Does anyone drive their car gently?

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: oldmaninsc
Originally Posted By: Craig in Canada
Originally Posted By: oldmaninsc

Things may be different in Canada but in some states in the USA you can get a ticket for "going with the flow". I was in a driver's ed. class - the one you go to so you don't get that speeding ticket on your record. Most of the people who were there for speeding tickets said they "were just going with the flow" and that "everyone else was going as fast as they were." I have a close family member who had the same thing happen in Arizona.


The police can ticket whomever they please. If they were running a big operation, particularly with air support, they could pull over 20 cars "going with the flow" if they felt like it. They usually don't, however. On major Interstate-class highways I am usually driving over the limit if conditions permit, but I'm also not nearly the fastest person out there. A lot of the air supported stings take a stance that I agree with. If they spot you from the air at a high rate of speed (usually around 30kph over) or doing lots of weaving, lane changes, or generally lacking safety and courtesy (regardless of speed) they'll pull you over. If everyone is sliding along at 125kph with no drama they'll leave you alone.

I've never been pulled over, or issued a ticket. *big knock on wood*


Like I said - things may be different in Canada vs the USA. My Dad had a friend who was a CHP and he told us once "Sure we can't get everyone that speeds, but we will pick someone and get them."

There is no such thing as "unwritten laws" when it comes to traffic. Don't believe me - go sit in one of our traffic courts.

In Ontario the enforced speed limit really is about 18 to 20 kph over the posted limit. I've never got a ticket doing 20 over fairly often, and actually received a warning doing about 25 over(I was on my way to hockey is a valid excuse up here I guess...)
Our 80km/h roads really should be about 90km/h(55ish mph) and enforce the 90km/h so you don't get people expecting to 100km/h conflicting with the 80km/h folks. It would probably save a few lives a year.

 

[oldmaninsc]

Originally Posted By: asiancivicmaniac
Originally Posted By: oldmaninsc

I don't see much if any of that here in the US ("The drive-under-the-limit crowd") and I've been to a large percentage of the states here.
You might get people driving AT the limit in the fast lanes at times, but no "under the limit".
In my 60+ years of driving I've seen much more of the "go fast" crowd especially in California and maybe Texas.


Come to Florida from November to April. You might see your lifetime's worth.


I assume you are referring to the "snow birds." We have lots of those in Ca too.

No thanks. I've been there a few times and lets just say it wasn't pretty. Of course as a family member reminded me - most of the people driving in Florida, especially around tourist areas are most likely from out of state!

One Christmas we were driving to our hotel room in Orlando on a 3 lanes each direction road. I was minding my own business in the number 3 lane when a woman in the number 2 lane next to me decided she needed to turn right into a fast food place and didn't bother looking before she made the right turn from the number 2 lane!
I was driving a Chevy Trailblazer and hit the brakes hard. To this day I don't know how I managed to miss her. She waved her hand at me and mouthed "Ooops, sorry!"

Fortunately I was going just under the speed limit (by a mile or two). Had I been going any faster I would have hit her. That would have been fun to have to call my insurance company and the rental car agency - on Christmas Day!

 

[addyguy]

I drive my new-to-me Tribute fairly gently, but part of this is that I live in the city, and with a 200HP V-6, there just aren't many situation where I need to rev it past 3 grand. Not that it's a massive powerhouse; it just doesn't need to be pushed hard to get up to speed.

My previous Cavalier however, is a different story. I revved that thing to 5 grand almost daily, because that motor was pretty gutless, especially whn the car was loaded down with people or stuff.

 

[Craig in Canada]

Originally Posted By: oldmaninsc

I don't see much if any of that here in the US ("The drive-under-the-limit crowd") and I've been to a large percentage of the states here.
You might get people driving AT the limit in the fast lanes at times, but no "under the limit".
In my 60+ years of driving I've seen much more of the "go fast" crowd especially in California and maybe Texas.

And what is wrong with expecting people to "go around you" if there are multiple lanes. Also people never figure out - the speed limit is just that - A LIMIT! It doesn't mean you MUST go that speed. It's not a speed "suggestion".
As a matter of fact you can get a ticket (in Ca. for sure) for going the speed limit if the weather or road conditions are bad.
People who are in a hurry should leave home sooner and learn how to manage their time instead of taking out their inabilities in the form of "road rage". It's a matter of growing up and learning to share and realizing that no one owns the road.


You can get a ticket here for going under the limit or unreasonably holding up traffic. People aren't always in a hurry because they need to "leave home sooner". Time has value whether it is work or personal. The "getting there" part of the equation has little to no value and is "overhead" in our lives. I think the difference between driver personalities boils down to the valuation of time.

I honestly can't understand what some people are thinking in terms of speed. I've seen all kinds of crazy behaviour that may border on being a mental condition.

1/ There's the "one speed" crowd. They'll hold up a huge column of cars going 70 in and 80 zone. Then when they come to a town signed at 60 or even 50 they keep going 70 all the way through. If you managed to pass them in the 80 zone, they'll crawl right into your trunk tailgating you until the limit goes to 80 again and they disappear in the rearview mirror. Do they think they are being "safer" by going 70 in an 80? What motivates the 20-over behaviour in school zones and tailgating then?

2/ There the "tennis ball under the accelerator" crowd. When a traffic light turns green, these folks look at the green light for several seconds before finally applying the tiniest bit of throttle to lazily slip away from an intersection. These people will keep this same amount of throttle applied continuously until the next time they are forced to stop, regardless of what speed they end up reaching. If you manage to get around one of these people you'll see them disappear from sight at the next stop, but suddenly reappear going 40 and 50 over the limit until suddenly they are just a windshield in your rearview mirror. Next stop, even an "average" pull away leaves them disappearing from view again. What is wrong with these people?

3/ There's the "slow must be safe" crowd. They go everywhere driving under the limit because "slow is safe". Of course they don't even touch the brakes for stop signs, right turns on red, crosswalks and other places you're supposed to stop. They also tend not to shoulder check before wandering between lanes. They're in such a hurry that they can't be bothered to stop, but can't be bothered to get up to the speed limit either. You're in a hurry, or you aren't...

4/ There's a whole group of people who seem to lack the ability to judge the conditions into which they are merging. They will come to an intersection or parking lot exit, often rolling through a red light or stop sign, into a much faster flow of traffic and just POKE. This will mean that the lead car in the faster flow will have to brake hard to avoid making a hood ornament out of the offender, who is clearly oblivious that others are traveling the roads going faster than 15mph. A light flash or horn honk is greeted with confused looks, passengers all turning around to see what the "jerk" wants and sometimes extended fingers. Where I live, you outright FAIL a driver's exam if you cause another driver to react in order to avoid a collision for any reason. It doesn't matter if the other driver is going 10 over the limit, whether you're going the limit etc.... Couldn't Mr. Pokey have either waited 5 seconds for me to pass instead of rushing to be in front of me just to go half the speed limit? Or at least made an attempt to match the speed of the roadway he joined? If you're going to whip out in front of me from a side street, at least floor it to get up to speed.


sigh....

 

[joaks]

I am a gentile driver most of the time. I try to not obstruct the flow of traffic, however.
I also do not like people how do not understand that the "speed limit" is the UPPER limit, not the lower. We have a lot of crowded streets around campus where I work (lots of parked cars, pedestrians etc.) and people like to go 5 over the limit. They won't get a ticket, but it would be really easy to hit someone that way.

 

[Rix]

Not even a little gentle.
I was gentle on the truck when it was about to throw a rod, that's about it.
I use the rev limit alot. usually up the hill on the way home in first. sometimes second. The downshifts are the fun part.
mash it so it drops down to first.
great fun.

The corolla at 10k rpm is better though.
I need to put a new crank angle sensor on that thing soon....

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: Craig in Canada

2/ There the "tennis ball under the accelerator" crowd. When a traffic light turns green, these folks look at the green light for several seconds before finally applying the tiniest bit of throttle to lazily slip away from an intersection. These people will keep this same amount of throttle applied continuously until the next time they are forced to stop, regardless of what speed they end up reaching. If you manage to get around one of these people you'll see them disappear from sight at the next stop, but suddenly reappear going 40 and 50 over the limit until suddenly they are just a windshield in your rearview mirror. Next stop, even an "average" pull away leaves them disappearing from view again. What is wrong with these people?....


40 to 50 Over????!@!!! oh yeah,

KmPH

I often wonder what these people are doing. I can count a full three or more seconds between the time their brakelights switch off and they start to roll into the intersection and the time they start to accelerate. It's not to be safe. They are just rolling into the intersection at idle instead of with the accelerator (and they should have been scanning the crossroads for drivers that might run the redlight anyway. )
Why does it take them so long to find the 'effin accelerator pedal?

If it takes them that long to find the accelerator, what are they going to do in a panic braking situation. How long will it take them to find their brake pedal?

 

[CROWNVIC4LIFE]

Driving gently is almost impossible in Miami-Dade and Broward County.

 

[oldmaninsc]

Originally Posted By: Craig in Canada
You can get a ticket here for going under the limit or unreasonably holding up traffic. People aren't always in a hurry because they need to "leave home sooner". Time has value whether it is work or personal. The "getting there" part of the equation has little to no value and is "overhead" in our lives. I think the difference between driver personalities boils down to the valuation of time.


Well that's your opinion. Fact is there are laws. Because you are running late (for whatever reason) does not give you the right to ride my butt! PERIOD, no if, ands or buts! I agree time has value, but as the old saying at my favorite auto parts store said: "A lack of planning on your part does NOT constitute an emergency on my part." I have owned and/or managed a lot of businesses in my life time. I completely understand the value of time. LOL

You can get a ticket here also for impeding the flow of traffic, but it RARELY ever happens. In all my years I've only heard of one person that got stopped for going "too slow" and he wasn't given a ticket just a warning.

I like 'to get where I'm going in as short of a time as possible' as much as the next guy, but I will not sacrifice my driving record, my safety and the safety/life of others just so someone else can make up a couple of minutes they either wasted or didn't plan for.
We have a two lane highway going over to the next town. There are places where you can't pass. So you are saying since the speed limit is 55 MPH on this road, if someone comes up behind me that is late and wants to go 75 that I should speed up so I don't inconvenience him? No way!

I have never had an at fault accident, and over all these years and hundreds of thousands of miles I've driven, I have had only had 3 speeding tickets. One was thrown out of court, and the other two I was speeding and I went to traffic school. The last one was in 1990.

Like I've said - you might do things differently in Canada. I've never been there and probably never will. I have the feeling we may be comparing apples and oranges here.
I see people doing the same thing in the grocery store. One of my best friends goes into the stores the same way he drives. He's always in a hurry and gets annoyed if someone is in HIS way. I often laugh at him. At some point you have to "stop and smell the roses" and adopt a "live and let live" type of thinking. Sometimes the stress of saving 2 or 3 minutes is not worth it! A lot of it is about maturity - or a lack there of!

As for the rest of your post, that's your perception of people and your opinions. I'm not going to comment on them. I've seen them all plus a few you didn't mention.

 

[oldmaninsc]

Originally Posted By: joaks

I also do not like people how do not understand that the "speed limit" is the UPPER limit, not the lower.

Yeah, many people don't seem to understand that. That or the speed laws don't apply to them.

 

[ltslimjim]

^It's actually just the me first, child-like mentality. It causes all kinds of traffic jams and backups. If people slowed and drove with an observance of merging on interstates, for instance, you'd have a lot less sudden stops...then stop 'n go until the section where NO ONE seems to know how to merge is passed by. No wreck or anything. I'm not talking about severe congestion either. Just plain 50% of the vehicles on the road, at minimum, trying to race each other to the lead of whatever 'pack' they may be in instead of thinking once to yield. All of this right at a busy merge. They 'may' be spared, but it's because of that in of itself, the vast majority behind them get caught in the traffic that had to yield to those over-aggressive folks.

OTOH, if this has happened to you, it does not solve the problem to keep repeating the mistake by trying to force your way through 15-20 MPH traffic just because you want to move up a few cars. You just cause more problems for everyone and the situation you are upset at is a result of people doing the same thing! Too often, people driving with emotions to justify everything/anything wind up doing far worse than just putting others out by wanting to be first. They cause wrecks, they force issues.

Because it's near impossible to get police cars after everyone, that is why the 'go-with-the-flow' has been introduced. Before, people used to drive more sane.

I can understand getting somewhat "upset" over a person driving 20-30 MPH with no traffic in front of him/her as they are merging onto a busy highway or interstate(the worst), but it's really just best to give that person more distance to save yourself and avoid risking a wreck by riding them until you can blow by. You just might miss seeing the motorcycle in your blind spot.

"End of Rant".

Whew...oh and I drive mixed.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: oldmaninsc
Originally Posted By: joaks

I also do not like people how do not understand that the "speed limit" is the UPPER limit, not the lower.

Yeah, many people don't seem to understand that. That or the speed laws don't apply to them.

It's alright to drive slower than speed limit on any road, but don't go slower than limit on the left lane on highway.

When I was on highway on short trips less than 15-20 miles, I almost always set cruise control at speed limit of 65 MPH and stay on either the right most lane or next to it. Never had any problems with faster drivers on left lanes.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Craig in Canada
Originally Posted By: Char Baby

It kills me when someone rides my tail while I'm doing the speed limit and then swings out to pass me and then flips me off for going too slow.
"I WAS DOING THE SPEED LIMIT A$$#0L3"!

If I am doing the speed limit, I don't mind if someone rides my behind for a short spell and then passes me when it's safe to pass as long as they keep their comments/fingers to thenselves.



There's also the notion of "going with the flow". It's even taught in driver's ed - match traffic conditions for maximum safety for all.

Are you "keeping right" when you're going the speed limit and that's clearly slower than the flow? Or are you playing "entitled" and purposely getting in the way because you're "going the limit"? Receiving "the finger" once in a while may be the other guy's issue. When you receive "the finger" on a regular basis, like you've mentioned, then maybe some examination of your habits is in order.




Going with the flow is significantly different than driving gently. One can be driving gently at 70 MPH, one can be driving hard at 25. It is more about the acceleration and typical pedal pressure than steady state cruising speed.

 

[pzev]

Originally Posted By: oldmaninsc
Originally Posted By: pzev
Originally Posted By: Michael_P
Very gently with an occasional redline about 4 times a year. As a result, I have gotten excellent UOA's and usually beat the EPA fuel estimates for my vehicles. Yeah, I get tailgated a bunch and even get the middle finger from time to time, but I'm not going to burn up my car and gas as a result of someone else's poor planning. I usually stay within the speed limit and finesse the transmission in such a fashion it doesn't shift as much. I also stay in the right lane when driving the speed limit to not impede faster traffic. You never know. The guy driving fast might be on the way to the hospital.



Get the [censored] out of the fast lane you slowpoke, and I won't have to flip you off!

What's "even funnier" is your lack of reading comprehension. The guy you quoted stated: "I also stay in the right lane when driving the speed limit to not impede faster traffic. You never know. The guy driving fast might be on the way to the hospital."

People in smaller cars seem to be the worst offenders. I don't understand why they do this.


Your eyesight must be going in your old age, as you clearly didn't notice the smiley. Last I checked, they were often used to denote sarcasm and humor, of which there was plenty in my post.
As for small cars, they do this to avoid getting behind slow drivers (which you admit to being). We have slow driver radar...and when we detect one, our primary mission is to get in front of them. Mind you, being in small cars means we get decent mileage either way. And its just human nature to notice things that affirm your own bias more often....so what you are probably forgetting is the million little cars who launched away from the light, got in front of you, and proceeded to be halfway to their destination before you even reached the next red.


Anyways, lots of older folks on this board who seem to be in no hurry and that's fine. I applaud those who keep it in the right lanes, it is truly appreciated. As a member of the "go fast" crowed, there are few things on this earth that annoy me more then some left lane camper holding up traffic. Whatever their speed may be, holding up the left lane on the 405 is a surefire way to get yourself cutoff at best, or simply run off he road at worst. Fortunately people seem to have gotten the "speed is good" memo in LA and most of SoCal.

 

[rg200amp]

I have been driving very gently since im in break in. I have been revving it up every once and a while when the car is at operating temp since I have 1900 miles.

 

[cchase]

Originally Posted By: oldmaninsc
Originally Posted By: Craig in Canada
You can get a ticket here for going under the limit or unreasonably holding up traffic. People aren't always in a hurry because they need to "leave home sooner". Time has value whether it is work or personal. The "getting there" part of the equation has little to no value and is "overhead" in our lives. I think the difference between driver personalities boils down to the valuation of time.


Well that's your opinion. Fact is there are laws. Because you are running late (for whatever reason) does not give you the right to ride my butt! PERIOD, no if, ands or buts! I agree time has value, but as the old saying at my favorite auto parts store said: "A lack of planning on your part does NOT constitute an emergency on my part." I have owned and/or managed a lot of businesses in my life time. I completely understand the value of time. LOL

You can get a ticket here also for impeding the flow of traffic, but it RARELY ever happens. In all my years I've only heard of one person that got stopped for going "too slow" and he wasn't given a ticket just a warning.

I like 'to get where I'm going in as short of a time as possible' as much as the next guy, but I will not sacrifice my driving record, my safety and the safety/life of others just so someone else can make up a couple of minutes they either wasted or didn't plan for.
We have a two lane highway going over to the next town. There are places where you can't pass. So you are saying since the speed limit is 55 MPH on this road, if someone comes up behind me that is late and wants to go 75 that I should speed up so I don't inconvenience him? No way!

I have never had an at fault accident, and over all these years and hundreds of thousands of miles I've driven, I have had only had 3 speeding tickets. One was thrown out of court, and the other two I was speeding and I went to traffic school. The last one was in 1990.

Like I've said - you might do things differently in Canada. I've never been there and probably never will. I have the feeling we may be comparing apples and oranges here.
I see people doing the same thing in the grocery store. One of my best friends goes into the stores the same way he drives. He's always in a hurry and gets annoyed if someone is in HIS way. I often laugh at him. At some point you have to "stop and smell the roses" and adopt a "live and let live" type of thinking. Sometimes the stress of saving 2 or 3 minutes is not worth it! A lot of it is about maturity - or a lack there of!

As for the rest of your post, that's your perception of people and your opinions. I'm not going to comment on them. I've seen them all plus a few you didn't mention.




I've seen multiple tickets written up here for impeding the flow of traffic on interstates that have a 55 mph speed limit for people going 55-60 when everyone else is going 65-70 at rush hour. As any SE New Englander on the board can attest, if you are going 55-60 on most of rt.128 in MA you'll be killed. And many who do get ticketed for it.

I suspect it varies based on traffic conditions in general.

 

[cchase]

My daily driver has 400hp and I often get a chuckle with passengers, pulling away at lights around here, trying to keep up with the people in front of me when the light turns green, at how fast I actually have to accelerate to keep up with them. Only to run up to the next red light 1/2 mile down the road.

My general driving habits are 0-5 mph over or whatever is safest, and my general rule is to drive as smoothly as possible. I like to drive with the goal of never waking a sleeping passenger. Smooth and steady is safe and helps prolong every component in the vehicle.

Any fool can drive a car fast, it takes more skill to drive a car smoothly, in my opinion. Steering, brakes, AND throttle.

 

[Spyder7]

I likewise get a chuckle out of those who gun it from one red light just to end up stopped at the next red light further up the street. I accelerate more smoothly, with the idea of catching the light up the street as it changes from red to green. That also tends to put me far ahead of the driver in the other lane who gunned it at the first light, with less wear on my brakes and less fuel burnt too.

-Spyder

 

[oldmaninsc]

Originally Posted By: pzev
Your eyesight must be going in your old age, as you clearly didn't notice the smiley. Last I checked, they were often used to denote sarcasm and humor, of which there was plenty in my post.

I'll admit I missed it. Sorry!

Quote:

As for small cars, they do this to avoid getting behind slow drivers (which you admit to being).

Were did I say I was a slow driver? If driving the speed limit or 5 over is slow then I guess I am.

Quote:

We have slow driver radar...and when we detect one, our primary mission is to get in front of them. Mind you, being in small cars means we get decent mileage either way. And its just human nature to notice things that affirm your own bias more often....so what you are probably forgetting is the million little cars who launched away from the light, got in front of you, and proceeded to be halfway to their destination before you even reached the next red.

Now you are the one this is missing something here. First, regardless of what kind of MPG you claim your car gets, there is no way it is getting very good mileage or should I say as good as it could get - when you floor it from one light to another. So why waste gas? The oil companies really love you for it!

(Notice my smiley face).

Second, it has nothing to do with me being perceived as a slow driver. I'm talking about a road where there are 3 lanes each direction. I might be in the "slow" lane but it really doesn't matter. Small cars take off next to me and floor it. ALL of us (get that) ALL of us stop at the very next light. I accelerated at a normal pace, I don't floor it. Why should I? I drive this road all the time - I know what the lights are like as does everyone else that drives this road everyday.
So we all are all stopping at the next light at the same time, just some us get there 10 seconds sooner and sit and idle some more. So where is the gain? I guess if you want to show off that your little car can accelerate faster than a moped, well okay!

Quote:

Anyways, lots of older folks on this board who seem to be in no hurry and that's fine. I applaud those who keep it in the right lanes, it is truly appreciated. As a member of the "go fast" crowed, there are few things on this earth that annoy me more then some left lane camper holding up traffic. Whatever their speed may be, holding up the left lane on the 405 is a surefire way to get yourself cutoff at best, or simply run off he road at worst. Fortunately people seem to have gotten the "speed is good" memo in LA and most of SoCal.

I agree - NOBODY should be holding up traffic in the fast lane of an interstate. But don't stereotype here - I've seen MANY young people do the same thing. I'm not so sure about the memo you refer to but I guess that's your opinion.

 

[oldmaninsc]

Originally Posted By: cchase
I've seen multiple tickets written up here for impeding the flow of traffic on interstates that have a 55 mph speed limit for people going 55-60 when everyone else is going 65-70 at rush hour. As any SE New Englander on the board can attest, if you are going 55-60 on most of rt.128 in MA you'll be killed. And many who do get ticketed for it.

I suspect it varies based on traffic conditions in general.


I'm sorry but I have a hard time believing that! Either that or your state has some real screwy laws! I'd love to see one of those alleged tickets in traffic court. How could any government agency condone breaking the law? I don't get it.

Does your state have signs that say: "It's okay to speed at rush hour?" LOL

In Ca. most of the time NOBODY is doing 55 much less 65 at rush hour.