Inconsiderate Drivers (share your stories, etc.)

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  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    awww.. how I remember the days of being young and "reckless". Before my 18th birthday I had maxed out every single vehicle in our family's stable. From my dad's Datsun pickup (70 MPH) to my Grandmother's Lincoln Town Car (over 100 MPH but the digital speedo quit at 85???). My mom's Astro would do 120, my own Chrysler Laser would topped out at 115. My Grandfather had 2 trucks - one an '82 GMC that I drove after I blew the motor in the Laser (it didn't like 115 very much :D) and I don't know how fast that went but I would get it up there. His other truck was a '90 GMC that I had up to about 120-30. When my grandma got her Buick, I pushed that 10 about 125. My sister had a Samuri, but I could only get that up to about 75. And that was scarey as hell. My sister later rolled it only going about 30.

    If I drove a vehicle and it would go over 100, I probably took it there. I was pretty dumb and stupid, but luckily I am still alive today. I think I have slowed down some since then too. It's rare that I get above 80 these days.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    Actually - a lot of that has to do with the roads where I live. The safest speed for the majority of them is around 50. The freeways you can do 80 easily on most parts but the limit is 65. My usual is around 70 on the freeway. My safety and my insurance bill are more important than a few minutes of thrill. When I lived in AZ the freeways and road system were more condusive to higher speeds, but even then I rarely went more than 10 over the limit which was still 85...
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    Just got done making a 2600mile round trip from OR to AZ and back... most of the time wasn't too bad and most drivers were fairly "normal".... Until just past SoCal. Just past LA we ran into an accident that had happened on the opposite side of the freeway. Just the lookie loos on our side backed traffic up a good 5 miles or so... and to add to the fun on the way back a week later, in that same section of freeway, there was another rollover (this time it WAS on my side), that backed traffic for a good 5 miles or so... which was warranted as people needed to slow down as they passed the scene. What surprised me even more though was to see traffic on the other side that was backed up for more than 8 miles--due to the lookie loos.

    Once past LA on the way home and headed north on I-5, I seemed to run into every LLC on the road - and they would pace the car(s) next to them so that it was impossible to get past. Or it would seem that the car ahead of me would be doing a good pace and then everytime they went to pass a semi, they would slow down to just barley over the truck's speed and then pass. Once past, they would jump their speed back up to what they had been doing. Very annoying.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    It bugs me too, but at the same time, I rarely trust these turn signals because there is always the chance that the person wasn't really intending to turn and didn't realize his signal was on... Or that person may be looking for a reason to ram someone, flip on his blinker and wait for someone to pull in front of him and then WHAM! ...
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    I met a guy once who was in the midst of his "walkabout". Problem was however, he didn't tell his folks where he was going and he also had a medical condition that required medication which he was no longer taking. His family searched and searched for him and when they couldn't find him, his picture ended up on a LOST poster. I noticed the poster in our church one day and had just seen him that morning.

    I called the number and spoke with the authorities and eventually the family to let them know what I knew. I didn't know exactly where he was staying, but I knew a family that he had been hanging around. The next day his father came up (a good 6 hr drive or more) and we went looking for him. We found him camping in a canyon underneath a bridge by a river. I don't think he was too pleased that his family had found him for what ever reason. But his family was overjoyed to have found him.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    I noticed an easter egg in my truck the other day that i didn't know it could do...

    Remember how all those doofs drive down the road forever with their turn signal on?? Well I was one of those doofs the other day, but I didn't happen to notice green arrow on my dash, nor could I hear the click-clack because I had the stereo on. Well when I got to closer to my destination and turned down the music, I noticed this dinging noise - the same ding that alerts you the lights are on, the key is in the ignition, etc. But I was still in the truck, the truck was running and I didn't have the lights on, nor was the door open. That's odd I thought... but then I noticed my turn signal still on. Apparently, my truck has a feature that issues this "alert" when the turn signal is left on for an extended period. How long that period is, I don't know, but I thought it was a pretty usefull feature...
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    maybe engineers can come up with a way to emit an annoying alert when you make a turn without a turn signal... or change lanes. They have lane departure warning systems now so why not build on that and make it sound every time you depart the lane with out using your turn signal or turn your wheel more than a certain number of degrees?? Granted it might cause problems in a parking lot, but you should use your turn signal there too... :D
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    actually ... for me it's just the opposite. I feel I nag my wife more for her driving than she does me. Mostly for speed since the small town we live in is patrolled pretty heavily and every dollar from fines counts. She also has a bad habit of running stop signs (just like her dad). I try not to, but my insurance premium is a nice low number right now and I would like it to stay that way.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    I remember that stretch! It's been several years, but I think it was between Mountain Home and Boise...
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    I remember it now! I used to make that drive from Mountain Home to Boise all the time and I always thought it strange that truckers were forced to use the left lane.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    Wow! Slow month for stupid, inconsiderate drivers. A whole month with out a post here. What happened? Gas get to high for only the those that actually know how to drive, be able to afford to drive???? Or is it that gas is so high that we are actually paying attention to how we drive so as to conserve fuel?
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    I had to whoopsie's the other day... the first was I was headed out of town on a one way street and drove past a Pontiac dealership. Curiousity got the better of me and I just HAD to see if they had any G8's. I should have known they wouldn't. They are also a GMC dealer and don't even have any Acadias. Anyway, intersecting this particular one way street is a series of both two-way and one-ways and if you don't pay attention (which isn't hard to do since they are well marked), you could end up going to wrong way.

    Well since I was so engrossed in checking the dealer lot, I just made a right turn down the street running along one side of the lot. As I was turning I noticed a series of arrows pointing back at me and I realized I had turned the wrong way down one of the one-way streets. :surprise: :blush: Ooops. Luckily for me, there wasn't any traffic and that gave me time to flip a quick "U". The only one who noticed was a pedestrian who looked at me and I looked at him and gave him a sheepish oops grin and a shrug of my shoulders. He looked back and just laughed when he saw me turn around. Needless to say, my hunt for a G8 was long forgotten...

    The other oops I pulled proved how absent-minded and "programed" I have become. I was headed to a job south of town and I recently changed how I get on the freeway. To go southbound on the freeway, I usually went to a particular exit and it became a natural habit. However, I did some timing and I found it was actually quicker to get on the freeway to go south by going to the entrance 3 miles north of the one I normally use. The problem lies in that I usually use this northern entrance to keep going to north. The other day as I approached this northern exit to go south, I realized after getting on the freeway, that I had with out thinking, continued on and I was still going north, not south on the freeway. It was one of those oops moments that ended up taking me 10 miles out of the way. The next closest exit was 5 miles further north. :surprise:

    Since then, I have had to actually remind myself every time I approach this exit which way I need to go so that I don't end up going the wrong way...
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    what you need to do is park perpendicular and right in the middle of all the spaces so that you take up about 6 spaces...

    oh wait that would make you inconsiderate ;)

    If I ever see a double park especially when someone purposely takes up 2 spaces, I am tempted every single time to get as close as I can to thier vehicle. Since I am not particularly worried about scratches or dings on my vehicle, as long as I stay in my space and don't hit their car on the way in, I would almost feel gratified if they scraped my vehicle when they backed out :P. Now if someone double parked out in la-la land, I am not that tempted...

    Sometimes the double parking is deliberate and that really grates me, especially in a crowded lot. If the lot isn't very crowded it doesn't bother me so much since there are plenty of other spots. But if the lot is crowded then in irks me because the double parked vehicle is taking up more than his fair share. Other times it's just sheer laziness because they drive this monstrous 4x4 SUV and couldn't bother to try and park it right. On the other hand I have also seen Geo Metros so lazily parked you couldn't use the space next to it either.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    I saw a new one today. Headed into town this morning on a VERY busy highway 4 lanes w/center turn lane and saw an old RamCharger in the turn lane with it's hood up. Odd, I thought, but not totally unusual. Then I saw people under the car. Two to be exact, with tools laid out as well. Obviously something had gone wrong, but these two had decided the center turn lane was as good as any place to perform what ever repair needed to happen.

    Oh and one of the dudes was practically laying in the travel lane. He was on the line and had he rolled to get out from under the truck, he would have rolled into oncoming traffic :sick:
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    not really inconsiderate, but a little clueless... I saw a Ford pulling a trailer today on the freeway and everytime he would switch lanes he would put his blinker on. Only thing is, every time he did so, the blinker on the opposite side of the trailer would come on. So if he were going right, the right blinker on the truck would come on, but the left blinker of the trailer would illuminate...
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    so I found this interesting drivers test today. It's the national written test. Take it and see what you score. And no I am not shilling for the insurance company that is offering it. It just happens to be on thier site.

    http://www.nationaldriverstest.com/

    I scored a 95%. The only one I missed was the solid yellow light one.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    I just came up this forum and am still reading through it but - I consider myself a fairly considerate driver - as long as the other driver is not an idiot. I will usually let someone in on the freeway if they signal, at stoplights, I will let someone into traffic pulling out and going right, but not left. If they want to go right and traffic is heavy, I will let them in. If they want to go left, I will not, it creates a potential for accidents as I may have stopped, but the guy in the next lane and the next lane over may not have stopped and may not be planning on stopping and I have seen accidents happen through this action. Also on open road, I try and make sure I stay right, but I often don't because I am usually going much faster than right hand lane traffic....

    Here is what I don't do and it may not be right, but it is one of my pet peeves... I will not let a car merge in front of me if his lane is ending and he has had over a 1/2 mile of notice and has yet to merge. This is usually in construction zones where they have closed a lane and they have big orange signs saying the lane ends merge... and than also a cones that start blocking the lane and also a HUGE electronic arrow that you can see from several blocks backs that a lane is ending and yet the guy insists on staying in that lane until the very last second and when there is no more room for his car in the lane because the cones have finally forced him to merge, does he finally decide to say to himself "der da lanes is ending I think I shoulds merge now and he tries to get in to already crowded traffic... This drives me crazy as it means he either wasn't paying attention and didn't get over, or he was thinking he can just shoot along as sometimes this lane is moving faster and than "cut" into line... I refuse to accomodate this type of behavior and have taken pleasure more than once of making a vehicle come to a dead stop just before he runs into the cones because I wouldn't let him in... Now I know this is wrong and I should accomodate even the idiots, but I feel that why should I? This idiot can't even pay attention to traffic signs??
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    YOU SLOW DOWN!!! Turn on your lights and stay on your side of the road and don't follow anyone elses lights, but keep an eye out for them. If visiblity gets so bad that you cannot see the road, than pull OFF THE ROAD AND AS FAR OFF THE ROAD AS YOU CAN, TURN OFF YOUR LIGHTS AND KEEP YOUR FOOT OFF THE BRAKE, so that other moronic drivers that may be following you don't slam into you.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    This is another pet peeve of mine... I live in Phoenix AZ and so freeway traffic can be a nightmare sometimes. Everyone thinks they have a right to go 80MPH when the limit is 55 in most the downtown areas on the freeways and 65 once you get to the outer reaches of downtown. It is 75 once you get out town. I usually try to keep the pace of traffic and end up going about 70 in most parts (assuming it's not rush hour and than all bets are off.) If I keep to that pace and I can see in my rearview mirror that there is someone barreling down on me, I will stay where I am at, because moving over one way or the other depending on what lane I am in could create more of a potential for an accident. I would hope that the guy barreling down on me has taken scope of the traffic and is already planning on moving and my fear is that if I move so he doesn't have to, and he is going much faster than I am, I could move the same time he does and than since he is going faster I would essentially cut him off. This is on a multilane freeway, where the general rule of left lane=fast lane doesn't necassarily apply, or car pool lane=fast lane really doesn't apply. If I am at least keeping pace with traffic (whether at 70 MPH or the speed limit and traffic really isn't allowing much more, than I prefer to stay put and let the guy who is insistent on going faster than the flow of traffic find his way around everyone... He usually does and I know that when I have needed to do the same thing, I plan for it and do not expect anyone to get out of my way.

    If it is a 2 or even a 3 lane freeway, and I am in the right land going 5-10 MPH over the limit and some one comes up behind me going faster than me, I will move over and let him pass. I call him the "cop-chaser" knowing he will get a ticket and not me and I can feel safer going my 10 MPH over.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    You could also live in AZ - I think I have scraped my windows twice in my entire life... :D I even use my A/C during the winter.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    IF I can tell that he is trying to get over than I have more than once let him in. I purposely leave enough room between myself and the car in front of me so as to allow that. I pace myself with the vehicle in front of me and than keep my distance. Not only does it provide ample room for another car to merge if they need to, but it gives me plenty of room to suddenly brake if I need to.... The guy who races ahead and doesn't take any of the spots open to him until the very last second is the guy I hve a problem with.....
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    I will let someone in if I can tell he is trying to get in... I.E. has a blinker on is genuinely trying to get over... if it so happens that it be at the end of the lane and I happen to be the one there I will let him in. It's the people that don't seem to notice or care or intentionally stay in the lane...

    But I digress... You are right. I should be more considerate no matter who the idiot may or may not be. Who am I to know what they are really trying to do? Maybe thier blinker doesn't work, or maybe they really didn't realized that the lane was ending and really felt stupid now. Or who am I to add to an already congested road and now because of me thier is one more peeved driver on the road? Two wrongs don't make a right and one right may right the wrong...

    It just so happens that on my way home tonight I was highly conscious of how I was driving as I was thinking about this forum and what annoys people. I started to watch for those things and also watch how I drove and I noticed I did a few things that may be considered by others to be bad driving...
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    AZ has a reasonable and prudent speed law?? Wow and I have lived here all my life and didn't know that... How about I go check that out first before I decide that it is okay to go 75 MPH through the I-10/I-17 interchange?? From what what I understood the limit is actually 55. Mind you I have yet to go through any stretch of Phoenix freeway where the limit was 55 and have acutally gone 55 MPH due to the actual flow of traffic. (unless it's rush hour and then all bets are off. You are more likely going to end up going 10 MPH :) ) At any given point if you are going less than 60 you would be condisidered impeding traffic flow. I am normall going between 65-70 and have never been pulled over and am generally being passed by others going faster. Most areas of the freeway in the Phoenix metro area are 65, except in the downtown area where it is 55. On the outer loop areas they are 65 and once you get out of the town the interstate jumps to 75. I doubt that a judge will let you off if you tell him that speed limits are more of a suggestion, but I do think that reasonable and prudent is within 10% of the posted limit. So if the limit is 55, than reasonable and prudent would be no more than 61 MPH, however I doubt DPS will pull you over for even 65 or maybe even 70 especially if the flow of traffic is going at 70MPH in the 55 zone. There is a section of interstate that is set at 65 that is Photo Radar Patrolled and it will not snap a photo unless a vehicle is traveling at 76 MPH so that allows a lot of lee-way for "reasonable and prudent".
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    So here is something to chew on... Let's say that your car what ever it is, is safer on the road going 90MPH than say your Beetle was at any speed. So because today's cars are "safer" than yesterday's cars we should increase the speed limit? What about all those "yesterday" cars still on the road that now feel it is okay to go 90 MPH just because that is the limit? Do you really want to be on the road with those cars? What I think you are trying to say is those yesterday's cars are not capable - or at least they are not safe at 90 mph therefore that is why the limit is at 55 or some other "arbitrary" limit.

    To tell you the truth however, I would much rather be on the road with "yesterday's" cars with the current limits (75 MPH intersate, 55-65 MPH rural hwys, 25-45 MPH intown) than on the road with you barreling at 90 MPH just because yor car is "safer" and better able to handle 90 MPH. I don't know about your driving skills, but if you wreck at 90 MPH it's gonna hurt! Maybe not much more than if at 75 MPH, but still at that speed you have less reaction time, less time to remanuver your vehicle, less time to compensate, take evasive action or what ever than you do at a lesser speed. Even though your car is safer, maybe mine is not and I don't want to be "obligated" to take my less capable vehicle to a limit is really wasn't designed to handle. (Now you are going to say "then don't go up to the limit" and my response to that will be "how many times to do you come upon a vehicle that is traveling even 5 under the limit and start flashing to pass, or making some other motion to get around? What's going to happen when you have drivers driving less capable vehicles than yours at say 20 MPH under the limit?) Also do you really want to be on the road with less capable vehicles at 90 MPH even though your car is capable. Do you really want some bozo in a Beetle going 90 MPH? You know it would happen. But because 90 MPH is the limit that was set because your vehicle was capable of handling 90 MPH, this Bozo in his Beetle also feels he can go 90 MPH also.

    "In most states there's no reduction for rain or snow or even when it's dark. You can't tell me 70 in the day time is just as safe as it is at night."

    Actually, I'm sure that in many states there are written laws, but not posted signs that take into account for road conditions. I know for a fact that if I am going 75 MPH in a 75 MPH zone on an interstate and it's foggy, I'll be pulled over and ticketed. If it were rainy, or snowy as it was this weekend, or any other kind of condition like that I would be pulled over by the local fuzz. I know at least in my state of AZ there are laws that govern speeds in certain types of conditions, although the posted limit may say differently.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    Here are two things I noticed last night - one issue has been beat to death on this forum already so I will only mention it slightly - I was headed home on a 75 MPH freeway and traffic was a little heavier than normal, but not bad. It was 2 lanes wide so it didn't leave a lot of room for people to get around if they wanted to. The right lane was average between 65 and 70 the left 75-80. I got stuck in a line of cars in the left lane going 70-75 (the same basic speed as the right) because some Bozo in a Navigator decided that he needed to pass everyone in the right lane going only 75 mph. He refused to move over and by the time he did 10 miles later he had a line about half a mile long of cars. I would have passed on the right, but traffic was heavy enough that it would not have been possible without being reckless.

    The other issue and this one really grated me is people behind you with thier brights one. I wish (maybe there is) there was a signal to use like the flashing of brake lights or something to alert people behind you that thier brights are on... I had one last night that was so irritating that I slowed down just enough to be in front, but not so much as to be imparing his speed and flashed my brake lights 3 times in slow steady succesion. Then I did it one more time. A few seconds later his brights turned off... it looks like he got the message. I then flashed my brakes twice to thank him... hopefully he got the message that I was thanking him...
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    C) Mostly. Unless I need to get someone moving at a stoplight after 3-4 secs. I am generally patient in this regard however and my wife will usually lean over and toot for me...

    If I've had a bad day at work I might be a little more aggressive on the horn but that doesn't happen very often.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    *SIDE NOTE EDIT* This was in reply to a post in July of '05 - I didn't realize until after I posted. I like to read through a lot of the post as there are a lot of interesting stories. Rather then deleting it I thought I would just make an addenum... The original post was about high beam drivers behind you.

    Unfortunately there isn't a simple solution - I ran into this a couple weeks ago on my way home from a very long day - the end of an 800 mile road trip. I had been on the road for the better part of 15 hrs. So by the end I was truly sensitive to inconsiderate driving. The high-beams behind me was the one thing that irritated me the most. One thing I tried just to see if it would work was tapping my brake lights in succesion and deliberately in front of the offender. Of course the deliberate action must have caused him to wonder what the issue was and then he must have realized his high beams were on and he turned them off. I "tooted" him twice with brake lights to thank him and hopefully he got the message...
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    I think that you are right - you could be fooled by appearances, but it is less likely than the guy selling his car on the curb that was just detailed. Sure the car on the curb is detailed, but any car can be made to look good. If you look at a car at the owner's home, the way he takes care of his home and the way it appears is a good indication of how he takes care of his vehicle... If I went to look at a car and the home was clean, the yard mowed or otherwise maintained and the person's appearance clean and his other vehicle(s) were clean and had the appearance of being maintained - i.e. no major damage, no bumpers hanging off, peeling paint, excessive dirt, and clutter inside, than I would feel confident.

    If the home had the appearance of needed some maintanence, the yard was overgrown, I could smell the house from the street, the seller smelled like a shower would do him well and his clothes and appearance looked like he walked from the gutter, than I would have second guesses about purchasing his vehicle....

    Not always the case, but I believe that a person's appearance indicated how he takes care of the rest of his like... cars included.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    I don't know facts or figures, but it would be nice to see some facts or figures that state how often a truck driver is the cause of the accident, or if more often an inconsiderate driver is the cause of the accident... I am not saying that there are not bad truck drivers out there, but at the same time, I spend a lot of time on the road and the freeways and for the most part the truckers where I drive are a lot more careful than say the regular shcmo. How often is an accident caused by an idiot driver forcing a truck to do something unpredictable like a panic stop?? Or riding in a trucks blind spot? Or following to close? Or driving below the speed limit even though it is in the right lane forcing a truck to make an uneccasary lane change increasing the chances for an accident?
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    yeah - but does your whole house and the other vehicles look like they just came from the dump as well??? True if you saw me the weekend, I would also look pretty scary - but then I am also doing yard work, or working on the house, or even sometimes I happen to be underneath my vehicle "maintaining" it. So in that regard no, I am not going to be "clean". But my yard will be at least looking good! Or my vehicle just washed or whatever.... :D
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    Here's my kicker... I hit a kid on a bike one night because he didn't follow the rules of the road. I was in the left turn lane that has a left turn only arrow. Once the arrow is red you cannot go until it's your turn again. It was dark and raining and I was behind a couple of cars. My arrow turns green and I proceed behind through the intersection behind the cars in front of me. All of a sudden my wife yells at me to stop... There was a kid peddling his bike through the intersection against traffic. I hit the kid and he sprawled to the ground. Luckily he wasn't hurt, but his bike was no longer usable. And I had a good sized dent in my hood as well. Officers at the scene took my statements and those of witnesses. Turns out I was not at fault becasue I had the green arrow. The officer pointed out several things that he could cite the kid for. He was RIDING his bike across the intersection (you are supposed to walk), he was riding against traffic, he was wearing dark clothing, he had no reflectors or lights on his bike, and to top it off he ran a red light since he tried to cross against my green turn arrow. I don't know if the kid was cited or not but I should have pursued and had him repair the dent in my hood...
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    the Campus of ASU - how bout the entire Valley of the Sun?? And it's not just bicyclists and pedestrians. On my way home from work I go down Broadway just past Gilbert rd (for those of you who live in the PHX area) and it's like the entire street is one huge crosswalk. Every time there is at least 3 or 4 people trying to get across the road. They are standing in the turn lane and they wait for traffic to clear and the they keep going across the street. If you're lucky you'll catch one saunterig like he has all the time in the world and not caring that traffic has to slow to make sure they don't hit him...
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    AZ has a center passing lane law? Interesting. I know this is one of my biggest peeves as well. I thought and have always been under the impression that AZ law has been that the center lane is for left turns only. Indeed there are spots where there are signs posting this. It drives me nuts when I go to make a left turn and pull into the lane to make a left only to have to avoid the car pulling out from the self-same intersection I am turning into and stop in the center lane.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    Actually - yes he is playing dangerous, but what he is doing is perfectly legal. A bicyclist has as much right on the road a vehicle. The safest way for him to get where he wanted to be would be to use the crosswalks. But then he would have to wait through a couple of light cycles to get to the same point as using the left turn lane...
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    awww... the joys of learning a manual. Been there done that... I have also been there done that in an automatic :blush: ... In High School I had an old 82 Chevy pickup that I just put in a new used motor. The carb needed to be rebuilt so bad that I could never get the thing to idle properly. On cold mornings on the way to school it was impossible to keep it running. It would die at every stopsign. I had to keep a can of starting fluid next to me and the air cleaner off. Every time it would die at the intersections I had to jump out, pop the hood, squirt in some starting fluid to get it started again and then keep going to the next intersection where I would repeat the process. I took the least travelled routes with as few stop signs as possible... but still on the way to school it was impossible not to have to do this routine at least a couple times...

    BTW I finally plunked down the couple hundred bucks to have the carb rebuilt... I don't know why I didn't do it sooner. The truck ran like a champ after that. Just one flick of the key and it would start and it ran smoother than my '01 S-10 does now. I guess I was just a poor high school student with better things to spend his hard earned money on.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    I'm going to throw my 2 cents worth here on the Nav systems.... Never really used one, but I have a couple friends that have them. The only place I can see where they would be useful is in highly populated areas. In the rural area where I do most of my traveling (I travel about 4500 miles a month) a Nav system wouldn't be much use. A GPS system would be helpful as well as a good map. Also I find myself having to stop and ask the locals quite a bit because the map doesn't even have where I need to go. So I guess I have to go more old school... Except for the GPS - that would be nice to have, but mostly I rely on my insticts and the locals - and occasionally the map :D
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    I wonder what would happen to those people if they were instantly transplanted into Phoenix AZ traffic in the middle of July??? If 70 degrees fries their brains imagine what 115 degrees will do ?? :P
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    I saw 3 nutballs in less than 3 minutes today on my way home from work.

    I was at a "T" intersection patrolled by a stoplight. East-West bound make the cross, North/Sound make the leg. I was headed east bound and I came up the the light and needed to make a left to head north. As I come up the light it changes to Yellow. I stop, but there is a car in front of me sitting in the intersection waiting to turn. Because traffic is so heavy he is still waiting when the light turned yellow. Now as the light is turning yellow I witness two Semi's one pulling a trailer, the other was a garbage truck or some other large vehicle several yards away from the intersection. Both were far enough away from the intersection to stop. The garbage truck does stop, the Semi although he could have stopped, barrells through the intersection on a SOLID red nearly clipping the car trying to turn left that is still stuck in the intersection. Then once the Semi is past, the car again trys to finish his turn, a Dodge Ram truck blows the same light. By this time the light had been red for a good 3-4 seconds. The car in front of me finally is able to make his left hand turn, but nearly got creamed by a Semi and then a Dodge Ram doing so.

    Now I am sitting at the light waiting my turn to turn left. The road I am on is 5 lanes. 2 going each way with one turn lane for those going left. Other areas in town have 2 left turn lanes, but this particular intersection didn't. A car pulls up to the light beside me on the left expecting to turn left. But in reality he was in the oncoming traffic's lane. When the light turn green he is right in the way of on coming traffic. A big tow truck pas he is going past hollers at him to let him know he isn't in the turn lane and is obstructing traffic. It takes a few moments for him to finally figure this out.... Me on the other hand had to wait for traffic to go around him so that I could make my left turn as he was causing traffic to back up in the intersection. I had pulled out into the middle of the intersection so as to make a quick dart once traffic had cleared. This guy in the oncoming traffic's lane was behind me.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    It was at Baseline and 7th St in Phoenix... where 7th st hits Baseline and then jogs over a block to continue south. (it could have been 7th ave)
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    I just happened to be browsing AZ's speed laws because I was re-registering my vehicle and I found an interesting statute...

    In Section 28-701 E it states:

    A person shall not drive a motor vehicle at a speed that is less than the speed that is reasonable and prudent under existing conditions.

    I take this to mean that it is also illegal to drive under the speed limit and that you can be ticketed for it. I also take it to mean that you might also be pulled over and possibly ticketed, but most likely warned if you happen to to be going the speed limit, but the flow of traffic is much faster (as is common on Phoenix freeways) therefore if you insist on going the speed limit, you may well indeed be hindering traffic.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    28-895. Coasting prohibited

    A. The driver of a motor vehicle traveling on a downgrade shall not coast with the gears of the vehicle in neutral.

    B. The driver of a commercial motor vehicle traveling on a downgrade shall not coast with the clutch disengaged.

    How many of us have done this to "save" gas???
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    How very true... I wouldn't want to be following or trying to get past a vehicle that was bulky - or even those marked "wide" load or "oversized" loads at the current flow of traffice if it happens to be 65-75 or whatever... I think that such load or that type of vehicle was not where this law was aimed. I think it was aimed more at the "regular" vehicle with the capabilities to maintain the flow of traffic safely, but the driver of the vehicle will not. If the driver of the vehicle cannot maintain the flow of traffic, than I would suggest alternate routes that will allow him to drive how he wishes to drive - whether it be a 'Vette that he doesn't want to "damage", or the '38 Model A that is incapable of maintaining, much less safe on an interstate that requires vehicles to go 55-75 MPH.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    Ha - now that is a guy with way too many toys.... The house to get him to the dunes, the truck to get across the sand to the rocky cliff, the 4 wheeler to get him down the rocky cliff and the jetski to get him across the lake to where he is now stuck with no where to go because he ran out of gas getting his motor home to the dunes and had to use up his reserves to get the rest of the way....
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    I have noticed that "illegals" will tend to drive "more carefuuly", only because if they get pulled over or get in an accident they are screwed. What sucks for us that are legal is that these illegals will not have insurance and if all you have is liability, you're stuck with the bill even though the accident may not have been your fault... And I am always afraid that I might be in an accident like that since where I live it is highly populated with illegals.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    fortunately I have full coverage, so getting the vehicle fixed wouldn't be a problem, but than I have a reported accident on my record and since my insurance company will end up paying out, I will enjoy the pleasure of higher premiums.... I currently enjoy a clean no points, no accident record. Makes for wonderfully low insurance. But if something like that happens it haunts you for the next few years until it falls off..
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    Okay - I know this may not belong here, but it is along the lines of being inconsiderate and it does involve a car and a roadway and a curb, so it can be legit...

    My wife and I were at the airport after a very long flight with a cranky baby that had managed to not only fuss the entire 2 hour flight, but had also managed to rid her stomach of everything that was in it 30 minutes into the flight. She got rid of it all over her daddy (me) and the seats and herself. So needless to say it was not a very enjoyable flight.

    Anyway, we are at the curb waiting for my sister to pick us up and we are the only ones at the curb. I watch 3 other cars pull in and stop. They just sit there waiting for some imaginary people to appear. Now I know they are waiting for someone to fly in, but at the current moment they are blocking any and all possible places for my ride to pull in. I don't fret as maybe the people they are waiting for will come before my ride does. Also I could have moved to a more empty spot, but I am toting 5 suitcases, a baby, baby stroller and a big box. Not wanting to move all this to another spot in the curb I just wait and hope that the cars will move.

    Well my sister shows up to pick us up and we are the only ones at the curb, but yet there are 5 cars sitting were my sister needs to pull in and park. I look up and down the curb. There is no where for her to pull in, but yet if the cars that are at the curb would pull forward just a few feet, there would be room. So knock on the window of the car in front to ask her to move forward and she ignores me. The other 2 cars could see my plight and inch forward as much as possible. The car in front which has about 10 yards in front of her moves forward about a foot. She gives me this helpless look like "if I pull forward any more I can't get out...."

    I am at the end of my rope... The last thing I wanted to deal with was a moronic driver who refused to be courteous enough to help a poor frazzled dad. Frustrated, my sister just pulled in with the front of her car poking out into the main travel lanes of the terminal. I threw the stuff into the car and within less than a minute we on our way. But still it was aggravating that the woman wouldn't oblige.... She was just sitting there! And her party hadn't even come out yet. The airport is fairly easy to navigate and when I pick someone up, I usually just circumnavigate the airport until they do come out, or plan my trip so that I arrive at the airport with-in minutes of my party arriving. But this car just sat there oblivious to those that were waiting and needed to load up!

    Anyway - there's my gripe.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    Sky Harbor in Phoenix Az. Unfortunately keeping people moving must not be enforced anymore... there were 2 parked police cars just behind the line was just sitting... In fact my sister was trying to squeeze between the last car and the police car.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    Strangly enough, we were coming from Oregon :). One of the reasons why I was so frustrated by the end of the day is that we were on our 2nd leg of our flight (for some reason it's cheaper to fly on 2 different planes to out of the way airports than it is to fly direct? :confuse: ) but anyway, our first flight had been canceled due to mechanical problems pushing our 1st flight back by 4 hours. So we had to rearranged both flights and airports that we had to fly to in order to get home. Then the fussing baby on 2nd flight and then the moronic driver at the airport.... So in retrospect, I doubt I would have been as frustrated as I was had it been the only incident, but it seemed it was the straw that broke the camel's back.... But oh well it's over with and done with. The silly lady probably didn't think she was even causing a problem.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    Poor driver probably has a case of "small man" syndrom. He knows he'll win, you know he'll win, he know's you know and yet he still has to satisfy his ego ??? He probably knew you were joking too...

    and if he thought you were serious he needs help... or maybe he is beyond help ?
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    It is going to be interesting in the coming months for me as I get ready to move...

    Currently living in Phoenix Az and I am able to go 70 MPH in most areas of the freeways with out problems. In the most central part of Phoenix the SL drops to 55, but still the flow of traffic carries at 70 during non-rush hour times. During rush hour of course all bets are off and you might as well walk for how fast you end up going.

    Anyway, getting ready to move to Southern Oregon and the MAXIMUM speed limit is 65 outside of town compared to AZ's 75 (where I can go 80 MPH safely) and 55 through town. When I was there visiting I noticed that traffic does indeed drive much slower and I had to be really careful not to go faster than the flow of traffic which was much slower than I am used to. I caught my self going 80 outside of town and I was flying by every car on the road. I can just see myself now trying to explain myself to a trooper that I am used to much faster speeds and that the SL is too low... :D
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