OT: rant on stupid drivers
04-13-2006, 10:27 AM
#1
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OT: rant on stupid drivers
<rant>
What I've witnessed as of this morning is a display of such self-absorption that it nearly cost lives... purely amazing from the sidelines, if you will.
Setting the stage:
Brandon, FL (FL - not known for good drivers anyway), 0845 hours. Approaching intersection of SR60 and Falkenberg after procuring my McD's breakfast heart attack in a bag. I hear an emergency vehicle siren. Being familiar with the area and knowing there is a firestation about 400 yards south of the intersection I slow and then stop at my green light and look. Surprisingly, the vehicle is going opposite of anticipated route; nonetheless, has sirens and lights going. Mind you, this isn't one of those third-party e-vehicles with barely audible sirens -- this is a county vehicle with the eardrum splitting variety horns... The e-vehicle makes it halfway across the intersection and apprehensively looks like "frogger" trying to make it the other half of the distance...
For those familiar, and now for those whom aren't, traffic is zipping along around 50-60MPH...
Sex ommitted as to not stereotype...
Voom... there goes an SUV driver with a cell phone attached to their face!
Voom... there goes a Ford F150 actually trying to beat the e-vehicle across the intersection!?
Intermission comment: at this point my mouth is hanging open and I start looking in my rearview mirror to see if someone is going to nail me for sitting at a green light. Resume now.
Here's where it gets really interesting!!!
As the e-vehicle appears to have the clearing after the first two "drivers" cleared the intersection, it proceeded -- reminding you of the lights and siren at full blast here... Now the e-vehicle driver proceeds and then slams on their brakes, you know, the type of vehicle action on a hesitant driver at a stop light? Why? Well, the squeel of locked up tires flying past my vehicle and halfway across the intersection probably was a good indicator. The other car came to rest about a foot away from the e-vehicle!
I sure hope that whatever that driver was reading was worth it. They had a book opened on their steering wheel... They were easily doing 50MPH+ and would have t-boned the e-vehicle...
Amazingly great Florida drivers...
</rant>
What I've witnessed as of this morning is a display of such self-absorption that it nearly cost lives... purely amazing from the sidelines, if you will.
Setting the stage:
Brandon, FL (FL - not known for good drivers anyway), 0845 hours. Approaching intersection of SR60 and Falkenberg after procuring my McD's breakfast heart attack in a bag. I hear an emergency vehicle siren. Being familiar with the area and knowing there is a firestation about 400 yards south of the intersection I slow and then stop at my green light and look. Surprisingly, the vehicle is going opposite of anticipated route; nonetheless, has sirens and lights going. Mind you, this isn't one of those third-party e-vehicles with barely audible sirens -- this is a county vehicle with the eardrum splitting variety horns... The e-vehicle makes it halfway across the intersection and apprehensively looks like "frogger" trying to make it the other half of the distance...
For those familiar, and now for those whom aren't, traffic is zipping along around 50-60MPH...
Sex ommitted as to not stereotype...
Voom... there goes an SUV driver with a cell phone attached to their face!
Voom... there goes a Ford F150 actually trying to beat the e-vehicle across the intersection!?
Intermission comment: at this point my mouth is hanging open and I start looking in my rearview mirror to see if someone is going to nail me for sitting at a green light. Resume now.
Here's where it gets really interesting!!!
As the e-vehicle appears to have the clearing after the first two "drivers" cleared the intersection, it proceeded -- reminding you of the lights and siren at full blast here... Now the e-vehicle driver proceeds and then slams on their brakes, you know, the type of vehicle action on a hesitant driver at a stop light? Why? Well, the squeel of locked up tires flying past my vehicle and halfway across the intersection probably was a good indicator. The other car came to rest about a foot away from the e-vehicle!
I sure hope that whatever that driver was reading was worth it. They had a book opened on their steering wheel... They were easily doing 50MPH+ and would have t-boned the e-vehicle...
Amazingly great Florida drivers...
</rant>
04-13-2006, 10:30 AM
#2
Nerd Herder
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I must admit, I saw an amazing number of 1 car rollovers in Florida during my time there, most in clear daylight weather. (mostly on 95 betw Jax and Daytona)
You Gotta try I75 thru Cinci sometime.
It's the bomb.
You Gotta try I75 thru Cinci sometime.
It's the bomb.
04-13-2006, 10:31 AM
#3
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I see stuff like that all the time here. Its disgraceful to think about drivers in my area. I saw a guy in a minivan with a book in one hand and an apple in another!!!! WHO WAS DRIVING!!!!!!
04-13-2006, 10:38 AM
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Everyone bitches about Florida, but in my estimation, New England is far worse. You'll see at least a dozen drivers reading the Wall Street Journal on I-95, doing 80mph as they speed into NYC.
04-13-2006, 11:02 AM
#6
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I'm glad those flashing lights mean something.
I'm driving to work one morning on the interstate, and an ambulance pulls onto the interstate about 1/4 mile ahead of me, lights flashing. The next entrance a big black Mercedes pulls on, right behind the ambulance. Apparently the ambulance wasn't going fast enough, because he then pulls into the left lane, passes the ambulance, moves back to the right lane and then exits two exits later. Now it isn't like the ambulance was that slow, maybe 70-75, which is faster than normal traffic around here, but come on, wtf? You can't wait the 10 extra seconds it would have taken to just follow the ambulance at a safe distance? At least he stopped at the red light at the bottom of the exit, I got off on the same exit he did but I was going the other way and didn't get a look at the driver.
I'm driving to work one morning on the interstate, and an ambulance pulls onto the interstate about 1/4 mile ahead of me, lights flashing. The next entrance a big black Mercedes pulls on, right behind the ambulance. Apparently the ambulance wasn't going fast enough, because he then pulls into the left lane, passes the ambulance, moves back to the right lane and then exits two exits later. Now it isn't like the ambulance was that slow, maybe 70-75, which is faster than normal traffic around here, but come on, wtf? You can't wait the 10 extra seconds it would have taken to just follow the ambulance at a safe distance? At least he stopped at the red light at the bottom of the exit, I got off on the same exit he did but I was going the other way and didn't get a look at the driver.
04-13-2006, 11:55 AM
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Speaking as someone who's lived in New England, Florida, Chicago and Southern CA, I can say hands down Florida drivers are the worst.
Aggression or simple inattentiveness I can handle to an extent, but Florida is such a mishmash of ALL bad driving behaviors it's far worse. The unpredictability of it makes defensive driving far less effective (it's harder to anticipate what stupidity the other guy will unleash on you at any given moment). You have the blue-haired near-deads in their land yachts, the self-absorbed bling-bling SUV types busy tuning their 3 DVD players and subwoofer instead of paying attention, you have the redneck NASCAR wannabes that think every stoplight is a race opportunity, you have the soccer moms, you have the "no habla Anglais" types, you have the overly cautious types. You have it all.
Even in Boston, commonly faulted for the worst drivers on the planet, there's an unwritten set of rules that everyone follows. Once you figure those out, you're fine - more or less. Florida? No chance.
Then there are the vehicles. You've got everything from late-model Mercedes/BMW/Lexus to the worst jalopies literally falling apart as they go down the road - a trail of parts and fluids in their wake. There's no state inspection. There's minimal insurance requirements and half the state doesn't have it anyway (kinda' like CA). A real hoot.
No plans on ever going back.
Aggression or simple inattentiveness I can handle to an extent, but Florida is such a mishmash of ALL bad driving behaviors it's far worse. The unpredictability of it makes defensive driving far less effective (it's harder to anticipate what stupidity the other guy will unleash on you at any given moment). You have the blue-haired near-deads in their land yachts, the self-absorbed bling-bling SUV types busy tuning their 3 DVD players and subwoofer instead of paying attention, you have the redneck NASCAR wannabes that think every stoplight is a race opportunity, you have the soccer moms, you have the "no habla Anglais" types, you have the overly cautious types. You have it all.
Even in Boston, commonly faulted for the worst drivers on the planet, there's an unwritten set of rules that everyone follows. Once you figure those out, you're fine - more or less. Florida? No chance.
Then there are the vehicles. You've got everything from late-model Mercedes/BMW/Lexus to the worst jalopies literally falling apart as they go down the road - a trail of parts and fluids in their wake. There's no state inspection. There's minimal insurance requirements and half the state doesn't have it anyway (kinda' like CA). A real hoot.
No plans on ever going back.
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04-13-2006, 11:58 AM
#9
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Originally Posted by Headhunter
Everyone bitches about Florida, but in my estimation, New England is far worse. You'll see at least a dozen drivers reading the Wall Street Journal on I-95, doing 80mph as they speed into NYC.
04-13-2006, 12:05 PM
#10
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Man, I've driven in Florida, So-Cal, Denver, and everywhere in between... I'd definatley agree that Florida drivers should have their own special olympics section... Denver drivers are bad, not that bad though... California drivers, surprised the hell outa me. they drive fast, definately. BUT the odd thing is, they're smart about the insanity... while I was there, I didn't see a wreck. I saw plenty of near misses, but everyone was paying attention, and avoided them... it was cool... it just, worked...
04-13-2006, 12:17 PM
#11
Race Car
Well, having just being rear ended last thursday to the point where the trunk of my e34 5 series BMW dissappeared, I have to say there are idiotic drivers everywhere. There were 4 people on board my car while stopped behind 3 cars at a red light (7 wk pregnant wife, mother in law with diabetes, and father in law with surgery last year in car) when the car plowed into us going about 40mph deploying both her airbags. She didn't even hit the brakes. The 2 rear doors won't open, both front seats backs collapsed rearwards for a 155lb driver and 120lb passenger, you can imagine how hard we were hit especially for a BMW. The rear bumper is pushed against the rear tire and my neck is screwed up enough where my primary physician ordered a MRI of my neck since my left hand is tingling and numb at other places. They hauled me away on a stretcher to the ER and I got to count the holes on the ceiling while they had my head strapped to the stretcher for hours.
Man I hate idiots.
Man I hate idiots.
04-13-2006, 12:26 PM
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Don't get me started! I have had one 944 taken from me(totaled) by an idiot and several rear ended!(thank goodness for the 944/51 bumper design!..as well as the 928!
Everyday I see this kind of
and everyday I think well that is why I have the Saturn as a daily driver(read:Plastic POS). I used to drive the Pcars as my daily but not anymore....yes I know they have won. Maybe one day....
Everyday I see this kind of
and everyday I think well that is why I have the Saturn as a daily driver(read:Plastic POS). I used to drive the Pcars as my daily but not anymore....yes I know they have won. Maybe one day....
04-13-2006, 01:48 PM
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The driver's education system in this country is horrible. Any idiot can get a license, is should cost a lot more and should be much harder to obtain a license. And don't get me started on the "I don't speak English but, they still gave me a license" people, or the I don't have a license or insurance but, I'm going to drive anyway people. I think the death penalty might be in order, LOL.
04-13-2006, 02:07 PM
#15
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We've all got horror stories of the crap we've seen other drivers do on the road. Trouble is, these guys don't get caught often enough in the chaos that they create. They typically get away free, and it's the drivers behind them that get to try and deal with it.
I remember in college, downtown on a three lane one way about 35 MPH speed limit. A guy in the right lane saw that he needed to make a left all the way over to the left side of the road. A big dump truck was in the middle lane, and I was in the left lane.
They started to cut across all three lanes to make their left turn!! The dump truck and I both hit our horns at the same time, but I think my horn got dround out by the dump truck's. I sure hope that it woke that particular driver up. It certainly was loud enough.
If you are going to drive that way, at least get run over by the first dump truck or semi, die, so that we can enjoy the rest of our motoring days. OK? (Just kidding)
I remember in college, downtown on a three lane one way about 35 MPH speed limit. A guy in the right lane saw that he needed to make a left all the way over to the left side of the road. A big dump truck was in the middle lane, and I was in the left lane.
They started to cut across all three lanes to make their left turn!! The dump truck and I both hit our horns at the same time, but I think my horn got dround out by the dump truck's. I sure hope that it woke that particular driver up. It certainly was loud enough.
If you are going to drive that way, at least get run over by the first dump truck or semi, die, so that we can enjoy the rest of our motoring days. OK? (Just kidding)