 mph) and hold up traffic.
Mark :shades:
He had a deep desire to dominate someone else or gaining one-up on the other drive in a perceived "weak" position, maybe he's into BDSM.
It's petty, given that it probably didn't impact travel times of either driver. They don't know how foolish they look when they're squeezing the lane and looking straight-ahead pretending not to see whats going on.
Here's a good idea for Spike TV:
"World Most Arrogant Drivers Caught on Video!"
Clips to include:
- "He's a lead foot only when challenged"
- "Single car-length at any price"
- "Eight unnecessary lane changes within 15 seconds"
- "Hyper hi-beam action in bumper-to-bumper traffic"
- "Is he pushing or being towed by that Corolla?"
- "Buzzing the Forest Preserve Police"
Happens all the time here now. I mean every day. Worse is the instance when two cars are driving right next to each other. Two lanes in each direction. Eventually one car relents and one car ends up in front. The car behind that one inevetably begins passing and then just hovers next to that car. It used to be that I could set the cruise for 75 and have a nice drive. Now I always end up in a big chain of traffic that speeds up and down between 60 and 80 so that the front people never let anyone in front. Makes me so mad.
I sometimes execute a version of that maneuver by mistake. What happens is that everyone is obsessed out here with having bigger and bigger SUVs and trucks, and I can't see around. So move far left and look...sure enough, room to pass. I begin to make my pass and the macho driver speeds up and blocks (lead foot when challenged). I get back in behind. Another opportunity comes up and I try again. I'm successful and I'm now one car further in a line of about six cars. All going 60-80 because someone in front wants to hold the line of traffic up. When I make it to the front, I find that there is enough room to pass, but they are too timid to do so. :mad:
Oh how about stupid passengers giving directions. One time I am driving with a friend to some place and we are in the middle of some southern IL town and he tells me to get into the left lane, then tells me to get into the right lane, then tells me to get in the left lane back and forth as he is giving me directions to someplace just to be funny. Oh for lack of an ejector seat.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Hahaha....... but think of the traffic jam it would create! :surprise: (pun intended)
Anyhow -
On my way to work this morning, I was cruising along at 60 in a 55, passing some traffic, holding fairly steady with others. We get to an area where the SL drops to 40 and I am running about 8 car-lengths behind and next (I was in the left lane, it was in the right) to a minivan. Typically, I will drop to around 50 in this zone initially because traffic patterns do not warrant full compliance with the zone. As I move deeper into it, I slow to between 40 and 45. Well, I'm doing the normal let-off-the-gass-and-coast-down routine upon entering it, and so was this van. Fine. The road merges down into one lane about 300 yards ahead, so the van puts on a signal and moves in front of me. Fine. Then, the van slows rapidly to around 30! Not fine. Initially I was continuing to coast up this gentle hill but this van was slowing much faster than I. I decided it was not worth the hassle of poking along behind it and signaled to the right lane, then passed. Immediately this driver flips on and sustains the brights for about 10 seconds until we joined other traffic, then follows me (not excessively close, ~3 secs, but matching speeds) to the point where our paths diverged. It even went so far as to make a questionably risky traffic maneuver (considering the vehicle and road conditions) to keep behind me.
Was I wrong to pass? Did I pose a risk to anybody? I was a bit surprised by the emotional response.... talk about reactive.
Yeah, it's too bad this thread is being ignored because of the newer thread. But it'll probably get shut down too, just like the one about abolishing speed limits!
Today I was on a two lane road in the left lane well ahead of someone in the right lane (like 4 or 5 car lenghts) I merged into the right lane and the guy (who was actually going slower than me) flashed his brights. :confuse:
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Oddly, I had another situation on the way home! Granted, I played a role in this one, but only because I would not grant an ignorant SOB his way.
I am leading a column of three vehicles up an on-ramp onto an "expressway" that has a stop light about 300 yards ahead of the merge area for this ramp. There are 4 vehicles on the expressway in the right lane, none in the left. In my mind, this is a perfect example of where "zippering" should be used. So, the leading van on the expressway is ahead of me. Behind that vehicle was a minivan running about 2-3 seconds behind. The lead vehicle was driving about 50 mph. So, I match speeds with the lead vehicle behind it and ahead of the minivan. As the two lanes become one and my merge becomes imminent, the minivan hugs the vehicle in front and tries to squeeze me out. The front of it was at about my rear passenger door. The driver lays on the horn and holds. I ignored the driver and just merged in as though it were not even there, and of course it backs off, but feels obligated to ride my bumper up to the red light and beyond before turning off onto a side street.
Turns out that all of us on the ramp zippered perfectly, despite the objections of one driver.
What a day for commuting.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Well, this is where I misfigured. I merge onto the main road (and I am at 45-50), and he is stillat least 5 car lengths behind me - so he didn't even have to brake to let me in. He proceeds to speed up, run right up to my bumper, and turn on the high beams (it was early morning and dark outside). The high beams are no big deal to me as I have very dark windows on my car - Just more of an indication to me of this guy's attitude. At this point I debate between a) roll down window and flip him off, b) slow down to a steady 25 mph (not brake check, just slow down), c) turn on both front and rear winshield washers and give him a spraying, or d) do nothing. 5-10 years ago, I would have gone with a,b, or c. I decided in this case to turn the radio up, relax, and forget about him. He rode back there for a couple of miles, and then turned off (but kept his high beams on this whole time even though there was a steady stream of on-coming traffic).
It's like the old CB radio/radar thing with people wanting someone in front of them going faster or as fast as they are thinking that a policeman won't get them on radar and give them a ticket; instead the person they're pacing 5 feet behind their front bumper or the person they're drafting gets the tickets.
Even worse are those giant tree-like SUVs who want to draft because they can't afford the gas mileage they get otherwise and they can see over everyone. I just hate it when they get behind my Buick.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Every since my run-in with psycho-Blazer several months ago, I have been making a very conscious effort to ensure that I act in this manner as well. It sure has a way of making a bad situation a whole lot better.
Sounds like left lane rolling roadblocks are still a valid topic here, no matter whether they be Buicks or not... although hosts DO have a limit, right?
Cheers!
Paul
Yep, happened to me on the way home from work. On a 55 mph 4-lane divided highway, I'm in the left lane pulling away from a light, when brake lights keep going on in front of me. Traffic is heavier because it's a Friday.
I figure someone might be slowing up ahead to make a U-turn in a crossover.
I get into the right lane and see the source of the problem -- a Jeep Liberty with no lights on in the gathering gloom.
By that time, everyone in the left lane is jockeying to get around the LLC by using the right lane. I finally get my chance and pass, just shaking my head so the woman passenger could easily see what I was doing.
They were going about 50 -- okay with me, but WHY in the left lane?
But this time, the driver saw me. I'm barreling down the road at 50mph, along with a few other cars going the same speed. Two lanes in each direction, 45mph limit. This guy's in a beige van, with his window open. He sees me, and I see him. He stops. And then he goes! (Slowly.)
I see a big beige box getting bigger and bigger in front of me, and all I can do is panic brake. There's a bit of screeching before I remember to ease off, and luckily there's no one behind me. No. One. Behind. Me. Just a biiiiiig, mergeable space.
We both made a right turn at the light that was right there, and as I passed him he was staring at me with no discernable expression on his face.
About 4 miles down the road.
She turned into the left lane when she got onto that road, so she is saving herself 2 lane changes by staying in that left lane for 6 miles.
And probably a long-time alcoholic.
He had just picked up the 6-pack he needed to get the rest of the way home each day.