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Drivers, Pay Attention
The Intelligencer (Wheeling News-Register) ^ | May 20, 2017 | Heather Ziegler

Posted on 05/21/2017 10:58:14 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

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To: Mr. Douglas

“I don’t let people in if I can help it.”

You say that as though you think it’s okay.


101 posted on 05/22/2017 9:50:56 AM PDT by dsc (Any attempt to move a government to the left is a crime against humanity.)
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To: dsc

You say that as though you think it’s okay.


Naw, I just typed it as an amoral fact. :)

Fact is, sometimes it is “ok”. I’m mostly talking about cars that are just trying to jump ahead of the line and are looking for a “nice guy” to let them in. As I said earlier, I’m an “assertive” driver. I’m a nice guy when people want to just get into traffic. When someone tries to use a gap between trucks in the right lane to pass three or four of us in the passing lane, I don’t let them in. They can take their place in the line and get past the trucks like the rest of us.


102 posted on 05/22/2017 10:00:18 AM PDT by Mr. Douglas (Best. Election. EVER!)
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To: Wilhelm Tell

One of the things I love about rural driving is that stop signs are really yield signs. Keep in mind I’m talking about the ones where you have good visibility in all directions and stopping is only a lemming activity. I’ve not passed a cop on most of these roads in the 6 years I’ve commuted here.

I can’t tell you how refreshing it is compared to the 41 years I drove in the Seattle area with a cop around every corner and speed limits typically 20 mph slower than they should be.

That said, the REAL enforcers out here are deer. And they can be very unforgiving.


103 posted on 05/22/2017 10:03:25 AM PDT by Mr. Douglas (Best. Election. EVER!)
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To: Mr. Douglas

“When someone tries to use a gap between trucks in the right lane to pass three or four of us in the passing lane, I don’t let them in.”

I hate those stupid, rude, entitled half-wits too. However, if you successfully prevent them from merging, it seems not unlikely that it will further frustrate them, and possibly cause them to do something even stupider that will kill somebody.

Given that the goal is zero accidents, it seems to me that letting the mentally defective crumb-bums in might provide the greatest safety for the greatest number.

Of course, there are other ways to look at it.


104 posted on 05/22/2017 11:17:35 AM PDT by dsc (Any attempt to move a government to the left is a crime against humanity.)
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To: moovova

I don’t know about your area, but around here, assuming there are 3 lanes, the center lane is the slow one, the right lane is a passing lane, and the left lane is for the 100+ crowd (and I’m not referring to their age).


105 posted on 05/22/2017 11:25:42 AM PDT by Fresh Wind (Hillary: Go to jail. Go directly to jail. Do not pass GO. Do not collect 2 billion dollars.)
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To: OldMissileer

100% agree with all you said!


106 posted on 05/22/2017 12:02:43 PM PDT by zencycler
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To: dsc

I get where you are coming from on that, but I see that as appeasement. And when you give the bullies your lunch money, they only up the ante. I fight back. Always have. Thing is, I don’t consider it all that dangerous. It might scuff up my car and all, but none of this stuff is at high speed.

But I now carry in my car.


107 posted on 05/22/2017 12:16:09 PM PDT by Mr. Douglas (Best. Election. EVER!)
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To: Fresh Wind

That’s pretty funny. One of the reasons I love three lanes is that the far right lane is my secret weapon. It is common for people to bunch up to the left, leaving the right lane wide open. When you drive a certain stretch daily, you know exactly where it tends to occur.


108 posted on 05/22/2017 12:17:44 PM PDT by Mr. Douglas (Best. Election. EVER!)
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To: OldMissileer

Regarding those Type A’s though ... I am one, although I channel it differently on the road . So for example if I’m following cars (at the proper distance) in the middle lane and I see a line of cars behind me getting ready to use an open right lane as a passing lane then especially if it’s just before an upcoming entrance ramp, I’ll get well ahead of them into the right lane near the middle of a group of cars in the middle lane and then gradually slow down to 10 miles below the speed limit!

That results in cars moving over to the left lane where they should be if they want to drive that way and leaving the right lane unobstructed for anyone wanting to merge in - so that’s just one example of how I’m a Type A proper-driving enforcer on the road.


109 posted on 05/22/2017 12:21:22 PM PDT by zencycler
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To: Mr. Douglas

The problem with what you describe (even putting aside any discussion of propreity) is that you’re putting yourself in danger if you’re doing 60 or more mph and you’re leaving such a small space between you and the car in front of you - this is how multi-car accidents occur when the lead car hits a deer or has some other reason to stop suddenly.


110 posted on 05/22/2017 12:35:37 PM PDT by zencycler
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To: cyclotic

“Speed limits are only a strongly worded suggestion.”

My buddy has a funny saying similar to this. He says that stop signs in malls aren’t real stop signs, they are just friendly suggestions.


111 posted on 05/22/2017 12:49:29 PM PDT by Big Red Clay (Greetings from the Big Red State)
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To: cyclotic

“Speed limits are only a strongly worded suggestion.”

My buddy has a funny saying similar to this. He says that stop signs in malls aren’t real stop signs, they are just friendly suggestions.


112 posted on 05/22/2017 12:49:35 PM PDT by Big Red Clay (Greetings from the Big Red State)
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To: OldMissileer

“Here in the DC area there are two problems.”

...maybe another problem is the influx of new residents every 4 to 8 years...:)


113 posted on 05/22/2017 12:51:15 PM PDT by spankalib ("I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.")
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To: zencycler

+1


114 posted on 05/22/2017 1:40:48 PM PDT by Mr.Unique (The government, by its very nature, cannot give except what it first takes.)
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To: zencycler

The problem with what you describe (even putting aside any discussion of propreity) is that you’re putting yourself in danger if you’re doing 60 or more mph and you’re leaving such a small space between you and the car in front of you - this is how multi-car accidents occur when the lead car hits a deer or has some other reason to stop suddenly.


I’m with you in theory, but I consider the phrase “in danger” to be very relative. I only follow relatively close if I can see all around me and the guy behind me is not doing the same. I also only do it in the passing lane in heavy traffic.

If I can’t see through the car in front of me to what is ahead of them effectively, I never do it. It’s also kinda fun and keeps me on my toes. It’s only resulted in an accident once, and that was in 1977. I’ve put well over a million miles under me since then. It’s become my driving style.

The biggest problem I have is when I drive “boring”, it puts me to sleep. That is, I make mistakes. Call me an Adrenalin junkie or whatever, but to stay focused on my driving I need to be taxing my skills, or I get way too complacent and stop paying attention.

BTW, I got excellent dash cam footage in my FR-S of me missing a deer at 67 MPH that came literally within inches of my front driver-side corner. It darted out from the left and I did a quick wheel jerk to miss it. It was enough, apparently...

For fun I like to watch those crash compilations on youtube. They are very instructional.


115 posted on 05/22/2017 1:40:57 PM PDT by Mr. Douglas (Best. Election. EVER!)
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To: zencycler

The problem with what you describe (even putting aside any discussion of propreity) is that you’re putting yourself in danger if you’re doing 60 or more mph and you’re leaving such a small space between you and the car in front of you - this is how multi-car accidents occur when the lead car hits a deer or has some other reason to stop suddenly.


I’m with you in theory, but I consider the phrase “in danger” to be very relative. I only follow relatively close if I can see all around me and the guy behind me is not doing the same. I also only do it in the passing lane in heavy traffic.

If I can’t see through the car in front of me to what is ahead of them effectively, I never do it. It’s also kinda fun and keeps me on my toes. It’s only resulted in an accident once, and that was in 1977. I’ve put well over a million miles under me since then. It’s become my driving style.

The biggest problem I have is when I drive “boring”, it puts me to sleep. That is, I make mistakes. Call me an Adrenalin junkie or whatever, but to stay focused on my driving I need to be taxing my skills, or I get way too complacent and stop paying attention.

BTW, I got excellent dash cam footage in my FR-S of me missing a deer at 67 MPH that came literally within inches of my front driver-side corner. It darted out from the left and I did a quick wheel jerk to miss it. It was enough, apparently...

For fun I like to watch those crash compilations on youtube. They are very instructional.


116 posted on 05/22/2017 1:40:58 PM PDT by Mr. Douglas (Best. Election. EVER!)
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To: Big Red Clay

Your friend is basically correct.

http://blog.timesunion.com/gettingthere/police-cant-enforce-most-parking-lot-stop-signs/1133/

There’s a shopping area near me that has stop signs and a smaller sign that reads “Please stop” are 3-4 pedestrian crossing areas within about 200 feet.

I’ve always maintained that they hold no legal prerogative and I always slowly roll through them. They are just there to alert drivers of pedestrians, as if they didn’t know they were in a parking lot.

The family that owns the chain of grocery stores is pretty powerful in our county and I’m guessing the presence of the signs is a hill the police don’t want to die on.


117 posted on 05/22/2017 1:42:09 PM PDT by cyclotic
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
I see nothing to remind the driving public of those laws they were supposed to have learned when taking their drivers’ tests.

You mean like using the center turn lane to actually drive several hundreds of yards in instead of using them as a turn lane i.e. pull into and stop then turn.

118 posted on 05/22/2017 1:45:21 PM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: Emmett McCarthy
It’s been some years since I left Wheeling (’75) but I know exactly where she’s talking about.

Looks like a bad interchange to me. Not sure what the solution is since I don't live there. My original solution was to find a different route. Another solution might be to travel a bit earlier or later when traffic isn't so bad. Government agencies aren't going to solve her complaint any time soon.

119 posted on 05/22/2017 3:07:50 PM PDT by EVO X
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To: Mr. Douglas

That sounds reasonable, and I’m with you about driving boring, as you can tell if you read my post about using my car to close gaps on the right lane to enforce its use as a slow lane!


120 posted on 05/22/2017 3:56:44 PM PDT by zencycler
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