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On Tuesday I got pulled over for 70 in a 55, driving my 94 Blazer, talked my way out of that one somehow.
On Wednesday I had a Sierra 1500 SLT out showing to a customer, MSRP of $38k. They decided they didn't want that truck, so I was backing it away from the building to put it back in line, I didn't notice a customer's car sitting close to it and cut the wheel too hard. Went right down the side of the car. OOPS, I was horrified. Thankfully I was well liked and my boss smoothed it over, I didn't have to pay.
Then on Thursday I got pulled over for doing 65 in a 45, knew the cop and he was laughing so hard that he didn't give me a ticket, just told me to slow down. Reason he was laughing? I was driving a 98 Metro and he said he didn't think those cars could go that fast (he was being a smart [non-permissible content removed] as usual).
Haven't had a ticket since 2/28/01, 22 days after I got my 2001 Jetta 1.8T. Got nailed for 83 in a 65 just 1/2 mile from my house. No break, no warning, just a full blown ticket.
At least the cop wrote me for 44 in a 35 instead of the 48 that I was going. In NC you do not get any points for 10 or less mph over the limit. So the worst thing I face is a fine.
The worst part of the ticket though is the way I have been driving since. I am driving at or near the limit. Forget about other drivers, I am pissing myself off with this type of driving. I know it will eventually wear off and I will go back to driving as usual but I wasn't an aggressive driver to begin with.
I did once get a ticket for 5 times the posted limit in college. I was delivering pizza and burned some rubber in my '76 Celica in the dorm tunnel. The cop wrote me for 25 in a 5 mph zone! Also got unsafe start. Both were dropped.
>>While I was flying down the road yesterday (only 10 mph over) I noticed a cop with a radar gun sitting on top of a bridge.
The cop pulled me over, walked up to the car and asked me, "What's the hurry?"
I replied, "I'm late for work."
"Oh yeah," said the cop, "What do you do?"
I responded, "I'm a rectum stretcher."
The cop said "What?? A rectum stretcher? What does a rectum stretcher do?"
I said, "Well, I start with one finger, then I work my way up to two fingers, then three, then four, then my whole hand, then I work until I can get both hands in there and then I slowly stretch it until it's about 6 foot wide."
The cop asked me, "What the hell do you do with a 6 foot *******?"
I simply replied, "You give him a radar gun and park him on top of a bridge..."
The ticket - - $ 95.00
The look on his face - - PRICELESS
This post reminded me of a another funny incident involving a nun.
When I was in grade school (many moon ago), I was participating in a large music festival and a group of students from my school had to go to downtown Milwaukee for rehearsals. My teacher (a nun, probably in her early 30s) loaded us all into a big ol' Vista Cruiser to drive us down there. From the first day on, her new nickname was Sister Leadfoot... talk about your aggressive drivers! I guess her faith was so strong that she was relying on the Lord to keep her (and us) safe.
Lady in Grand Caravan, had this 1 1/2 foot statue of the Santa Barbara sitting atop the passenger side airbag.... ONE hit and I'm sure it would have decapitated anyone in the front seat.
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PF Flyer
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Well, a few miles south of the PA line, traffic started to bottleneck. I was pretty far back, so I couldn't see what was causing it, but there were a few tractor trailers in the mix, which always adds to the fun.
At some points, speeds were dropping down to 35-50 mph, as people slammed on their brakes, causing a chain reaction backup through the line of cars, and only making things worse as some of the slower-accelerating vehicles took their time to get back up to speed.
Finally, about 5 miles or so into PA, I saw what it was. There was a blue Cavalier coupe in the passing lane, pacing a slow-moving tractor trailer. When it slowed down, so would he.
Eventually, he did pass it, but then found another slow moving vehicle to pace, and not let anyone around him. Finally, as we were going around York, I saw him swerve over the line and almost clip the tractor trailer he was pacing, and its driver laid into the horn. At that point, I figured enough is enough, so I called 9-1-1, and reported a dangerous/possibly impaired or drunk driver. They patched me through to the state police. First thing out of the cops mouth was "Is it a blue Cavalier?" So evidently, I wasn't the first to report this idiot! They said they were sending a trooper out to get him. That was around Exit 17-18, I'd say.
Well, around mile marker 31, he was still doing his tricks. At this point, he was pacing a pickup pulling a 5th wheel RV trailer doing about 50-55. There was a Mack truck flatbed with a bulldozer on the back about 10 feet off the trailer's rear-end, a situation that can't be safe! I called the police again. They said they'd send a trooper out.
Finally we came to a truck lane. The RV got over, and the flatbed passed him. What did the Cavalier do? Stomped on it to let as few people as possible get ahead of him (say what you want about the Cav, but those Ecotech models are pretty gutsy). As soon as it went from 3 lanes back to two, he found another truck to cruise alongside of.
People started getting really impatient. I had a Saab blow up behind me on the shoulder and then start to get in behind me, at a high rate of speed. He didn't look like he wanted to slow down, so I tapped the brake just enough to make my lights come on, and let him know that hey, this lane isn't going to magically clear for you. So he gets up on my rump, and then back onto the shoulder, passing a few more people. He got lucky, because he got over in front of a truck that was in front of me just in time, as the shoulder gave way to a merge lane, with a few cars getting on!
Then we got up to another truck lane. A late 80's/early 90's Legacy wagon that was smoking like an old Mitsubishi suddenly shot past in the truck lane, cut over in between two trucks in the middle lane, and then into the fast lane, only to see there was no way around, so he shot BACK, between those two trucks again, into the right truck lane again, and then had to lock up his brakes as traffic slowed! That would've been a nasty mess if he started a pile up.
Well finally, my exit came up, a good 40 miles into PA. About a mile further up, if that, the highway splits, with I-83 going off to the East, over the Susquehanna and into Harrisburg, and I think the West split is called I-583. So I don't know which direction he went when he got up to that point.
Now, any other day, there would be a state trooper like every half mile. But when you really need one, they let the whole damn road go unsupervised, so one lone idiot can snarl traffic and endanger lives for over 40 miles. He was a Maryland driver, too, so I'm sure they could've had some fun with him!
Besides, I think calling in an airstrike would have been more effective!
Maybe an "accident" could have befallen that Cav driver...brick accidentally tossed from a window, etc.
Seriously, the problem in this case was that anything nasty that you could do to this guy would have most likely caused a horrible accident, with the way everybody was riding everybody else's bumper.
Back when I was a teenager I had a water gun, from the good old days when they made those things look like REAL guns (before the cops started shooting kids who had them, so they had to make 'em look fake). Maybe if I still had the thing, I should've pulled it out and waved it menacingly?
Of course then, somebody would've pulled out the cell phone and called the cops on ME! Too bad my Gran Fury doesn't still run...maybe he would've thought that thing was still a police cruiser, and cleared the way.
You are right about cops not being around when they are REALLY needed!
Funny how that works.
Once the light turns green and I fly out, they noticed they picked the wrong person to wait behind of. But that's quite common. And I too try to eye to see who will leave the intersection first. What I have learned is not to judge it by car because I've blown by numerous sport cars, that are owned by people who really shouldn't have a sports car to begin with because they aren't driving it as they should...
Just as the SUV driver I had in front of me yesturday, he was afraid to hop over a grassy median, so I did it on car, YET he still refused to do so, inching along contemplating the thought, as every else passed along side him.
I also get that kind of thing in my '89 S class. I think people don't realize how old it is, and want to upstage the guy in the fancy looking car. Well, its a 15 year old car with 176K on the clock, and it is about 4000lbs mated to a 3.0L inline 6 with 2nd gear start. It wasn't built as a drag racer...yet I often get the stoplight challengers, strangely enough, especially small pickups/SUVs and minivans. Usually I just ignore it, but now and then I just stomp on it and trounce them, if I know my opponent is weak. Those old MB inline 6s rev very easily.
http://www.local10.com/news/3492009/detail.html
Don't know about you, but I wouldn't have a hard time adjusting to freedom, and be driving a Lincoln Navigator in a new country with more benefits that even us being born here, have had. Maybe he needs to revisit his past and stay in prison or be sent back to Cuba if that's the issue.
To think...usually when it happens down here it's little old ladies in Cadillacs against storefronts who supposedly blame a stuck accelerator heh...
Yesterday I drove through San Francisco and got to enjoy the antics of its taxis. Yikes. I could also complain about other drivers but they were probably just as lost and confused as I was. What a city to drive in.
Driving in San Francisco was certainly more pleasant than driving in Philadelphia or Washington, D.C.
Another reason I want to leave this place, heh...
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PF Flyer
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Fine by me though, nothing a good push against a wall hasn't already cured, or a friendly trip
Over the holiday weekend, I almost took out a motorcycle. Cruiser bike with saddlebags, you'd think he was an experienced rider.
He was in the middle lane of a 3 lane interstate and I was passing him on the left, 2-3 mph faster than he was going. Until he initiated the lane change into my right front fender. That's where he would have hit if I hadn't slammed on the brakes. He didn't acknowledge the horn or the gift of his life in any way.
Two cars both parked over the lines like idiots such that only a tiny car might be able to reasonably fit in the "space" between them. I'm tempted to squeeze in there with my rental car, thus forcing at least one of them to crawl in the passenger side, but then I notice that the car on the right is parked backwards. Thus both cars have plenty of room on their own driver sides.
In all seriousness, however your experience jogs my senses to:
1. Given the situation; pass as quickly and safely as possible.
(given most anytime one is along side another vehicle, it is inherently unsafe. It is also amazing he didn't hear you being as how you were up along side of him)
In the past two weeks, I have been on interstates where tractor- triple trailers are allowed and are part of the traffic flow or landscape. (not to mention them going 55 mph
In high winds or even normal driving input,; from cab to end of the last trailer, I have seen the rear end whip from 3-6 feet; side to side. I also would wager the operator did NOT do THAT on purpose either!!!
Now I can't stand people who park like idiots, but I also know that sometimes people have to park like idiots because the guy next to them did first.
I felt guilty afterwards...Well not really.
In a crowded mall parking lot on a busy Saturday afternoon I noticed a quad-cab 4x4 Dodge pickup occupying 4 (four!) prime parking spaces. This was not sloppy parking, this was intentional "my truck is more important than your inconvenience".
I was with my 18 year old daughter, Emily, and after we had finished our shopping, we returned to the parking lot. The Dodge was still there, although one intrepid soul with a subcompact car had managed to squeeze into the one of the four spots that was the least occupied.
As Emily and I walked back to our car, we discussed ways that people have traditionally vented their anger and indignation against parking space gluttons, and of course, keying was at the head of the list. We agreed that aside from being illegal, such destructive acts are anti-social and inappropriate.
But we did come up with a hilarious alternative. We wrote a note as follows: "What kind of jerk takes up four spaces in a crowded parking lot??? I hope you appreciate the scratch that I left on your fender."
Emily cheerfully hopped out of the car and placed the note under the wiper of the Dodge and we went on our way. I can only imagine the owner of the Dodge circling his precious truck, examining the fenders and cursing... trying to locate the scratch that wasn't even there! Hee-hee-hee
james
Yes, I always do my best to pass as quickly as is practical. I never drive adjacent to anyone if I have a choice. In that situation the flow of traffic in the left lane was just that much (2-3 mph) faster than the middle.
ANT14:
Not bad, but more evil than I usually want to be. One thing that worked really well for me and my roomate at the time when people who didn't live in our building would park in the driveway... we'd write nasty things on their windshield in butter, using a stick of butter like a big piece of chalk. This works *amazingly* well in the winter.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Then there are the "park waiters". They will spot me approaching my car with my cart. Instead of driving a few feet and taking another empty spot, they will sit there with their stupid turn signal on waiting for me to pull out so they can take my spot!!
In doing so, they will block the entire lane of traffic! Why do people do this when ther are other spots available??
If the lane isn't blocked, I'll take my good sweet time unloading my car, slowly return my cart, fumble for my keys etc...
Cheers! Paul
Now with the Focus I'll be able to zip in just about anywhere. Forgot how nice that was.....course I'll probably stall it 10x the first time I go to park, haven't driven a stick in a long time.
Waiters drive me crazy, its like go find a different spot and get some exercise. Only time I can give a park waiter a little leeway is at fair time, parking is at a premium at the fairgrounds, only way to get a spot usually is to watch for someone leaving.
Kyle
1F y*u c@n r**d th1$, yo[_] @et the idea
Please don't post "those words" in any form!
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PF Flyer
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Can proper anatomically correct words be used instead?
My first car was a two tone 85 Lincoln TC, it was a "turn left infront of me" magnet. Ignorant drivers irrate me, some times I really want knock them out of the way. I love it when they won't turn right on red, where it's allowed. They hog up the lane, so you can't turn right on red. They cruise the center line, or they stop one or more car lengths behind or infront of the white line. I really detest tailgaters, especially now that I have a child.
About a year ago, a young girl with out of state tags(jersey) was tailgating me. I was driving about the limit, mostly because she was back there, and I eased up when she got real close. She never got a clue, her passenger was very actively trying to get her to back off. When my turn off came, I signaled much earlier than I usually do. She still left 15 feet of rubber trying to stop. The road is plenty wide enough for her to pass by on the right, and I was trying to be nice by hugging the center line, while waiting to make my left turn. She couldn't go around because she was so close. People were actually going around her. Which didn't do anything for her attitude.
And then there are those that take the short cut for curves and turns, you know they cross the center lane when going around curves to the inside or outside, even on blind curves. Do they all have a death wish? Or maybe they want to buy me a new car. Unfortunately my father-in-law is one of those that just doesn't pay attention to road curtesy, or laws for that matter.
Just so you know, I am not overly aggressive, only 4 tickets in 14 years of driving. One was for "exceeding speed limit" on a military base. Never paid that one. And I have driven over 150mph on public highways. Never had a major accident. Usually set the cruise at or below the limit(during commute only) and stay in right lane. Makes the gas go farther. I always give other drivers benifit of the doubt, I just figure they are stupid or blind, and allow them their space.
All of my speeding ticket experiences have been good. The only stupid one(not counting the "exceeding limit" one, was out near old exit #1 on Pa turnpike, was doing 65 in 55 tunnel zone, couldn't have gone faster due to traffic blocking the way. Less than 5 minutes and he was gone, and I was 143.95 poorer. I have talked my way out of 2 others by being polite and honest. Okay, I'll stop here.
Andrew
In this situation what I do is I get on the lane next to them, and turn IN FRONT of them. This seems to be a common habit in Miami...
As is, when the light is green, and the person on the left turning lane is afraid of jumping to the middle of the intersection, to turn and waits at the crossline... Again, go to the side lane, cut everyone off and perch yourself in the spot they SHOULD have been in ....
Common Miami habit...
What's the difference between ignorant drivers and indecisive(sp?)drivers? I think the latter are extremely dangerous. My one sister-in-law had a nasty habit of stopping at the end of highway on ramps. She was quickly schooled on the dangers of that!