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Stopped by Whole Foods and Neighborhood Market, both appeared to have normal customer volumes - most employees in masks, maybe 3/4 of customers. Huge line out on to the street at C-F-A, the most poorly sited location I've ever seen is the one nearest me, I still have to think some palms were greased to approve that, as one could have predicted it.
Cars back up all the way around the entry line and out onto the service road. Two days ago some of the 8 or more order takers were actually out on the service road taking orders from those making right turns and left turns into the first circling line.
We were told this is one of the highest volume stores in Ohio. They have their stuff down perfect. No attitudes other than "We're glad you're here."
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
One of those stores will be about a 15 minute drive from my house – the site of a former car wash. Preliminary plans show that the drive-through will be large enough to hold 26 cars at once, without spilling over onto the adjacent roads.
We'll see.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2014 MINI Countryman S ALL4
The road at far left is an off-ramp from a major highway, and the intersection at right is two major arterials. Traffic often backs up around the corner, blocking the right lane on 116th and the turn lane on 8th. For a long time there was a LEO directing traffic - I hope at least the owner was billed for that. There's almost always an order taker or two out in the lot meeting new arrivals - because even if they are efficient, you're going to be there for awhile.
Honestly, I cannot recall the last time I went through a drive-through. Years, surely.
Another super-speeder event I suppose I can believe this one, an E65/66 should be able to reach those speeds for at least a brief period before maybe undergoing a Hoovie-type oil event (or in this case, a crash)
Chalk another one up "due to speeding" according to them. 1 point for the mythical side.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-14/traffic-deaths-speeding-los-angeles-coronavirus-pandemic-vision-zero?utm_source=sfmc_100035609&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=24535+Essential+California+05/15/20&utm_term=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-14/traffic-deaths-speeding-los-angeles-coronavirus-pandemic-vision-zero&utm_id=6760&sfmc_id=654450
Something tells me the City officials that think slower is automatically safer might not realize the recent increase in fatalities might just be because they are tinkering with the traffic light timing to not be based on anything resembling logic, but instead set to "nighttime" settings in some kind of oddball attempt to slow people down, only the results are not what they wanted. Couldn't be their fault now could it? NO, never!
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2014 MINI Countryman S ALL4
That LA link is pretty bad - you mean to tell me as traffic volumes increase via the slow reopening, there will be more incidents?! Shocking! Also nothing but deceptive when drunk driving incidents are labeled as "speed".
I also am seeing a lot of "drivers" (sarcastic quotes) wearing a mask while driving, sometimes a mask and gloves. Why? Unless you're doing lyft/uber work, seems pointless. These same people probably touch a bunch of stuff in a store with those gloves, then wear them in their personal car, and coat the steering wheel with residue. There's a logic defect in that somewhere.
I also noticed the usual stuff in this new age - people plodding a long well under the limit, stopping for green lights, no signal use, etc.
Roads seem to at about 50% of normal weekend capacity. A few egregious speeders, but most traffic on I-25 moving at 65-70.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2014 MINI Countryman S ALL4
Might be a Subie meet around here today, sounds like a commercial lawnmower festival out there sometimes.
As expected, numerous LLCs, but 405 and 167 are their playground. My sister drove up to where I was this morning, and she, probably the most laid back never offended driver in the world, commented that she was passing people on the right, and they'd look at her like she was crazy. I saw numerous people going ~10 under on the highway. Only one fun LLC, a late model Pilot being an idiot - Lexus RX tried to pass in the HOV lane, then the Honda sped up. I passed it on the right, but I was going fast enough where it couldn't play that game, and there'd be a public shaming if they had.
On two lane roads (1 each direction) I noticed trucks/SUV's seemed to speed up a bit in passing zones when I would go for a pass, but of course, I don't play around when I'm passing, so it was barely perceptible. If I was driving a Versa, it could be a very hazardous issue.
One particularly bad LLC on I8 West coming back home, as the dual trailer truck and tanker semi-truck both passed him on the right, appearing to "floor it" to clear up the bottleneck even though traffic was light (except where LLC decided to cause congestion). Was a black recent model SUV. I, and at least 3 others passed the SUV on the right as well. That one earned a honk.
I remember hearing years ago from a guy who was driving a big, slow truck that he would move into the left lane to let traffic pass him in the right lane without having to maneuver around him. Sounds perverse and is just the opposite of what the law says, but there you have it. I wonder if she (and other LLCs) thought the same thing.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
I'm convinced low IQ and LLCing are strongly correlated.
I don't believe traffic schools are teaching "keep right" at all anymore, those who practice it are ones lucky enough to have experienced driving in more advanced cultures.
As things slowly finally reopen, I hope to have more road trips - I think I have at least a small one next month.
I hope if anything, it means economic recovery won't be as slow as some doomers predict lately.
I swear, 100 (ill-maintained looking, terrible sounding) trucks a day are using my street as a cut through from a few construction sites. Not sure if I'd be wanting be putting my eggs in the basket of Class A office buildings, or even "luxury" condos for residency purchasers.
Yesterday's drive down 405/167 and back looked like any other Saturday, no evidence of a crisis. Tons of LLCs too, especially on 405 - I think that 4-6 week or so break back in April or so when there was nobody going out led to people losing their already minuscule driving ability.
Neglected looking Altima or Maxima, bonus points if on a donut spare.
Dbag loud pipes Infiniti G or Z equivalent
Any 3er, E60 or early F10 5er
Camaro, Mustang, Mopar muscle
If raining, lifted overcompensator pickup
405 NB and SB in Bellevue both grinding to a halt at 3:30 - worse than before the pandemic.
Some areas in town seem to have traffic backups as bad or worse than before March.
Turn signals, what are those?
Time to beat up on some V8 muscle cars that can't even get the power down.
Either way, only a Tesla running about 7.5 beat me (but Mr. red RS3 murdered him with 6.9.)
I beat an SRT Jeep Cherokee easily one race, and then raced a different one; only that one must of been modded and tarted up for the drag strip; they also ran a 7.5.
Beat a Camaro SS that was ready for the drag strip by .15; that was a fun race; they had me by about 2 MPH at the finish line, but quattro for the win.
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
This one might add 20 hp!:
On the road today, traffic continues to approach and maybe in some places surpass pre-pandemic levels. SB 405 in Bellevue today probably had a 2 mile backup by 3pm. Where are these people going? Where are they coming from? Why are they out? Local beaches and other rec areas have been insane this year too, always followed by local COVID cases up by 10x a few weeks later.
On foot in town today, C-F-A backup already at noon, which the city has masterfully solved by placing "no stopping" signs in the problem area (but no enforcement, no doubt because of the real golden rule), typical absence of turn signals on upmarket SUVs, and a couple of bad MB drivers - one an early GL that made a last second right turn across several lanes from a left turn lane, and a W123 that crawled to a stop at a green light and turned left from a straight only lane. First world lol.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
Not as much traffic as I was expecting, so things went smoothly despite a 100 to 125 miles of rain each way.
On the way out left from central CT across NY and PA and filled up at MM 226 in Ohio.
Averaged 28.5 mpg, which is good, car is rated @28 highway.
Total trip about 560 miles in 8 hours 20 minutes.
On the way back, topped off at MM 226 in Ohio.
Made it back in a tick over 7 hours, 478 miles, 29.2 mpg.
Here's a picture of the driveway on Birthday Party Day.
Fusion, Explorer, MKZ, Fusion, plus in the garage an Escape and another Explorer.
Today, I drive maybe 2-3x per week at most, and if I don't buy out this car, I am going to need to make a round trip to Argentina to use my miles.
But if the roads had mid-March traffic and it was dry, it'd work.