Someone Please Explain Drivers' Thought Processes!

[wrcsixeight]

I was behind some sort of white SUV today at a light.

I see a sticker in the window.

It proclaims:
"Game Over"
Under the writing there is a drawing of a grinning bride with a rolling pin in her hand. Next to her is a frowning groom with a ball and shackle on his leg.

Through the tinted window, I see a woman with her phone to her ear gesticulating wildly.

Light turns green. We are in the right lane. 2 lanes over is the left turn lane for the freeway entrance.

At the last second she darts over and sticks her nose in the left turn lane, and blocks the left lane.

I drive on in the right lane. I hear horns honking and tires screeching and think of this thread, and pity the poor fool who married such a woman.

 

[Rhymingmechanic]

Originally Posted By: goodtimes
Another thing I learned it is no longer required to look while backing up in parking lots. It seems in that case everything and everybody must get out of the way. After all, when backing up a car what are you supposed to do, wait?


I think you're supposed to initiate a phone call first, and then back out.

 

[sciphi]

Originally Posted By: Rhymingmechanic
Originally Posted By: goodtimes
Another thing I learned it is no longer required to look while backing up in parking lots. It seems in that case everything and everybody must get out of the way. After all, when backing up a car what are you supposed to do, wait?


I think you're supposed to initiate a phone call first, then look at your Ipod, adjust the volume, take a swig of soda simultaneously while backing out.


Fixed it for you!

 

[Spazdog]

Quote:

Another thing I learned it is no longer required to look while backing up in parking lots. It seems in that case everything and everybody must get out of the way. After all, when backing up a car what are you supposed to do, wait?


I pointed that out to my son while teaching him not to run amok in parking lots.
"Watch son. She's going to look over her shoulder, look forward again, put the car in reverse and never look back again."
She did just that.

 

[ProfPS]

This may help to explain why:

http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/x4jx2m_motor-mania_shortfilms?additionalInfos=0

I recall having to watch it at a 3 hour driving course required to get my learner's permit many years ago. Things haven't changed much since this was made. Enjoy.

 

[Kestas]

My complaint:

People who are stopped on the side of the road, and decide to take off and merge into traffic just as you are coming up to them. And you know they didn't check the left mirror when they took off.

 

[Craig in Canada]

Originally Posted By: JimPghPA


It is not like you will have a choice.

As for computers being reliable enough, if the computers of today can fly the space-shuttle, the computers of tomorrow will be capable of controlling a motorized vehicle.

Not having computers control ALL moving vehicles on ALL public roads in the future makes about as much sense as having three time DUI drivers who still have a set of keys in there pockets pilot the next space shuttle with a fresh keg taped beside them.


So now we've heard from the cars-as-an-appliance crowd. What about the millions of people who actually like to drive?

Of course maybe in this imagined world all of the transportation appliance folks will be segregated in their fully automatic "driving is such an inconvenience pods" and be out of our way for a change?

I don't drive to work because I take the bus and train and walk - maybe some of these appliance folks should do the same instead of mandating a global computer controlled automated vehicle system. I'm green, contributing to "the solution" and reducing highway congestion, emissions, parking problems etc... But there's no way I'm giving up driving altogether because I actually enjoy it. Same thing for manual transmissions and piston-powered internal combustion engines. I'm fine with them running on H2, but I want gears and engine sounds not just the hum of an electric motor. I get my fill of that on public transit.

 

[brianl703]

Originally Posted By: Craig in Canada

So now we've heard from the cars-as-an-appliance crowd. What about the millions of people who actually like to drive?


The cars-as-an-appliance crowd is busy making sure that nobody enjoys driving by means of their careless, inconsiderate approach to driving.

 

[rshunter]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
My complaint:

People who are stopped on the side of the road, and decide to take off and merge into traffic just as you are coming up to them. And you know they didn't check the left mirror when they took off.

I suspect that they often do check their mirror first...

 

[brianl703]

I'm ready to blow the horn when I get close to someone like that. If they try it, they won't have moved their car an inch before I'm on the horn.

 

[rslifkin]

^ Agreed. I do the same.

 

[Kestas]

Another complaint... drivers who are constantly accelerating - even though there's traffic in front of them - only to light up their brakes. They have no discipline in modulating their throttle for moderately heavy traffic going at a steady speed.

 

[Cristobal]

Southern California has so many classics. People in the Los Angeles area will usually drive much faster if it is raining. They assume an accident will get them stuck, so instead of 70 MPH, they do 80. I am not kidding.

I always recall going down the freeway next to a lady who was screaming into her cell phone. She was swerving from lane to lane and doing about 50MPH. I watched as she rear ended a car with about 6 people in it around 5 minutes later.

 

[morris]

drivers think? when did that happen?

 

[Spazdog]

The ice has compounded the stupid out there.

Followed a lady in an older Durango over the interchange from I-35W to I-20 in the ice. Probably the second highest bridge in the mixmaster. Guess there was enough "sand" on the bridge on the uphill side. On the way back down, there was not. She also did not have ABS or it was not working. About halfway down we got up to about 10 mph and she locked the brakes and, for reasons unknown, turned the steering wheel all the way over to the left. They were cut so hard I could tell from behind

We got back on to good traction, she promptly drove into the wall.

Minor low speed damage. No airbag deployment

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
Another complaint... drivers who are constantly accelerating - even though there's traffic in front of them - only to light up their brakes. They have no discipline in modulating their throttle for moderately heavy traffic going at a steady speed.


I have a friend that drives like that. Gas, brake, gas, brake, gas, brake....Like he can't just lift off the throttle. He has to be pushing one pedal or another. Some sort of weird control freak thing. I call him the "pedal pusher".

....and he wonders why his brakes don't last very long.

 

[rshunter]

Originally Posted By: Spazdog
Originally Posted By: Kestas
Another complaint... drivers who are constantly accelerating - even though there's traffic in front of them - only to light up their brakes. They have no discipline in modulating their throttle for moderately heavy traffic going at a steady speed.
I have a friend that drives like that. Gas, brake, gas, brake, gas, brake....Like he can't just lift off the throttle. He has to be pushing one pedal or another. Some sort of weird control freak thing. I call him the "pedal pusher". ....and he wonders why his brakes don't last very long.

I refer to them as "Digital Drivers"...

Off. On. Off. On. Off. Off. On. Off. On. On. Off.

 

[RnR]

Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
As for computers being reliable enough, if the computers of today can fly the space-shuttle, the computers of tomorrow will be capable of controlling a motorized vehicle.
Perhaps so Jim, but the 1970's shuttle designers were wise enough to allow taking a flaky CPU string off-line while the redundant element continues operations. Something tells me that in the days ahead, the silicon edition may be doing that fairly frequently to the carbon-based one if it detects aberrant driving behavior.

It'll give new meaning to... "Honey, I got cut off again!"

 

[RnR]

Originally Posted By: Cristobal
Southern California has so many classics. People in the Los Angeles area will usually drive much faster if it is raining. They assume an accident will get them stuck, so instead of 70 MPH, they do 80. I am not kidding.
This is reminiscent of a Johnny Carson (Tonight Show) monologue where he mentioned a CHP speeding stop; paraphrased:

Officer: "Why were you driving so fast?"
Gal: "Well, I'm really low on gas... I needed to get to a service station before I ran out!!"

I guess some things in life just aren't meant to compute.

 

[LS2JSTS]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
Another complaint... drivers who are constantly accelerating - even though there's traffic in front of them - only to light up their brakes. They have no discipline in modulating their throttle for moderately heavy traffic going at a steady speed.


+1. These are the people who never learn to look far down the road while driving, always unaware of whats ahead.

You probably know the road in my story...Telegraph Road. That is a timed road that can be travelled from Monroe nearly all the way to Pontiac with very few stops...if you follow the right speed and watch the lights. I've done it, in the early morning hours when the traffic was light. From Flat Rock to Bingham Farms with one total stop. Add the traffic and light jumpers and the guys who race to the next red light then slam on their brakes and stop at the light, and it becomes a mess.