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1 do nothing and hope he goes away
When I have a blind spot lover near me, I either get in front or get behind, not along side if I can possibly help it. Early warning looking ahead as well as behind (mirrors are in the mix too) is really the ticket.
Talk about inconsiderate drivers!
1. Increase driver's ed requirements
2. Fix traffic flow at dangerous intersections/roads
...or...
3. Increase traffic fines and decrease speed limits. Use extra money collected to fund government pork projects.
Want to bet which one will be selected?
"In the United States, the mortality rate is 15 per 100,000. It is 16 in China (where, in 1999, there were 80 motor vehicles of all types for every 1,000 people, compared with nearly 800 for every 1,000 people here)."
I think it's commendable we are better than China where they don't even have traffic. I'm sure on a fatality per 100,000 mile basis there are few places that can touch the U.S.
I'd absolutely be interested to see this. Our rate is something like just under 1.0/100M. Despite all the hand-wringing, crying of apocalypse, introduction of heavy-handed, unfunded mandates, and general hysterics from groups like MADD, the rate of fatalities is still going down despite an increase in absolute numbers.
Now, before I'm branded a stone-hearted menace, I'd clearly love to see fewer and fewer people die each year. But, I'm too pragmatic to ignore the fact that my CHANCE or RISK of dying in a vehicle accident is going down. And that's good!
I'm not surprised by this at all. Check out a post I made in this thread almost two years ago (#953) about the driving adventures I saw in Guatemala.
The other country I've spent time in is Spain, where 8 years ago everyone had a moped or bike. And everyone had lost a friend in a motorcycle accident. It had always been that way until a few years ago insurance skyrocketed and now it's cheaper to own a car. So more people make long-distance trips than before and grisly accidents along 2-lane roads that completely crush those little cars are becoming more common. It's also a problem in the old cities, which simply can't accommodate all those cars... they don't fit and it's a mess.
About problems HERE, I don't know what they'll do but I don't have much faith. They can't make it too hard to get a license because you're absolutely screwed if you live in suburbia and can't drive, and the government's goal in traffic control is suspect to me. I myself could've benefited from a better driving education though, even if the tests weren't made harder.
I hope this isn't too off-topic. While some fatalities really are accidents, everything we complain about here can potentially be a cause...
New York drivers have, as far back as I can remember, made fun of Jersey drivers at every opportunity. And now I can confirm they've got a point.
New York drivers are on average very agressive, but it's pretty straight-forward and I find them to be predictable and thus surprisingly safe. On the roads speed by itself is not dangerous, being surprised *is*.
Some Jersey drivers are like NY drivers, but some are slow, erratic, unpredicatable and (like that example) often dangerously passive-aggressive. Like PA drivers. (But that's a whole other series of posts.)
The cure was to jump ahead in speed and pull into the left lane and pass the cars in the right lane, then I stayed in the left lane...
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
As far as driving to Brooklyn or something like that. Some of the people just drive where ever. There's no shoulder on I-278(Brooklyn-Queens Expressway) which I think is bad. If a car concks out its usually in the middle of the road holding up traffic. Going gack to my point of drivers dirving where ever some of the drivers just drive like there is nobody else on the road but them. I have observed this on I-278 a little bit.
As far as NJ drivers being bad some of them are unpredictable at times yes. People who drive older cars seem to me unpredictable and people in their SUV's tend to tailgate at times. The young drivers can be very aggressive at times.
I think one of the differences between NYC in NJ is NJ is more spread out. NYC is a tight little place. I'm sure if compared the Garden State Parkway to the New York Thruway it would be about the same in terms of dirving experience.
Finally, driving to the Jersey Shore in July or August is not exactly a picnic either on the Garden State Parkway. Driving on the Parkway is ddifferent in other time of the year besides the summer time(Exit 127-Woodbridge and South in the summer time.)
Yes Jersey has its liability's as far as driving experience goes. I will admit that.
BTW, I think its funny NYC divers make fun of Jersey drivers.
An interesting idea. Maybe we can get some of those people off the road who obstruct the efficient flow of traffic by playing policeman in the left lane, or those who feel justified and take pleasure in forcing other drivers to make emergency lane changes, just so they themselves are not inconvenienced by having to adjust to the traffic they are merging into.
An example is the left lane bully LLB, who expects to never change lanes and expects that everyone should be out of his or her left lane before her vehicle gets close to them.
If not patronized in that domination mindset, the LLB flashes their headlights, gets very close to the person who has violated their expectations of lane ownership to intimidate and scare the offending driver, and then often makes dangerous maneuvers to get around the person using the left lane, and may even try to make personal gestures and mouth words toward the person who has used their lane.
Would this be a sign of low intelligence as in the Lagos news story findings? Grin.. Or even undiagnosed insanity?
I've seen some left lane bullies who exhibited many low-intelligence behaviors.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
But at times they are one and the same. A LLC will sit doing the speed they believe is correct for the left lane and will never move over, often hover right in my blind spot, with any attempt to get around them they will turn into an LLB.
I am also seeing a different phenomenon nowadays: I am behind a guy in the left (passing) lane and we are both passing a slow moving truck. The guy ahead of me is doing probably 67 whereas the truck is doing about 65. I am not tailgating ,as like bottgers, I also hate it when someone does it to me. Anyway, after a long agonizing five minutes or so, he passes the truck, moves over to right lane, speeds up to 75 mph and continues at that speed! So strange!
Apparently they want someone in front of them running radar shadow for them. They want to speed but don't want to chance the ticket from the overlooked laser or moving radar in Ohio.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Now, I get in the left lane and just do 5 over. All those LL bullies can pound sand.
I passed one on my way to work today, a pickup was just sitting in the left lane doing about 60, speed limit is 65 and on this highway the left lane runs 75-80 most days. I had completed my pass of a semi and I just went right on by him in the right lane. As did any number of other cars behind me that I could see for a few minutes in the mirror, until I couldnt make him out anymore. You wonder what they are thinking.
I passed one on my way to work today, a pickup was just sitting in the left lane doing about 60, speed limit is 65 and on this highway the left lane runs 75-80 most days. I had completed my pass of a semi and I just went right on by him in the right lane. As did any number of other cars behind me that I could see for a few minutes in the mirror, until I couldnt make him out anymore. You wonder what they are thinking."
Makes sense to me! Mine is 0-5 sec, so you are at least 2x as patient as I am!
When I get within legal/safe distance behind and the person is not moving over nor signaling, I take/make the safe assumption that he is not going to or wanting to move over. Also if you stack behind him, you are in effect guilty of the same thing you are probably mad at him for. (impeding traffic)
I have also found out that in say a freeway with 65 mph speed limit, one can LEGALLY go 45 mph! Given the little to NO enforcement that is not going to discourage LLC ing!
Traffic is so heavy anymore that many times I am doing my typical 70-75 and am steadily passing cars, semis or clumps of traffic in the right lane every 20-30 seconds, with other cars in front of me going the same speed, when an LLB will come up to within a few feet off my rear bumper and hover there. I am not going to move over and get stuck in the right lane, just so the LLB can do 85 for 10 seconds until he catches up to the next car ahead. Or to have the LLB turn into an LLC as he comes alongside of me.
You can get POed at LLC or LLB, but how do you respond when the tables are turned? If you do 75 and you get mad at ppl who are doing LLC at 70, do you likewise get out of the way for ppl doing 80?
Lots of ppl end up with the mindset that THEIR speed range is the proper speed range. Anything that strays too far below or above that is inappropriate. Hence you can LLC at someone who is going 85 because heck he is just going way too fast. But then you can LLB someone doing 55 because he's such a slowpoke.
It's about control rather than safe driving for too many people.
I was behind a large Chev or Ford pickup going 5 under the limit on a two-lane country road where no passing is allowed. He was dominating the pace for the others behind him. It's a main road for travel. He didn't speed up to the limit or to the 5 over most people drive on that road (limit it 45).
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
My take: Use the passing lane to pass and as soon as it is practically safe; MOVE OVER and leave the lane free for someone else to PASS!
I realize every area has some of the same problems, but I've lived and traveled to a lot of different places and this is some of the worst driving I've seen (short of Panama, Saudi and Turkey maybe). Combine the terrible driving with the fact that damn near everyone here has to drive a F-350 dullie diesel crew cab or a Suburban and you've just compounded the trouble.
Maybe he is just slow and doesn't care. Why do you assume he is getting some secret thrill out of slowing you down?
Before you project your psyche into someone else's post, please reread the original and check the name of the discussion group.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Whatever happened to Kinley ? He was one of those. He liked to control the speed of the passing lane.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
No
She speeds up, gets in front of me and then paces the truck beside it.......for miles. eventually she eeks out in front of the truck. Once she had enough space to safely return to the right lane, I gave her my customary 5 seconds to get over. Nope. Just still sat in the left lane. I had to pass on the right to scoot past her.
I have no idea what these people are thinking.
And people wonder why road rage erupts. If you can move left when a faster car approaches, simply do it, and move back over to where you were once they go past. It's common courtesy and expected behavior in areas with more civilized traffic. Just not here. I can't understand why it is such a problem.
I drive a fair amount, but I just don't see it.
I see it now and then...not every day, but it's out there.