I can accept that some people can't drive well. We can't all be good at it. I'm not good at many things. Fine - inconvenience, maybe even dangerous sometimes, but what can you do? Some people just aren't capable.

But people that can drive well and just drive rudely and recklessly, I'm very unforgiving. If you want to do that when streets are empty, fine. But when streets are busy and you're driving like this for no reason other than being an asshole, then get off the fucking road.

Geez, fuck. What are these people thinking? There should be consequences.....

I watched a lady try to parallel park,
In three different spaces ,w/o success.

When I saw her coming my way,I backed up to give her two spaces to
Help her out.

She still ended up two feet from the curb.

(Roll eyes)

Some people will never understand the concept of Front End Swing and Rear End Cheat.

The Self Parking feature on some cars was invented for a reason

Just the other day, I saw a guy trying to back his minivan into a space - took him not one, not two, but NINE (9) attempts to get it even close to straight.

It was a late-model Caravan, which means he definitely has a camera. So... what the hell?

I was parked next to him and a couple of times, thought I was going to lose my mirror.

-Rob

Just watch a YouTube video on how to parallel park. Any bonehead can learn. Well.....at least most bonehead.

Parallel parking isn't universal. It's just not common in some areas. It wasn't taught in my Driver's Ed class, and I had been driving for years before I ever encountered a situation involving parallel parking, once I moved to another state.

So I have some sympathy for those folks. Maybe they were never taught, and never had to learn until that moment.

But sure, once you realize it's going to be needed, you should find someone to teach you.

And that is a whole different animal from the rude/dangerous drivers.

Two past situations come to mind quickly. Both work related. First off, after I got my first divorce, I had to downsize financially, and opted to sell both cars and I purchased a Kawasaki Ninja bike to use in the short term just to get me by until I could recoup and purchase another car. My Service Center was only about a 5mi trip one way. One morning right across from my Service Center before I could turn into the gate, I had a woman who for whatever reason cut me off completely (as many bikers experience) right off the road into some tall weeds for a tumble. Never stopped, never even will know if she ever saw me. I know many times, especially riding a bike in Miami can be hazardous to your health, it trains you to be highly vigilant but often can catch you off-guard, even if your careful, it happens. Thankfully I just had some minor bruises and scrapes, and a little damage to the paint on the tank of the bike when it laid down.

Second, also in travel route in my company van. On the Palmetto Expwy just after cell phones became really popular, my partner and I witnessed a young woman talking on the phone and cut another woman off the road completely almost into a lake because the first woman yakking on the phone never even looked before changing lanes and kept going. We tried to find a spot to turn around to give some aid or assistance to the one driven off-road but, due to heavy steady stream of early morning commuters by the time we got turned around and circled back she was just recouping and collecting her senses but ok, shook up but ok other than minor damage to her car.

Both outcomes relatively mild and just minor damages but most always could have been much worse. Though in both situations the first driver kept going, thats the tragedy, and not uncommon here in Miami. Too many times there are reports of hit and runs, thats unacceptable but happens sadly.

Yea, some drivers just shouldn't be in public, but they are in reality and living here in Miami I knew before I purchased the bike, that I was playing the odds and rolling the dice. It can often be just a matter of when or time..

One of my favorite "in the can" pastimes is watching the crazy russian drivers videos on FB, utoob, etc, it's a deep deep demented wabbit hole.

After watching those US drivers don't bother me as much...

Miami though, is one of the worst places to drive..

quote:

Originally posted by just1tym:
...
Second, also in travel route in my company van. On the Palmetto Expwy just after cell phones became really popular, my partner and I witnessed a young woman talking on the phone and cut another woman off the road completely almost into a lake because the first woman yakking on the phone never even looked before changing lanes and kept going. We tried to find a spot to turn around to give some aid or assistance to the one driven off-road but, due to heavy steady stream of early morning commuters by the time we got turned around and circled back she was just recouping and collecting her senses but ok, shook up but ok other than minor damage to her car.


Yea, some drivers just shouldn't be in public, but they are in reality and living here in Miami I knew before I purchased the bike, that I was playing the odds and rolling the dice. It can often be just a matter of when or time..

My buddy (a OK deputy) and I were caravanning to a deer hunt a few years back. Part of his LEO duties are/were using his personal vehicle when the situation required it.

Driving west on the I-40, in the "slow" lane with my buddy ahead of me, we were passed by a VERY good looking gal yacking on her phone.

She passes and when she's about 75% past my buddy, comes on over and not too slowly.

Buddy ends up in the emergency lane and slamming on his brakes. So, after regaining his composure, buddy gets back up to speed and lights her up.

She never slowed down! (To her credit though, she never sped up either.)

After about 25 minutes of this (my buddy called for back-up), a state trooper passes me (lights on), and pulls in front of my buddy to pull the gal over. Literally another 20-30 miles - with the trooper's lights and siren on - she still hasn't pulled over.

It took two more cars until she looked up/to the side (trooper was by then along side her), before she got the hint.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
One of my favorite "in the can" pastimes is watching the crazy russian drivers videos on FB, utoob, etc, it's a deep deep demented wabbit hole.

After watching those US drivers don't bother me as much...

Miami though, is one of the worst places to drive..

When my wife who is Russian first came to the US, never ever been behind a wheel of a car before wanted to drive, I bought her a car but teaching her to drive was a hair-raising experience I told her you cannot drive like they do in Russia. Long story short, I had to quickly pay a service to teach her how to drive and take the test, it saved on my sanity and patience in the long run.

With that said, I avoid driving in her car because she drives with the gas pedal and only uses the brakes at the last minute and as necessary in her opinion. I've almost put my foot through the passenger floor boards several times, and when I stomp down because she's getting way too close for stopping within my comfort zone, she just looks over at me and says "what??" Again, in order to maintain my sanity I try to avoid being a passenger in her car, thats usually a guaranteed argument right there.

And the crazy thing about this is to keep my auto insurance rates down, I've had to reduce my coverage just to keep my rates reasonable. I've tried to find ways to cut my rates but if the higher risk driver is a licensed member under your household they have to be listed on your policy, you cannot have a second auto policy just for yourself. And to think, all these years I've driven carefully and as a safe driver status, my rates increased dramatically with each accident, and naturally they weren't her fault she said It took a few years to finally sink in that you are rewarded however minimally by being a safe driver with a good driving record. Since I bought her a new car a few years back she has now taken a bit of ownership and only been involved in a couple of fender benders. But to her credit, she has now been accident free just over 3yrs, bless her heart

I still avoid going in her car at all costs because she has this thing about racing up to a stop and braking at the last minute, thats not going to change. When I went to Russia with her, now thats something to see, and hear, as they drive with one hand on the horn and everybody blows their horns on every occasion, at everything, I mean everything!

" It was a late-model Caravan, which means he definitely has a camera. So... what the hell?"

Matilda has a Grand Caravan that I drive ,twice a month,
Those cameras are very nice , 80% of the time.

But there are circumstances where they are useless.

Like when the sun shines on the monitor, just right or when the sun reflects in to the camera at the perfect angle.

That's frustrating

In my area, probably everywhere, driver's cut too sharp at a 3-way (T) intersection.
In your lane.

I hate the soccer moms driving SUV or HUGE pickups parking at the Kroger. They have some big parking spaces at the back, but the fat asses don't want to walk, and they simply must back in. Also memorable are Ma and Pa Kettle coming to the city to UK hospital. They park at the garage entrance waiting and waiting for the arm to go up. A number of times I walked up, pushed the green button (labelled, oddly, push) and get them their ticket and explain how it work. Then, I get to watch them back a duelly into a slanted parking space in a poorly lit garage.

I have been in a non stop bad mood for 4 months now with my health issues. that said....Joe AVERAGE US citizen IS an idiot IMHO. Whether driving or voting they are idiots.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: FN in MT,

We live in Wis. but have a place in Florida too. When we go to Fl. we have to go into super defensive driving mode. Love it there but it's an interesting place to drive in.

quote:

Originally posted by BurtonRW:
Just the other day, I saw a guy trying to back his minivan into a space - took him not one, not two, but NINE (9) attempts to get it even close to straight.

It was a late-model Caravan, which means he definitely has a camera. So... what the hell?

I was parked next to him and a couple of times, thought I was going to lose my mirror.

-Rob

I can't backup and park our Odyssey well at all. It even has guide lines on the backup camera screen. On ther other hand, I have no trouble with our crew cab, long bed pickup. Dead nuts centered every time. I think space is folded when one drives a minivan.

The worst drivers I've seen outside of the middle east are in El Paso, TX. You have a mix of people from Mexico where it's lawless, they have shit cars (except for the cartel bosses) with body panels flapping in the wind, cracked windshields, etc.; people from New Mexico whose driver license is so easy to get it doesn't count enough to get you into federal government buildings; and then you have the locals who are just bootleg overall.

What gets me is the trend here in South Florida is that a lot of people back into a parking space at stores etc. It takes them 3-4 attempts to back into the spot. When it's much easier to drive into the spot and then back out and generally only takes people one attempt to drive into the spot.

Like everyone else I have my own stories, etc...but one thing that I didn't realize existed until recently is the driver who doesn't understand how to feather the throttle pedal to maintain a relatively constant speed. This isn't something that is necessarily obvious as an observer - you have to be in the car with them. So instead of a nice, smooth drive at a constant speed, you have the car getting up to speed, slowing down, speeding back up, slowing down, etc etc as the driver presses & releases the accelerator at regular intervals to keep the car going. Talk about a vomit inducing ride.

Plenty of nonfunctional drivers around here, too. The bad and the rude.

Then.. there's the other.

Had ol' 'bubba' in his fancy red pickup, speeding up behind me in the left lane on the interstate after work.

A solid line of cars and trucks in front of me, all moving at around 75 to 80. The right lane is a solid line of semi trucks, contractor type trucks, with random cars mixed in between. The right lane is holding around 70mph. Overall, not too bad for this time of day.

Whenever bubba gets a chance, he veers out from behind me, ( and thus.. getting a good view of all the traffic in front of him in both lanes, ) to speed past, only to abruptly slow down upon running up behind the even slower traffic on the right. Hmph! Swerve back in the left lane, speed up. Veer into the right lane and back again.

Finally, bubba has had enough. He veers all the way over to the right shoulder from the left lane and zooms past trucks and cars on the shoulder until he finds just enough space in front of a tracker trailer rig to merge back onto the road.