I set out this morning determined to be laid back, mellow, go with the flow, etc... IT lasted all of maybe a minute and a half. You try to be patient and people just seem to want to test you and see how far they can push before you snap.
Start to merge. Some idiot in a car pefectly capable of merging at safe speeds wants to try to slide into traffic doing 75 while he is doing 45. Great. Downshift to third... his punishment for taking his time and gazing at the scenery is he gets to watch me fly by him and disappear in the distance and make him wait until the end of the lane to move into traffic.
OK. Im in now. Time to try again. Slow down to 65. Go with the flow. Relax. Dont be one of those road rage guys...Oh, wait, another idiot has decided to drive at 65 mph on the highway with his windows open and inflated baloons in his backseat, letting several helium baloons fly out his rear passenger windows and stick to the windshields of the cars behind him. Alright, dont feel like having the faces of Disney characters plaster themselves across my windshield while Im trying to be mellow and go with the flow without crashing or sideswiping anybody.
Downshift to 4th. moving past him as his car continues to hemmhorage baloons out the rear windows.
OK Ill give it one more try. This guy in front in the left lane is goin a reasonable speed. I can slow down. Relax. Go with the flow. OK wait the guy is now slowing down for absolutely no reason whatsoever. He's on his cell phone. He's hitting his brake lights repeatedly when the next car in the line is like half a mile ahead. He's speeding up. Slowing down. Speeding up. Slowing down. Now he's matching speeds with the car in front. Traffic is backing up behind me and people are getting annoyed...Oh and did I mention he's trapping me next to a tractor trailor that seems to be edging over like he wants to change lanes and he's just gonna do it and hope I figure out what's going on and get outta his way?
OK Im done with it. Every time I get on the road and try to ride with the pack everybody wants to be an idiot all at once and make me feel like every other driver is out to kill me. Screw this. downshift to 4th. Up to 85-90. For the next 15 minutes, never ever next to any other vehicle for more than 10 seconds. All of a sudden I feel more relaxed. I feel safer. I keep control of my vehicle, they keep what they think is some semblance of control of theirs, and nobody else bugs me. I guess I failed to mellow down and go with the pack this time. Ill try again tomorrow morning, and once again probably 5 different people will try to kill me, maim me, or damage my car within the first 60 seconds Im on the road and Ill end up going the rest of the way at warp speed.
I flicked off a trucker over the weekend, possibly the first time I've ever given the bird to anyone.
I was heading down the far left lane on the freeway; he was heading down the far right lane. There was one lane between us. I was passing him, when I noticed that my lane was ending in about a quarter mile. I signal and start to change over to the middle lane but the truck suddenly changes to the middle instead, effectively cutting me off. I downshifted to get past him before the lane ended, and then issued the finger.
I probably overreacted, but the way I see it, either he was a jerk or he was oblivious. Both breeds annoy me immensely on the road.
After I had flicked him off, he came after me, but traffic was pretty thick so he couldn't hang with me.
the SRS blows and the impact of the bag kills the baby. Why do you think the crib kid is sitting facing the rear in a car seat on the passenger side? This kid was conceived in vitro because the parents are too dumb to know how to conceive any conventional way.
IF she actually crashed and her baby got crushed by the airbag, have no doubt she would have filed a lawsuit against Chrysler. Of course it would have made her a multi-millionaire. And 5 years from now the price of all cars everywhere would go a little higher as automakers tried to protect themselves from future liability by installing complex sensors in the driver's side airbags to determine not only the weight and height of the driver but whether they were driving with a baby or a small pet in their lap, and if so, what type of pet...
I hope they put her in jail because if she doesn't get locked up other idiots out there will get the idea that what she did was perfectly fine and it'll become as prevalent as driving while talking on cell phones.
"Donkers said she doesn't think her actions were excessively dangerous, and she believes she can follow the laws of her home state when driving on an interstate highway."
Transportable state laws... intereesting concept!
The Subaru Crew meets every Thursday at 6PM PT/9PM ET... stop by and join us to talk Subaru or anything else automotive that might come up! Hope to see you there tonight!
Very interesting. In other areas of law, the homosexuals wanting to be married expect to have their Canadian marriages recognized in the states. Will we have transportable national laws as well? I hope not.
In AZ and NM they will hardly care up to app 9 mph over the speed limit! As you know NM is chalk full of cops of all denominations. I got passed once on the way to Shiprock NM going 80 in a 65 zone by the FEDS. The officer looked over as she passed as if to say ARE you ok? Then literally RAN out of sight!! So if I was going 80 you can imagine what she was going.
is the license plate frame on a black M/B Coupe driven by a young oriental female frequently changing lanes on I-5 near Federal Way yesterday. So popular she is that a WSP got her signature as she had to slow down for an accident in Fife. And it didn't bother her to drive in the HOV lane as a singleton until the red and blue lites showed up.
Those "orientals" are always driving crazy and hogging the HOV lane without any passengers. Of course, they are quite small, so perhaps she had a passenger and you just could not not see him or her (note to make sure no one besides Kinley is offended: heavy sarcasm here re. Kinley's ethnic references).
> I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except > numbers. The only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are > things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment > Television, and Miss Black America. Try to have things like the United > Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or > Miss White America and see what happens. Jesse Jackson will be knocking down > your door. > > > I have the right "NOT" to be tolerant of others because they are > > different, weird, or tick me off. >
Did you all hear about the old 80 something year old white male driver in Santa Monica, CA who "steam" rolled over folks over 2 or so blocks where 10 died and 69 were injured? He claims it was an accident!!?? So what do they do? They release him and don't even file charges!!??? So am I to believe that you would be tolerant of him because he is an 80 year old WHITE guy? In terms of the sheer damage, this makes OJ look like he cut school and got caught and was exonerated for cutting school.
Don't get me wrong, I have gotten behind MANY goofy drivers of ALL races, it is just there is not much of a real connection between race and how a person drives.
Probably the reason the founding fathers and or framers of the constitution put the second amendment right right up there with the first amendment right. People's first amendment rights end where other peoples noses begin so to speak.
I have the right "NOT" to be tolerant of others because they are > > different, weird, or tick me off You may have the right to think that, but why go out of your way to state your views in a public forum, where some find them offensive. I really thought prejudice was a thing of the past. Sadly, I was wrong.
"I have gotten behind MANY goofy drivers of ALL races, it is just there is not much of a real connection between race and how a person drives."
My experience has told me at times there seems to be a strong correlation between certain races and some driving behaviors...i'll leave it at that.
"I have the right "NOT" to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off."
Whoa, not to be tolerant? You have the right to feel and/or think anyway you choose...Is that what you mean?
If "different, wierd and tick you off" fall into compliance with rules, laws, etc., what can you do? Push to outlaw all things that are "different, wierd and tick you off"?
"My experience has told me at times there seems to be a strong correlation between certain races and some driving behaviors...i'll leave it at that."
So, white guys tend to steam roll over folks killing 10 and injuring 69? AND swear to high heaven they are GOD fearing people and it was an accident, so I should go free!!??
So you all wonder why black folks cheer when a guilty dude like OJ WALKS !!!???
is that there are just enough bad drivers out there, of all races, to perpetuate these bad stereotypes. Unfortunately, in the case of the old man who just ran down a crowd of people, that's perpetuating the stereotype that old people can't drive.
I actually hear stories like that on occasion. Not too long ago, some old lady in a Crown Vic was picking up her grandkid from school, hit the wrong pedal, and ran over some kids. I think some of 'em actually got pinned between the car and the school building!
As for this old guy who ran down those poor people, somebody please, PLEASE tell me that they at least took his license away? And while it was an accident, couldn't he at least be held on manslaughter charges? Wrongful death? Something like that?
Kinley mentioned that a driver was "oriental"? I don't get it...is it because of the word itself, or the fact that he mentioned ethnicity at all? Why is it if the woman was blonde, and he mentioned that, no one would care? What's the difference?
OTOH, Kinley, your response was completely uncalled for in this setting.
Back to the topic...
Was driving on a two-lane road one day behind another car. Along comes a car coming from a side street on the left, wanting to turn left in our direction, but the woman barrels through her stop sign without so much as slowing down! The driver in front of me had to swerve off the road to avoid getting side-swiped, and I slammed on my brakes to allow her to get between us.
And that's not the end of it! We get to a stop sign on the same two-lane road. Traffic from left and right have right-of-way (no stops). The person in front stops, looks and turns left--no problem. The same woman, still in front of me, doesn't pull up to the sign when the first driver goes. She sits there for about 4 seconds, then just guns it across. Well, here comes a Corvette from our left. He has to slam on his brakes and STOP to avoid T-boning her!
I couldn't believe what I'd just seen. Did she have a death wish? Or was she really that inept? I guess I'll never know!
Yes, thats a pretty fair assessment. What each individual sees starts out as a correlation...then turns into what is viewed "happens all the time"- hence stereotype.
Ruking- "So, white guys tend to steam roll over folks killing 10 and injuring 69? AND swear to high heaven they are GOD fearing people and it was an accident, so I should go free!!??
So you all wonder why black folks cheer when a guilty dude like OJ WALKS !!!??? "
What do you mean, who said OJ was guilty? Well let me put it this way, if OJ is NOT guilty and you believe it was a unknown person (you know the one armed man) then guess what, statistically YOU stand a GREATER chance of being the murderer than OJ!!!? Pardon me for saying it BUT I think not!!! Or is that my correlation? NO, but a question and that WAS NOT my correlation but a reasonable correlation based on Kinley's reasoning and the above quoted person.
The God fearing part was that the pastor of the church where the "white" guy is a member made a "mercy statement" on behalf of the alledged KILLER!!!!!! YOU know, him a good guy and would never murder anyone, him got grand babies too so he feels your pain. Is he free? YES!! NO charges have been filed. License!!?? He still has it. You have to be proven guilty in a court of law to even begin revocation proceedings!!!! But you know what, he has ALL his faculties!!!!! Mark my words, he might get slapped on the hand (BFD) and if lawsuits are won against him he will declare bankruptcy and begin anew! Shoot this happened near tinsel town, he might even make big bucks on a book deal or talk show circuit!!!
Gotta laugh, since the alternative is to get "ticked off". AND as someone has repeatedly pointed out on this board: we can control our own response. If we get angry (ticked off) at other drivers, it's because we choose to get angry. (Sorry... I don't believe it. I think some responses are hard-wired in the primitive portion of our brains)
Back on topic: the "Relax it's only a lane change" implies (IMHO) that the driver is a habitual lane-jumper and cut-off-artist, and wants the rest of the world to just live with it. This is consistent with the INCONSIDERATE DRIVER (hence the topic). Is this more common among young, female, OR oriental (ie: "Asian") drivers? I don't know.
I DO know that it is politically incorrect to criticize others based on race, and to a lesser extent, age and sex. But I think Ken was right: Kinley was just describing the driver... until he was jumped by the politically-corrective-police.
if 40% of accidents involve alcohol, doesn't that mean that sober drivers cause more accidents than drunks.
Where is the call to ban sober drivers, from the stats it's clear that they account for nearly half again as many accidents as those who've consumed alcohol.
Actually that would be my argument also. If you could wave the fairy wand and eliminate all the fatalities due to alcohol then 100 % of the accidents would be caused by stone cold sober drivers!!!! Not good PR for being stone cold sober!!!
Nope I did not see this article by USA today but got it from the SJMN a local large circulation bay area rag. So if they did pull his license good, but really BFD? The fact they pulled his license indicates that he has priors!!! So the warning signs were there and he neglected to pay attention.
40% of all fatal accidents involve alcohol and unfortunately and most folks tagged for alcohol still drive anyway.
There is an interesting statistic which I do not have at the ready and that is the Germans even though they have the autobahn and supposedly better driving skills and licensing procedures still have a fatality rate per million mile rate higher than the USA !! So what will you conclude, the Germans are lousy drivers because they are all white? Please guys if there is any research due to race and driving let us post em.
ruking1: "The fact they pulled his license indicates that he has priors!!! So the warning signs were there and he neglected to pay attention."
The article clearly stated that his prior driving record was clean. The only mishap he had prior to this incident was a run-in with his garage wall.
Given the number of fatalities in this tragedy, and his description of what happened ("I hit the accelerator by accident"...for three blocks) I would imagine that the authorities don't need evidence of prior bad driving to pull his license.
If 40 % of fatal accidents involve liquor, the pertenant statistic is what percent of the drivers on the road at any time are legally drunk? If it is less than 40 %, then drinking and driving is a problem.
when they cite another for not being P.C. It seems to give them a superior feeling when they are in a position to correct others, but they, at the same time can't be Grammar Police & why not?
kinley sounds like a middle age frustrated white male who is jealous of the oriental female driving the MB coupe.
We white folks are so perfect and we never break any traffic laws. I had to a take a defensive driving course couple months back to dismiss a ticket and the room was full of yup you guess it us white folks.
Driving to work in the morning the road is full of idiot women putting on make up, people on cell phone, eating breakfast, little white women driving those big suv like expedition not paying attention to the road. We all love to criticize others for being bad drivers but we only have to look ourselves in the mirror.
Am I just getting old (not even 50 yet) or have drivers really been getting worse out there the past 20 years.
It seems like the driver's license bureau continues to dumb down the process for renewals, which is part of the problem. I haven't had to take a driver's test since the first go around 30 years ago, and nothing more then vision checks since then. Now I don't have to go back for a decade instead of every four years. Meanwhile we've got elderly people mowing down sidewalk shoppers. How many of us would ride a passenger jet or train or any other convenyance with an 80+ year old at the wheel -- especially knowing they don't get checked often. No one gets checked often, not just the elderly. A lady friend at church, over 80, recently got her license renewed through a phone call from her home.
Meanwhile, drivers don't follow the rules. Within two days where I live a woman weaving rapidly in and out of traffic on the interstate, in a car with passengers, was killed after sideswiping a car then getting smacked by a semi...the three passengers in critical condition. Another driver on a busy two-lane road just couldn't wait, so crossed the double yellow line to pass a string of vehicles and ran into an oncoming dumptruck, hitting its fuel tank. It torched the driver (dead) and the car. Fortunately the driver didn't kill anyone else for their failure to follow basic rules.
A little common sense, obeying the rules, and patience would do us all a world of good on the road.
Back in the 80's when I was a teen, we rented a house from my grandparents. This house was originally a little country store, built in 1916, when the road was little more than a dead-end wagon trail. Well, the house was about 5 feet off the road! No big deal back in those days, but then they made the road go all the way through, and then in the 60's they paved it. In the late 70's they widened it, to where in some spots it spills out over its 30 foot right-of-way.
As a kid, I'd always imagined someone flying over the hill and slamming into the side of that house. We had a few close calls here and there. The mailbox used to get whacked off on a regular basis, until I took it down and moved it to the other side of the telephone pole it was beside. That telephone pole itself had gotten whacked a few times. One night, a drunk in an old Ford pickup came flying over the hill, and took it down! Pulled it down with enough force that it also pulled down the pole down-road from it, dropping it into a tree and starting a fire!
Well, my grandmother still owns that house, and has a tenant living in it. I've been thinking about moving out of my condo, and one of the options I was considering was buying that house from her (she's getting tired of the hassle of playing landlord). I figured that the house had gone almost 90 years without getting hit, but after seeing that news story, it's making me wonder if I should recondsider! Or look into having the house, if it's feasible, moved back from the road. It's a deep, narrow house, so it might not be *too* expensive!
well, it's got insurance on it right now. I don't know what kind of policy my grandmother has on it though...I guess a policy on a rental property would be different, and more expensive, than the policy on your principal residence?
Comments
Maybe we are just arguing about distance now??
TB
Start to merge. Some idiot in a car pefectly capable of merging at safe speeds wants to try to slide into traffic doing 75 while he is doing 45. Great. Downshift to third... his punishment for taking his time and gazing at the scenery is he gets to watch me fly by him and disappear in the distance and make him wait until the end of the lane to move into traffic.
OK. Im in now. Time to try again. Slow down to 65. Go with the flow. Relax. Dont be one of those road rage guys...Oh, wait, another idiot has decided to drive at 65 mph on the highway with his windows open and inflated baloons in his backseat, letting several helium baloons fly out his rear passenger windows and stick to the windshields of the cars behind him. Alright, dont feel like having the faces of Disney characters plaster themselves across my windshield while Im trying to be mellow and go with the flow without crashing or sideswiping anybody.
Downshift to 4th. moving past him as his car continues to hemmhorage baloons out the rear windows.
OK Ill give it one more try. This guy in front in the left lane is goin a reasonable speed. I can slow down. Relax. Go with the flow. OK wait the guy is now slowing down for absolutely no reason whatsoever. He's on his cell phone. He's hitting his brake lights repeatedly when the next car in the line is like half a mile ahead. He's speeding up. Slowing down. Speeding up. Slowing down. Now he's matching speeds with the car in front. Traffic is backing up behind me and people are getting annoyed...Oh and did I mention he's trapping me next to a tractor trailor that seems to be edging over like he wants to change lanes and he's just gonna do it and hope I figure out what's going on and get outta his way?
OK Im done with it. Every time I get on the road and try to ride with the pack everybody wants to be an idiot all at once and make me feel like every other driver is out to kill me. Screw this. downshift to 4th. Up to 85-90. For the next 15 minutes, never ever next to any other vehicle for more than 10 seconds. All of a sudden I feel more relaxed. I feel safer. I keep control of my vehicle, they keep what they think is some semblance of control of theirs, and nobody else bugs me. I guess I failed to mellow down and go with the pack this time. Ill try again tomorrow morning, and once again probably 5 different people will try to kill me, maim me, or damage my car within the first 60 seconds Im on the road and Ill end up going the rest of the way at warp speed.
I was heading down the far left lane on the freeway; he was heading down the far right lane. There was one lane between us. I was passing him, when I noticed that my lane was ending in about a quarter mile. I signal and start to change over to the middle lane but the truck suddenly changes to the middle instead, effectively cutting me off. I downshifted to get past him before the lane ended, and then issued the finger.
I probably overreacted, but the way I see it, either he was a jerk or he was oblivious. Both breeds annoy me immensely on the road.
After I had flicked him off, he came after me, but traffic was pretty thick so he couldn't hang with me.
That is just too stupid !!! I hope the baby that was getting milk did not stand in the stupid genes line like her parents obviously have!!
I hope they put her in jail because if she doesn't get locked up other idiots out there will get the idea that what she did was perfectly fine and it'll become as prevalent as driving while talking on cell phones.
Transportable state laws... intereesting concept!
The Subaru Crew meets every Thursday at 6PM PT/9PM ET... stop by and join us to talk Subaru or anything else automotive that might come up! Hope to see you there tonight!
/direct/view/.eea5f48
PF Flyer
Host
Pickups & News & Views Message Boards
So while I'm in IL, I can use the 75 MPH speed limits of AZ and NM 8^)
TB
"It really seems it's more the spill than the eating."
> numbers. The only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are
> things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black
Entertainment
> Television, and Miss Black America. Try to have things like the United
> Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or
> Miss White America and see what happens. Jesse Jackson will be knocking
down
> your door.
>
> > I have the right "NOT" to be tolerant of others because they are
> > different, weird, or tick me off.
>
Don't get me wrong, I have gotten behind MANY goofy drivers of ALL races, it is just there is not much of a real connection between race and how a person drives.
Probably the reason the founding fathers and or framers of the constitution put the second amendment right right up there with the first amendment right. People's first amendment rights end where other peoples noses begin so to speak.
> > different, weird, or tick me off
You may have the right to think that, but why go out of your way to state your views in a public forum, where some find them offensive.
I really thought prejudice was a thing of the past. Sadly, I was wrong.
My experience has told me at times there seems to be a strong correlation between certain races and some driving behaviors...i'll leave it at that.
"I have the right "NOT" to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off."
Whoa, not to be tolerant? You have the right to feel and/or think anyway you choose...Is that what you mean?
If "different, wierd and tick you off" fall into compliance with rules, laws, etc., what can you do? Push to outlaw all things that are "different, wierd and tick you off"?
???
So, white guys tend to steam roll over folks killing 10 and injuring 69? AND swear to high heaven they are GOD fearing people and it was an accident, so I should go free!!??
So you all wonder why black folks cheer when a guilty dude like OJ WALKS !!!???
I actually hear stories like that on occasion. Not too long ago, some old lady in a Crown Vic was picking up her grandkid from school, hit the wrong pedal, and ran over some kids. I think some of 'em actually got pinned between the car and the school building!
As for this old guy who ran down those poor people, somebody please, PLEASE tell me that they at least took his license away? And while it was an accident, couldn't he at least be held on manslaughter charges? Wrongful death? Something like that?
OTOH, Kinley, your response was completely uncalled for in this setting.
Back to the topic...
Was driving on a two-lane road one day behind another car. Along comes a car coming from a side street on the left, wanting to turn left in our direction, but the woman barrels through her stop sign without so much as slowing down! The driver in front of me had to swerve off the road to avoid getting side-swiped, and I slammed on my brakes to allow her to get between us.
And that's not the end of it! We get to a stop sign on the same two-lane road. Traffic from left and right have right-of-way (no stops). The person in front stops, looks and turns left--no problem. The same woman, still in front of me, doesn't pull up to the sign when the first driver goes. She sits there for about 4 seconds, then just guns it across. Well, here comes a Corvette from our left. He has to slam on his brakes and STOP to avoid T-boning her!
I couldn't believe what I'd just seen. Did she have a death wish? Or was she really that inept? I guess I'll never know!
Ruking- "So, white guys tend to steam roll over folks killing 10 and injuring 69? AND swear to high heaven they are GOD fearing people and it was an accident, so I should go free!!??
So you all wonder why black folks cheer when a guilty dude like OJ WALKS !!!??? "
Who said that?
The God fearing part was that the pastor of the church where the "white" guy is a member made a "mercy statement" on behalf of the alledged KILLER!!!!!! YOU know, him a good guy and would never murder anyone, him got grand babies too so he feels your pain. Is he free? YES!! NO charges have been filed. License!!?? He still has it. You have to be proven guilty in a court of law to even begin revocation proceedings!!!! But you know what, he has ALL his faculties!!!!! Mark my words, he might get slapped on the hand (BFD) and if lawsuits are won against him he will declare bankruptcy and begin anew! Shoot this happened near tinsel town, he might even make big bucks on a book deal or talk show circuit!!!
Actually, that's not true...at least the license part:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-07-23-old-driver-usat_x.- htm
Unless you have something more recent you can point me to.
Back on topic: the "Relax it's only a lane change" implies (IMHO) that the driver is a habitual lane-jumper and cut-off-artist, and wants the rest of the world to just live with it. This is consistent with the INCONSIDERATE DRIVER (hence the topic). Is this more common among young, female, OR oriental (ie: "Asian") drivers? I don't know.
I DO know that it is politically incorrect to criticize others based on race, and to a lesser extent, age and sex. But I think Ken was right: Kinley was just describing the driver... until he was jumped by the politically-corrective-police.
Where is the call to ban sober drivers, from the stats it's clear that they account for nearly half again as many accidents as those who've consumed alcohol.
Sorry, I just had to do that.
TB
Tongue in Cheek
Nope I did not see this article by USA today but got it from the SJMN a local large circulation bay area rag. So if they did pull his license good, but really BFD? The fact they pulled his license indicates that he has priors!!! So the warning signs were there and he neglected to pay attention.
40% of all fatal accidents involve alcohol and unfortunately and most folks tagged for alcohol still drive anyway.
There is an interesting statistic which I do not have at the ready and that is the Germans even though they have the autobahn and supposedly better driving skills and licensing procedures still have a fatality rate per million mile rate higher than the USA !! So what will you conclude, the Germans are lousy drivers because they are all white? Please guys if there is any research due to race and driving let us post em.
The article clearly stated that his prior driving record was clean. The only mishap he had prior to this incident was a run-in with his garage wall.
Given the number of fatalities in this tragedy, and his description of what happened ("I hit the accelerator by accident"...for three blocks) I would imagine that the authorities don't need evidence of prior bad driving to pull his license.
Harry
We white folks are so perfect and we never break any traffic laws. I had to a take a defensive driving course couple months back to dismiss a ticket and the room was full of yup you guess it us white folks.
Driving to work in the morning the road is full of idiot women putting on make up, people on cell phone, eating breakfast, little white women driving those big suv like expedition not paying attention to the road. We all love to criticize others for being bad drivers but we only have to look ourselves in the mirror.
It seems like the driver's license bureau continues to dumb down the process for renewals, which is part of the problem. I haven't had to take a driver's test since the first go around 30 years ago, and nothing more then vision checks since then. Now I don't have to go back for a decade instead of every four years. Meanwhile we've got elderly people mowing down sidewalk shoppers. How many of us would ride a passenger jet or train or any other convenyance with an 80+ year old at the wheel -- especially knowing they don't get checked often. No one gets checked often, not just the elderly. A lady friend at church, over 80, recently got her license renewed through a phone call from her home.
Meanwhile, drivers don't follow the rules. Within two days where I live a woman weaving rapidly in and out of traffic on the interstate, in a car with passengers, was killed after sideswiping a car then getting smacked by a semi...the three passengers in critical condition. Another driver on a busy two-lane road just couldn't wait, so crossed the double yellow line to pass a string of vehicles and ran into an oncoming dumptruck, hitting its fuel tank. It torched the driver (dead) and the car. Fortunately the driver didn't kill anyone else for their failure to follow basic rules.
A little common sense, obeying the rules, and patience would do us all a world of good on the road.
Maybe only the "white folks" had licenses to protect and carried insurance with premiums to protect as well.
http://www.nbc4.com/news/2377653/detail.html
that is just insane! she must have been hauling some major [non-permissible content removed] to cause that amount of damage!
some people...
As a kid, I'd always imagined someone flying over the hill and slamming into the side of that house. We had a few close calls here and there. The mailbox used to get whacked off on a regular basis, until I took it down and moved it to the other side of the telephone pole it was beside. That telephone pole itself had gotten whacked a few times. One night, a drunk in an old Ford pickup came flying over the hill, and took it down! Pulled it down with enough force that it also pulled down the pole down-road from it, dropping it into a tree and starting a fire!
Well, my grandmother still owns that house, and has a tenant living in it. I've been thinking about moving out of my condo, and one of the options I was considering was buying that house from her (she's getting tired of the hassle of playing landlord). I figured that the house had gone almost 90 years without getting hit, but after seeing that news story, it's making me wonder if I should recondsider! Or look into having the house, if it's feasible, moved back from the road. It's a deep, narrow house, so it might not be *too* expensive!