Driving around ?

[cobraman]

Does anyone else feel like they are the only one that knows how to drive ? 

[stavanzer]

Yes, Yes I do.

[Ace-Garageguy]

When you consider how ridiculously low the requirements are for getting a license in this country, the fact that laws against driving while on social-media are rarely enforced, and that being stupid is perfectly legal, should anyone really be surprised that so very few drivers are aware and competent?

[stinkybritches]

1 hour ago, cobraman said:

Does anyone else feel like they are the only one that knows how to drive ? 

Every. Single. Day.

[BlackSheep214]

Too many idiots. I've seen cars stop at a flashing yellow expecting the light will turn red... on a single light pod. Same thing on a flashing red waiting for it to turn green.

Another pet peeve is drivers don't slow down in construction zones or worse... tailgating you.

Another is the move over law with police cars with light bars active. 

Teenagers speeding thinking they own the road.

Don't get me wrong, we've all done stupid stuff driving in our younger years but teens nowadays are getting more aggressive in driving and speeding.

[NOBLNG]

There are not enough “left turn” (flashing green) lights in our city….and some of them are not long enough. That said it is amazing how many people just follow the last vehicle through on a solid red light. Meanwhile, I am on their left waiting to go on my green light and can’t because of one, two, sometimes even three impatient idiots.

[Jim B]

Here's an entire channel on YouTube (probably one of many) about this:

https://www.youtube.com/@RRBDDrivingSchool

[espo]

You have to drive very defensively for any hope of getting anywhere in one piece unscathed. I try and anticipate what the guy in front of me is going to do by watching the cars ahead of him. Had an experience with a dumb you know what yesterday on the freeway. I try and use the cruise control, if possible, there are very few people that can maintain a steady speed on their own. I'm over taking a guy in the center lane of the three-lane freeway. As I get close, and not tailgating. That's dangerous and rude. I move to the left lane to glide by him. As I get close to his rear quarter he speeds up, then slows down to where he is sitting just off of my right rear quarter panel, also known as you "Blind Spot" unless you have a fisheye mirror. He is now going almost ten MPR faster than when I was overtaking him, and he's been riding there for more than a few miles. My off ramp is coming up and I need to get over to safely exit. I turn off the cruise and drop my speed and move over behind him for about a mile when he suddenly decides he's in a hurry and takes off going least 75+ MPH. Begs the question: Why is this other driver not wanting to be passed if he isn't going anywhere close to the speed limit in the first place? He's going between 60 and 65 in a 70 MPH zone. He's in the proper lane I guess since he's not sitting in the fast lane like so many other drivers do. But when I move over to pass him, he has to start pacing me and speeding up, so I don't pass him. 

[webestang]

If I saved all the footage of morons on the road from my dash cam I'd fill up my 2TB hard drive very quickly. 

[TonyK]

I'm retired so don't drive anywhere as much as I used to so when I do have to drive quite a way to get somewhere (like today) I'm reminded how bad the drivers are. Luckily, I've gotten patient in my old age and rely on my good driving skills to just view the whole experience as entertainment.

[Classicgas]

So much so that I don't even enjoy driving anymore.

[Mike C.]

These kids today think that every car drives itself. Just sit back, relax, take a nap if you want. No need to pay any attention whatsoever.

 

 

[Dave Ambrose]

Every.Time.It.Rains.

We're close to the Mexican border so we get a wide diversity of drivers. Mexican driving habits are not always compatible with the NASCAR inspired high speed driving the natives tend to do. Drivers in some sections of town are just terrible. I spent my formative years driving a motorcycle so the paranoia is strong with me. I still need it even though I drive a mid-size pickup. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

16 hours ago, Mike C. said:

These kids today think that every car drives itself. Just sit back, relax, take a nap if you want. No need to pay any attention whatsoever.

It's OK. Mommy or Uber or an autonomous transport pod will always get you there with no icky "effort" from you.

Edited April 29, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy

[espo]

8 hours ago, Dave Ambrose said:

Every.Time.It.Rains.

We're close to the Mexican border so we get a wide diversity of drivers. Mexican driving habits are not always compatible with the NASCAR inspired high speed driving the natives tend to do. Drivers in some sections of town are just terrible. I spent my formative years driving a motorcycle so the paranoia is strong with me. I still need it even though I drive a mid-size pickup. 

As Dave has pointed out there can be big differences between driving habits from one region to another. Living just west of Kansas City and very near the Mo. border, I'm not picking on Mo. drivers per say, this is also a central location with a lot of through traffic from many other nearby states not to mention a lot of 18-wheeler traffic from everywhere you can think of. One thing that I use as a warning is that Kansas uses a two-letter tag on the license's plates along with the yearly renewal. There are curtain driver characteristics not to mention very bad driving habits that are often typical of drivers from some of the counties around the KC Metro area. This does often give you an idea of what the other driver may or may not due when driving. 

[stinkybritches]

18 hours ago, Dave Ambrose said:

 

We're close to the Mexican border so we get a wide diversity of drivers. Mexican driving habits are not always compatible with the NASCAR inspired high speed driving the natives tend to do.

I wish there was some NASCAR inspired high speed driving in my area. I think it would be fun to do a little side drafting on the cars that are drifting into my lane. 

[OldNYJim]

I used to think NYC drivers were dangerous and aggressive…but now I drive around Chicago semi-regularly.

I also hate tailgaters - no one here in rural Indiana seems to realize my Mustang will definitely stop sooner than your old rusted out 90s Chevy truck if I have to brake suddenly for some reason, and if you sit 3ft off my back bumper with your lights on you’ll be blinding me into the bargain.

There should be stronger penalties for driving dangerously close to the car in front - I consider that MUCH more worthy of a ticket than speeding a little on a clear empty road

[Joe Handley]

On 4/28/2023 at 5:35 PM, Mike C. said:

These kids today think that every car drives itself. Just sit back, relax, take a nap if you want. No need to pay any attention whatsoever.

 

 

You know, to me it’s those types of drivers that I wouldn’t mind seeing in self driving cars, wouldn’t be shocked if the current level of autonomous vehicles are already better drivers that a lot of the drivers on our roads today!

[Ace-Garageguy]

2 minutes ago, Joe Handley said:

You know, to me it’s those types of drivers that I wouldn’t mind seeing in self driving cars, wouldn’t be shocked if the current level of autonomous vehicles are already better drivers that a lot of the drivers on our roads today!

The folks working towards fully autonomous vehicles have realized it's a lot harder than they thought it was going to be, and it's taking a lot longer to get it right.

Even a stupid, dozy human has abilities that machines haven't mastered yet...which is not to say stupid, dozy humans use these abilities...but to be a superior driver, a machine HAS to.

[Rattlecan Dan]

I live in Florida. I'm not going to swear.

[NOBLNG]

8 hours ago, CabDriver said:

I used to think NYC drivers were dangerous and aggressive…but now I drive around Chicago semi-regularly.

I also hate tailgaters - no one here in rural Indiana seems to realize my Mustang will definitely stop sooner than your old rusted out 90s Chevy truck if I have to brake suddenly for some reason, and if you sit 3ft off my back bumper with your lights on you’ll be blinding me into the bargain.

There should be stronger penalties for driving dangerously close to the car in front - I consider that MUCH more worthy of a ticket than speeding a little on a clear empty road

Sometimes I find tailgaters just a bit annoying, like when I’m driving the F250….other times when I am in the Miata.???

[John M.]

I have the need to drive for a weekly paycheck. I drive a school bus.

[RSchnell]

I live in central Florida and have a vacation place over on the east coast in Cocoa Beach. The effects of 1,000 people a day moving here from out of state is quite noticeable. People move here and bring their poor, aggresive, slow, etc driving tactics with them. It doesn't help I drive through the major tourist corridor(Disney world, Orlando) on a regular basis. 

It's at the point where I no longer ride motorcycles because it has gotten so dangerous with all the aggresive driving that has seen to be the new norm around here.

[espo]

The wife and I went for Mexican last night. We have to drive through a residential area for a couple of miles to get to the freeway. We were in a 35 MPH zone and for the conditions that made sense. Even going 40 MPH some guy in a new Cadillac SUV is all over our back bumper. When we got to the freeway, he followed us still on our bumper. We're in a 70 MPH zone and We're going 75 MPH in the slow lane on a three-lane road. He finally takes off and had to be doing g 80 MPH++. The traffic was light especially for a Saturday night. While no moss is going to grow in my shadow, I think 5 MPH over is as risky as I'm going for anymore and I do leave the fast lane open for those who just have to get there a couple of minutes faster.

[1972coronet]

Lots of white knuckle "drivers" on I-15 in the Murrieta/Temecula stretch, all travelling to the casinos -- just sluggin' along in the number one lane at a mind-bending 60-65 MPH, not a care in the world. 

It's nice driving a beater ex-police car -- surprising low-mid range torque for passing the s_it heels who should be travelling in the far right lane(s) ONLY.