Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
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Bellevue grandma: "Tell you what Sunny, I'll go back and honk your horn while you try to start this machine." :P
Funny thing though, it's rarely an oldster than I honk at. Slow old people don't get that treatment from me - as I can usually just go around. It's the younger and distracted/oblivious who get to hear the loud German horn :shades:
Hopefully, with more driver's out there like you and I, they will be honked at often enough that they start to realize they are pathetic, and either take steps to improve, or hire a Chauffeur.
I like to sneak up and honk when I see someone yapping on a phone. Also if I think they are going to wander into my lane - honk. It happens a bit here, where so many cars drive like they have no alignment and just wander around (mostly) in their lanes.
I know some self-righteous unfireable LEO types disagree with horn use, but seeing how well they patrol the roads, that might say something.
The curve thing ateixeira is a problem here, too. I try to not have another car alongside me if the road has a sharp turn, especially after a light. The NE 8th/116th intersection in Bellevue with 2 turn lanes is a perfect example. Morons can't stay in their lane.
With so much rain falling, it is difficult to maintain your sea worthy position during an incoming tide so you drift a little.
(DUI patrols tonight all over the state.)
fintail. You have a lot of energy and good thoughts. I would support you if you initiated a national campaign about stupid drivers, texting, LLC, cell phone use, etc.
DUI patrols - the kind of thing LEOs should be working on.
Then again maybe she was on drugs or something.
I often give assists to other drivers , but only if they drive one of the car brands that I like.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Lots of phone addicts out there, too. Saw a woman in a late model C coupe texting while "driving", immediately followed by a typical suit in a newer TL texting while "driving". No enforcement for this anywhere, of course.
I see that and sometimes these folks will swing left toward the center of the road before starting to make their slooow right turn.
Won't do more than 60mph while passing slower traffic, then stay in the left lane and speed up to 75 when the right lane clears.
If they're not slowing down to 60 to pass traffic, they're slowing to 45 to climb a hill.
They won't get up to more than 45, even on the straight part of the on-ramp when they know traffic on the road is moving at 65-70.
Stop-and-go past a single spinner that was stopped in the median, with a Traffic Control unit on the left shoulder, completely out of the lane. Even in the left lane, accounting for the rain, I could understand 35mph. Damn rubberneckers.
I love when I am waiting to turn left, and the oncoming car actually slows. I don't know if it is subconscious ineptitude or random jerkiness. I'll start turning early then, just to wake them up.
Regarding rain - here after a wonderfully dry summer, it has been ranining steadily for almost 2 months. The already underposted limits are now seen as insane by the slow turning phone yapping masses, and it's often hard to get within 5mph.
Local "drivers" usually lack the wherewithal to actually fight fire with fire :shades:
4Runner puts on the right turn signal, then moves into the left turn lane, and makes a left. Guess I should be thankful that they didn't end up turning right after all.
And another when I went out to get lunch...
Pontiac Grand Prix in front of me taking a posted 50 mph off-ramp, slows quickly to 40mph before the curve... then brake checks me, not so much because of the rain but because he's too busy with the cell phone in one hand to steer the car well.
We need to put this lady together with the courteous lady who made room yesterday.
This morning I had a similar driver in front of me. We were both in a right lane that sweeps to the right in a merge onto another road. Now, the whole lane sweeps, mind you, so there's no need for a signal at all... just follow the lane! But, no, this driver turns on the right signal to sweep through, then, when on the other road, leaves the right signal on while changing to the left lane, then changing to the left turn lane... then turning left! Cracked me up (in a "some people are just hopeless" sort of way).
Last night there was a driver in a little old Nissan sedan in front of me (by about ten car lengths or more) on a merge lane that links up to a local "expressway" - 55 mph limit. There's a light-controlled intersection on this road about an eighth of a mile from the end of the merge lane. So I am accelerating down the ramp as this driver merges. He's driving along in the right lane, about a steady 40 mph. I'm at 55 by the time I hit the end of the ramp, so I signal to change into the left lane. I change lanes and am about 20' off this guy's bumper when he decides its a prime time to switch lanes. He comes over, signalling as his car is about halfway into my lane.
I hit the brakes, dodged right, and blew past him as I resumed speed in the left lane. A few moments later, oh, surprise, he decided on a last minute stop at the McDonald's off the left side of the expressway. The annoying part was that his impeding caused me to miss the light, burning another 90 seconds of my life. I'm just not sure why it was so critical to enter the left lane just when he did so, when his low speed would have allowed him to make that lane change up to 10+ seconds later without any problems at all. :confuse:
On the way home, I got behind a SRX that floored it off the line and cut in front of a line of merging cars, then slowed down, signaled in an exit only lane, crawled at under the yellow sign, then hit the gas, changed lanes, slowed down, changed lanes back, got up to the speed of traffic, then changed lanes again (no lane changes with signals). Drunk?
Same. Encountered a number of drivers shortly after sunset in a very overcast day in a rural area that did not have headlights on. Flashed them, looked in mirror and most did put on their lights. What is with these people, these dopes. "Inconsiderate" is to polite a term. Should be "dopes",
Also saw a granny in a Fit, no lights - and she was actually driving well above the limit. Crazy.
And also car models that almost guarantee an elderly driver. I followed a late 80s Chrysler New Yorker last night down the road yesterday, going 35 in a 45 MPH zone. I knew it had to be an elderly driver, so I tried to stay patient. It was difficult.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Commit suicide at 65? :P
Might keep social security alive for the next generation too! :sick:
I do find, I am nicer, more lenient, and more patient with Audi drivers. I find most Audi drivers drive competently or better, while Toyota drivers tend to encounter frequent episodes of self inflicted SUA.
About the elderly...if I make it to 70, I'd certainly like an objective skills assessment by then. Many older driver seem to cope just fine, but some are pretty scary.
Certain Toyota models do seem to attract the slow and/or oblivious.
At least if they had hit them, the person could get CPR on the spot. How convenient.
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I have every intention of becoming elderly, and will also likely become slower and more cautious as I age (further). That's why I do my best to be patient behind other drivers, who may have physical, mental or vehicular limitations of which I am unaware.
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Having said that, driving 10MPH below the speed limit in the daytime on a dry road - with no passing zones - is annoying.
This morning saw a Yukon almost hit an old R107 SL - the behemoth lumbered into a turn lane without a signal, then decided it wanted back in the straight lane, but the MB was beside it. I heard the loud old MB horn very clearly.
It's a good thing both oncoming lanes had stopped traffic, as that is a 55mph road.
At least if they had hit them, the person could get CPR on the spot.
The problem with that is the EMTs would likely be the ones needing the CPR! :P
I realize visibility is a challenge on some bigger vehicles but this was clearly a case of "don't care, I'm bigger".
My brother used to drive ambulances at times as a firefighter/EMT. There was an accident one time with an old lady that apparently couldn't see nor hear (low licensing standards) but was driving anyway, so they collided hard and she was in a teeny tiny vehicle.
Yes, she got treated right away (minor injuries only), but the person they were going code 3 for got cheated at least a few minutes of waiting time on their emergency call.
In there defense, maybe they had under 1,000 miles and read in the manual that it's a good idea to keep it 65 MPH and under while breaking in the engine????
Likely??? NOT!!!
I remember I had to speed up my A3 during the test drive momentarily to like 80 because there were no openings to merge right towards a freeway exit unless I did so (without missing my exit).
There is no type of vehicle that is as predictable for stupid behavior and blocking traffic as are most drivers of compact pickup trucks. Encounter these people daily. What is it with those who buy these things and then block traffic.
Don't keep a log, but it seems that most MB drivers are either senior ladies, blue or gray hair, or older seasoned guys.