Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/25 for details.
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/25 for details.
Options
Comments
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
99% of the time from pedal misapplication error from the driver.
1% of the time from floor mat issues (still driver error for not securing them prior to driving).
One would think that BMW drivers/owners/leasers are pretty smart people. That would include trophy foxy types.
Also 2 dumb pedestrians - idiot young woman crossing against red wearing all black on a dark street, and an especially dopey looking older woman with a phone to her ear crossing late in a crosswalk, walking at a crawling place (hard to walk and talk at once), midway she leaves the crosswalk and veers off still in the street, a pickup has green, turns, and honks at her. Had she been hit I might have just kept walking, myself.
Other traffic didn't have much dumb other than the painful slowness that seems to be getting worse here, combined with negligent and shameful management of traffic controls by overpaid unfireable supposed engineers and planners. Quickly racing to the bottom, away from first world status.
Driving to work this morning, 0545 or so, slow Prius in front of me. Slow and dopey, didn't signal to get into a turn lane, but used signal once turn had started. Road gains a lane, I get ready to move left, and immediately Prius moves left, so I continue straight, pass (going probably less than 5 over), Prius is quickly then fading in my mirror as I am barely if at all speeding. Driver was a timid looking young woman with a deathgrip on the wheel who probably thought she was being nice by moving *left* to let me by. Ah what a place.
I still hum "A Prius for everyone ... else" when I see that new commercial.
I think that's a good way to put it, they drive as if there is snow on the ground when we get a little bit of rain. GRIDLOCK ensues.
Names and Badge numbers please??? Let's expose these Revenue Nannies for what they really are.
This wasn't the first rain of the season, the roads were typical to wet conditions.
2 no lights cars - Insight and Murano.
On foot, I noticed an endless amount of "drivers" holding phones while "driving", easily seemed like half the cars on the road. It's amusingly easy to see when it is dark. Where's the enforcement?
Now, here is a place where our Washington DC politicians could direct some regulations. Meaningful regulations rather than what we have seen recently that stifles business.
Meaningful would be legislation, laws banning cell phone use in moving vehicles except for calling 911. That would be backed up with legislation requiring technology in all new vehicles and along with cell providers that would block cell phone use in moving vehicles except 911. Expect that crybabies will say, "But that blocks cell conversations of passengers". So what.
The prime and "only" obligation of drivers must be 100 percent devoted to the operation of those vehicles in conformance of all rules and regulations of the road in all States.
I believe our dumbed down licensing standards are also meant to be "business friendly" - enabling just about anyone to drive, so they can shop, spend money on cars and gas, etc. The dumbed down race to the bottom is perhaps the most business friendly movement in the history of commerce.
Regarding the blocking technology, I bet high schoolers would be able to write software to override it, and the passenger ideal is a valid complaint. Maybe moreso than things being "stifled" by regulation that usually pales in comparison to our first world competitors.
Electric chair, firing squad, hanging, lethal injection, take your pick.
Cell Phone use would be curbed overnight with this legislation. Far more effective than your plan.
Is that just a little bit extreme?
Also for turning right on red when posted "no right turn on red".
Before long, the problem of traffic congestion will be solved as there will be few drivers left.
But those who are left will drive VERY carefully.
Saw 4 no headlights cars - a Sienna with parking lights, 2 Prius with no lights, Durango with no lights.
Not to worry, they don't get too far, although this is a Wisconsin example.
AS long as the sign makes engineering sense and is justified 24 hours per day, and is posted in a reasonably visable location, I'm OK with that! :P
I haven't met a "no right turn on red" sign that made complete sense yet.
Well, you'd better hope they don't implement that death penalty for turning right on red where one of those "senseless" signs is!
I remember a time when turning right on red was NEVER legal, at least in MN. So being able to turn right on red most of the time is an improvement.
Last night saw only one no-lights car, Mazda 5. I flashed and blinked my lights at the middle aged male driver, yet again no response. I wonder if they all have tunnel vision?
Out this morning, friend driving. Seemed only about 25% of "drivers" bothered to use their signal - this should be a significant and no-warning ticket, but I guess "speed kills" is more profitable (and that's the key).
also an oddity? It still has an old fashioned odometer, so you can always see the numbers. Very quaint. Wonder how hard it will be to roll back?
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Also saw a Corolla make a dawdling turn into a packed post office parking lot - it turned into the exit only lane, which drew some honks. A Suburban that turned right from a straight only lane topped off the morning.
The multifunction display in my E55 shows trip odometer and regular at once. Hasn't been a MB with a rollback odometer since maybe 1995-96 or so, I think.
But we're talking fines, not taxes.
Chippewa County Driver's Ed Teacher Arrested for Drunk Driving (9and10news.com)
A similar incident of those who should know better, but seldom act like it - punishment, which should be termination and then the same penalties as given to a normal citizen, will be a slap on the wrist, no doubt.
Paid leave. Authority at work, high accountability.
Yesterday morning on the interstate, two left lane campers barely going over the speed of those in the right lane for about 10 miles. Could not get around them. Many semis and cars, suvs in right lane. Numerous cars, suvs backed up in left lane.
When they finally moved over, the car directly in front of me was a Ford Focus with a woman driver and she had a cellphone in her left hand up to her head. In front of her was a perennial traffic blocker type. He was in a compact truck with a cap. I very rarely see a compact truck driver that is not blocking traffic. What is it about the mentality of guys who buy compact pickups?
The pickups with canopies/caps are usually slow here too - grandpa trucks. As opposed to vans and box trucks here, which often drive like maniacs.
Hey, give 'em a break, they're pedaling as fast as they can! :P
Got crosswalk crowded by a new style GS that both cut into the crosswalk in front of me when I had green, and hit its signal as it started to turn - obvious distracted driver. Should have let it hit me, ka-ching. Also another crowder, young woman in a C-class turned right on green walk signal, probably didn't see me, as she had a phone in her hand. Minimal fine for an incident that should be hitting 4 figures, proportional to the means of the driver...
Also saw a crash - happened upon it maybe 5-10 mins after it happened, first emergency cars were there, police just starting to direct traffic. From what I could tell, something ran a light, or an Elantra ran a light, and the Elantra got t-boned at a good 30-35mph. Other car continued on for a half block or more, couldn't tell what it was in the dark. Oh, and at this scene, a cop was directing traffic, stopped one direction, guy in a Jetta just rolls up, slows a little, and turns right - while the cop screams "STOP" twice. Should be a $1000 ticket right there.
* If someone is doing something we don't like, e.g. driving slowly, but it's not unsafe... ignore it.
* If someone is trying to merge onto a freeway (yes, even if they're merging more slowly than we think they should) and we can help them out by changing lanes or adjusting our speed... do it.
* If the car ahead of us is driving more slowly than we'd like, even if they're in the left lane, don't tailgate them or flash high beams at them multiple times. If they're going under the flow of traffic, maybe a quick flash of the high beams to wake them up. If that doesn't do it, look for the first safe opportunity to get around them and then do it.
* Center your vehicle in your parking spot whenever possible. Leave some room for other vehicles. This is especially important if your vehicle isn't a compact.
* Remember to turn your lights on and use turn signals whenever appropriate.
* If you see a vehicle trying to move into your lane and it's difficult to do so because of traffic, give 'em a break and let them in ahead of you, if it's safe. Maybe give them a smile and a little wave... or if in TX the one-finger greeting aka "Hidy sign". Be sure to use your index finger!.
And there's lots of other things we can do to exemplify courteous driving and make the roads a more pleasant place for everyone.
ML guy comes in from Reservoir Rd going the wrong way! Whoops!
Immediately facing oncoming traffic, he drives up on the grass shoulder. Of course that's a busy road, so now he's stuck there.
The ML (1st gen) still be there now.
To the list I would add:
Watch out for pedestrians. Especially when they have a crosswalk or the right of way given to them at a lighted intersection. Lots of people on foot (at least here) at this time of year, and lots of distracted drivers having close calls.
If you're on a road and every car is passing you, and then pulling in front of you (ie: you're not keeping up with any lane of traffic), speed up or find a slower road.
If you're on a road and you're passing every single car (faster than any lane), having to weave around, slow down.
And most important: hang up and drive.
Driving slowly is almost always unsafe. Graphs show that driving slowly is just as, if not more dangerous than driving too fast for conditions.
If the car ahead of us is driving more slowly than we'd like, even if they're in the left lane, don't tailgate them or flash high beams at them multiple times. If they're going under the flow of traffic, maybe a quick flash of the high beams to wake them up. If that doesn't do it, look for the first safe opportunity to get around them and then do it.
In other words, if a rapist rapes you, let it go, move on, and go on with your life and don't do anything about it. Sure, the rapist will go on to rape more people, other people, but heck, it's considerate according to you!
* If you see a vehicle trying to move into your lane and it's difficult to do so because of traffic, give 'em a break and let them in ahead of you, if it's safe. Maybe give them a smile and a little wave... or if in TX the one-finger greeting aka "Hidy sign". Be sure to use your index finger!.
* If someone is trying to merge onto a freeway (yes, even if they're merging more slowly than we think they should) and we can help them out by changing lanes or adjusting our speed... do it.
* If the car ahead of us is driving more slowly than we'd like, even if they're in the left lane, don't tailgate them or flash high beams at them multiple times. If they're going under the flow of traffic, maybe a quick flash of the high beams to wake them up. If that doesn't do it, look for the first safe opportunity to get around them and then do it.
This kind of behavior seems likely to me to cause traffic, congestion, and unnecessary brake lights on the freeways and impede the progress of traffic. These high levels of congestion and traffic I find decidedly unpleasant, and inconsiderate.
On a 4-lane surface street, approaching a freeway interchange, a black RX3#0 is in the left hand lane. Sometime after the right turn lane begins, he cuts all the way across, and is well past the solid lines as he makes his right to the on-ramp.
After we got on the Watterson, we were approaching the Shelbyville Road interchange, significant today because there are two shopping malls on that road. The right-hand lane of the collector-feeder system was backed up with people waiting to get to those ramps. An older Pontiac had gone up the left lane, and was down to a crawl waiting to get in line to exit. A white Lexus ES sedan just behind moves over onto the left shoulder to go around. The next car in line was a Louisville Metro PD cruiser, who promptly lit up the Lexus. OK, maybe the Lexus was not the main inconsiderate in that exchange, but it definitely qualifies as a stupid maneuver.
That doesn't account for the 25 mph crawl on I-71 this morning as people had to gawk at an Element with its nose bloodied, but all the way in the median. Or the older Camry on a surface street that had come to a complete stop with its left turn signal on, half in a left-turn lane and half in a straight lane, before deciding to go straight.
Or the new merge getting on northbound 71 from the Watterson, where the I-71 traffic is pretty good about getting left, and the acceleration lane has been extended to a solid half mile, but people still insist on taking the 50mph ramp at 30, and act like they only have 100 feet to merge.