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Comments
I wonder if the ABS thing exists in places with more skilled drivers.
Absolutely. I figured that one out real quick after I bought my Subaru. I spent countless hours repairing problems caused by previous owners, and am actually quite surprised that I have been able to keep it running as long as I have (202.5K today, bought it with 83.3K in 8/2000). I would guess that I have spent about $2500 on it in what I would consider to be non-normal maintenance - and that is doing all work myself! I would guess it to be closer to $10,000 if there was an actual labor cost involved. And, it was all stupid stuff that was caused by either neglect or a "hmm, what is that sound? I think I will get rid of the car and not tell anyone" attitude. The funny thing is that the darned thing worked perfectly for about 7 days... just long enough to get back to Alaska, before all the poo hit the fan. Hahaha... the lovely memories!
Places with more skilled drivers? So.... outside the U.S.?
That's easy. Only buy used cars from private parties in want ad listings in city/metro newspapers. You will meet the owner at his/her home. Don't go to look at if not at their home. You can tell by address if you want to change your mind and not go. If address place would be like scene from COPS, obviously don't go.
I have sold many of my vehicles this way and I never had anyone call me back or come back to see me. I make sure that I thoroughly explain the condition of the vehicle, provide maintenance record, show any problems. One of the most interesting sales was an 86 Accord with 247K Mi to the first guy that called and came out. That was a surprise. Thought that I would have trouble getting rid of it.
Many years ago, bought a vehicle used from a guy who owned a small business that lived in a high-class suburb. The vehicle, his yard, house inside and out were spotless. He invited me into house. Had vehicle for many years and it served well. Yes, I could have got fooled by appearances of vehicle, house, etc. and person could have been abusive. But, that was not the case and had vehicle for a long time.
My two latest cars have been purchased from dealers, but were both one owner local cars with full documents to prove it. The cosmetic condition and mechanical cleanliness gave me good enough feelings to proceed. With both cars I also thought I would have fun and checked out the residences of the previous owners on Google Earth. I was impressed.
At 20cents a mile, 5 mph is a $1 an hour. The faster you go the more you make. Get to high gear, hold it to the floor until the governor kicks in and set the cruise control. If anybody gets in your way, its easier to just let them bounce off then to have to get up to speed again.
It gives them every incentive to break all the laws in the books about speed and hours of service.
I know if they were paid by the hour like most other workers, it would lead to higher costs of goods and services, but wouldn't the tradeoff in lives saved be worth it?
Possibly.... though if you catch me on the weekend, I think I would fall into the "looks can be deceiving" category.... what with my "play clothes" on and all. :P
Not that driving too fast for conditions is something to shrug off as an isolated incident. An 80,000# vehicle driving anywhere near a speed limit on icy roads is just asking for a horrendous crash the moment something goes wrong. The driver is just hoping nothing does go wrong.... :surprise:
Anyway, ride over (in the AM) was fine, not much traffic, no one did anything stupid. On the way home, lots of traffic, and it was raining. Not too many fools, but a couple that decided that cutting of a truck that size was smart, better at least than missing their exit. Had to swerve a bit to avoid a few.
My favorite was the dope that decided to go around the right side of me, on the shoulder, at a point where the right lane ended (so we merged left). I did it right at the end of the lane (where I finally was able to), but a dope in a small car (only saw the roof!) couldn't be bothered to pull in behind, so he cut around my right side on the shoulder, and practically hit the RF of the truck trying to get back on the road.
If the guy ahead of me had stopped suddenly, he would have been a pancake. But, the Ryder people probably wouldn't have even noticed the extra scrape on the front bumper.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Actually, to tell the truth, I feel out of place when I wear my nice "work" clothes! Hahaha.
I guess it depends on your perspective. My other two vehicles are original '69s... so while mechanically sound, they are in line for restorations and aesthetically (paint) they may not look so hot. On that note, neither does my "new" car, but then I am more into mechanical soundness than babying scratches, nicks, scrapes, and the occasional ding. They get their washings/waxings at least....
That's the key, let's cite some facts and figures before we decide one way or another. If we are talking anecdotal evidence, I have seen too many incidents where the trucker was charged with manslaughter. Speaking of which, does anyone know what happened to the trucker who wiped out a whole family in Florida recently? If it was upto me, I would lock him and throw away the key.
Railroads, that's we need instead of trucks. Try driving I-81 near Harrisburg if you don't believe me.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
james
One road I used to drive down has a bike path that crosses it. The bike path actually has a stop sign at the intersection with the road (the road has no such signage) and people still just fly past it into the road without looking.
Many bicyclist follow the rules of the road, but many do not and they are also inconsiderate drivers.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
As I approach the back of the truck in the left most through lane, out pops a courier on a bicycle from the front of the truck, in the crosswalk!! I slammed on the brakes, but couldn't really stop in time, and actually the cyclist rode into the side of my car. I pulled over, the cops and ambulance came to haul the guy away.
So to be clear, the bicyclist ran a red light, was going the wrong way on a one-way, and hit ME.
When I moved a year or so later and switched my insurance coverage, I found out my insurance company PAID HIM, with out me even knowing :sick:
Don't be too sure your insurance company would go after him.
I'm speaking from experience here. I drive a route daily (Hwy 347 to people from Phoenix) that is a BIG truck route. They are the WORST drivers, bar NONE. They intentionally cut people off and pass at 1MPH (only to drop back and try again), pull out and block both directions of traffic, pull out when there isn't anywhere near enough room causing everyone to slam on their brakes, drive on the shoulder, drive too slow/fast, ride people's tail closer than is safe for the best braking car and driver (I've seen them so close to my rear-view mirror that I can see nothing but their front end). Honestly. I can be the only car coming up in the left lane (no one behind for at least a mile) and see a truck ahead tailgating the car in front of it. I continue to approach and just as I'm about to get near their them, they cut me off and hold me up. I actually have to use an acceleration lane to pass them as they will just sit there for miles. So I go through all this to get to I-10. I get on and find what? Two semis, side by side going 60 in a 65. In the left lane is another semi next to the one in front of it. What happens when there gets to be three lanes. Ding ding ding, you guessed it, three semis all next to each other going 60 in a 65. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: Learn the d*** rules of the road!
OK, I'm off my soap box. :shades:
You should see the campus of Arizona State University. The mindset of students and professors alike is "We own the place, get the h** out of our way!". I have nearly taken out dozens of people because they cross in the middle of heavy traffic, against lights, before lights switch to walk (there is a period where the light is changing and I have a red but it is clear for a right on red, but the idiots on the sidewalk jump the gun for their walk), long after lights have turned to no walk. That is just pedestrians. I regularly encountered bikes that would just cruise through red lights (we have bike lanes so they can ride through), swerve across all the lanes, swerve out into my lane and (this one takes the cake) go the wrong way. I nearly killed several bikers doing this. I would pull out from a side street and look only in the direction of one flow of traffic. The biker was coming the other way so as I started to pull out, there was the biker. I usually got the finger.
OK, I'm now down from another soapbox. :shades:
You really should look both ways when pulling out from a cross street... there could be a pedestrian attempting to use the crosswalk in front of you.
I almost got run over by a COP who was about to cross a one way street from a secondary street. He looked only to his left, the direction that traffic would come from. I was in the crosswalk approaching from his right. The instant he started to roll forward, I slammed my hand down on his hood. He looked up, realized what he had almost done and gave me a sheepish shrug. Oops.
james
Ironically, I had an instance the other day where I almost rear-ended the Subaru in front of me by not looking both ways before going when:
We pulled up to a T intersection and were both turning right onto a 4-lane divided expressway. The gal driving the Subaru ahead was at the front of the line. All of the traffic on the intersecting road was driving in the leftmost lane. This gal stops, looks down the road, then goes. So, I pull up to the crosswalk, look down the road, then go. As I turn my head back toward my direction of travel, THERE SHE IS! Stopped... fully in the intersection. I managed to stop just in time as I thankfully was barely more than rolling forward, but what the hey? Why would she go, then stop in the intersection? Well, the light turns red for the oncoming traffic and she goes..... directly into the leftmost lane. Oh... I see.... incapable of proper lane changes... so her lane really was not clear! :sick:
So, that was a good reminder to look left and then right BEFORE moving.
As for riding bicycles, if I am riding on a roadway that is 40mph or less, I will usually pull out into the lane of travel when crossing intersections (if traffic is stopped when I get there) rather than crossing at a pedestrian crosswalk simply because I find it is more dangerous to cross at the crosswalk (because of right-turners)than to just go with the flow of traffic. Starting from a stop, I can keep up with traffic flow well through the intersection until I can duck back off to the shoulder on the other side and I find that I am much more noticable when I am out in the middle of a lane. Any time I am riding on a roadway where I am riding at or above the speed limit, I will also ride in the middle of the lane so that drivers must pass me like any other vehicle rather than sideswiping me. I find that drivers often times get this superiority complex like, oh, well, he's going 27 in a 25, but I'm not going to let a bicyclist ride as fast as I'm driving!
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I almost got run over by a COP who was about to cross a one way street from a secondary street. He looked only to his left, the direction that traffic would come from. I was in the crosswalk approaching from his right. The instant he started to roll forward, I slammed my hand down on his hood. He looked up, realized what he had almost done and gave me a sheepish shrug. Oops.
I've learned that lesson now. I can see pedestrians through my peripheral vision so that was never a problem (there were way more pedestrians than bicycles), but I never expected bikes going the wrong way on the road. So I started looking both ways since I knew they weren't going to change their behavior.
I had the same thing happen to me, almost exactly. I was at a stop light behind the first car. The first car starts to go right on red, so I started moving forward and (here was the shortcut I was taking) looking left to see traffic. Luckily I looked back and stopped just short of their bumper. So I no longer look left until I'm up to the front of the line.
Yep, sounds just like ASU. Where I usually drive, down where Awhatukee, Chandler and Tempe meet, there are almost no pedestrians and little bicycle traffic. Still, as I come up to a right turn lane I'm looking under the car in the next lane to see if someone is walking. After all, no one ever stops before the crosswalk if they don't have to.
Absolutely. I see that here in NC as well. Moreover, I see that as a nation wide phenomenon. Recently I was in NJ/PA and was driving I-78 E going into NJ from PA. The speed limit drops to 50 mph for construction and I was doing about 60 in the right most lane. This big truck followed me literally at 6-7 feet behind me. NJ state troopers, if any of you are reading this stuff, I will need a police escort if you want me to drive anywhere near the limit in that area.
Trucks are a menace on our roads.
I see so many jerks and idiots in cars, that I just tend to ignore them as "background noise". When a Peterbilt is eight feet behind me at 75 mph or pulls in front of me with three feet to spare, I tend to remember it.
Recently I was driving on a one-lane-each-way +center turn lane street. As I was approaching the entrance to my grocery store on the left, some genius pulls onto the road and proceeds to drive in the turn lane along side my vehicle.
I have cars behind me, so to slow down is to inconvenience them. Alternatively I have enough room to speed up and cut in front of the center turn-lane driver (before slowing for my turn), which would be EXTREMELY inconsiderate and potentially dangerous (he could rear-end me).
Oh, what to do ???
james
Recently I was driving on a one-lane-each-way +center turn lane street. As I was approaching the entrance to my grocery store on the left, some genius pulls onto the road and proceeds to drive in the turn lane along side my vehicle.
I have cars behind me, so to slow down is to inconvenience them. Alternatively I have enough room to speed up and cut in front of the center turn-lane driver (before slowing for my turn), which would be EXTREMELY inconsiderate and potentially dangerous (he could rear-end me).
Oh, what to do ???
james
I hear ya, but here there are areas where there is no other recourse. When I have to do this, I try to stay stopped until there is sufficient room. Then I'll accelerate and move over into traffic quickly. Sometimes traffic is so heavy, I wait for ten minutes just to get the chance you are describing. Oddly enough, AZ law specifies roads where there is one lane in each direction and a center turn lane as the center lane also being a passing lane.
While you are probably correct, the truck drivers are definitely worse. A truck following 8ft back is undoubtedly worse than a Civic 8ft back. The car behind me might well have the braking capactiy to match, but the truck definitely doesn't.
A major truck accident will happen here.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Well, this sends me into a fit of laughter for the remaining mile to work and I pull into the parking lot about 30 seconds behind her. I get out and say, "Hey there, zombie!" Nothing. I yell her name and she finally looks back, slowly realizes what happened, and busts up laughing. The scary thing was that she was so incredibly zoned out! Hahah.... I guess that is a good case of "auto pilot." :P
But I'll save it for the chat tonight
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2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Well since its standing in the other lane I figured I could just continue like nothing was there. Well that $#@& goose decides to start running the rest of the way across the road just as I got to that point. I just barely missed that goose.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Sorry, I couldn't resist!
April exposes the fruits of bad cartage all during the winter months here! Once the snow melts, the roads are literally lined with jetsam for several weeks until we have our community-wide liter patrol day! :sick:
pallets, shipping crates, whole bags of trash, car parts, tires, water tanks(!), you name it and it is there.
I came across a bundle of 4x8 sheets of 4" foam insulation (total height of the bundle was about 6', so about 20 sheets?) that had fallen from a load last winter just about a minute after it happened. It was literally a slalom to avoid them! I stopped, gathered it all up (amazingly, none was broken though many were dinged) and loaded it on top of my Subaru. Then I strapped it down (well) and headed off, intending to contact the place that sold it and some radio stations to give contact info for claiming (this stuff is expensive!), but about a 1/2 mile down the road I passed a truck/trailer that had about 8 bundles loaded on. As we passed, I saw brake lights, so I turned around and we met at a pull out. The fella was giddy that none was broken and even giddier that I had both picked it up and stopped to give it back! I helped him load it back up and resecure it... and didn't see it again on the return trip home (which I hope means he got it there intact!).
I'd say the fact that he even noticed he lost it before arriving at his destination was a rarity. Most people are clueless... or could care less...