More bad weather
Yes, it's true. Yet more bad weather in the city different. And what does bad weather do better than anything else? It brings out the bad drivers. Granted, the drivers out here are usually horrible on good days, so if you weren't from here you probably wouldn't notice a difference.
Ok, before we get too far into this and somebody starts to think that I believe that I am god's gift to drivers, stop. If I had to rate my own driving I would probably give myself a C, maybe a C+ on good days. I get distracted and speed, and no matter how hard I try I can't drive the way that I would like all of the time. So when I rant about bad drivers keep in mind that I also realize that we are all human. I rant about drivers who have a blatant disregard for other drivers or the law.
I got stuck behind a bus for a short while this morning. It had turned onto the road in front of me, but it needed to get over one more lane because the lane that I was in turned into a turn only lane. Almost as soon as it was facing straight the bus turned on its left turn blinker to get over into the next lane. It had plenty of room, and had started to move over when a pickup truck suddenly moved into the lane. Now the pickup was not behind a slow driver, and in fact had plenty of room in front of it. The truck also did not get in front of me to turn, also once the bus had slowed down to get in behind the truck the truck moved back into it's still free original lane. Now why did the pickup truck do something like that? Probably just for kicks, or to see if they could make the bus crash into them for insurance money.
Anybody reading this may start to think that I am being a little harsh. But I see stunts like this every day. People purposely hindering other drivers, just to satisfy their own twisted needs for control.
One of the worst scenarios of this need for road control is the case where a driver created a multi-mile backup on a major highway.
This was probably close to a year ago. I was driving southbound on I-25, when I got stuck behind a (surprise, surprise) pickup truck. They were travelling below the speed limit, and hanging out in the fast lane, but as we were still passing even slower drivers I didn't think much of it. Then a place opened up in the slow lane, I waited for them to move over. When they didn't move over, I finally tried to pass them in the slow lane. That is when they sped up, assuming that they were what I have dubbed a thou shalt not pass I moved back in behind them, since I really don't mind being behind somebody as long as they aren't slowing me down.
They stayed at a decent speed for a few miles , then they got beside a slow moving gravel hauler just south of albuquerque, which is always a busy stretch of highway. They also timed their maneuver so that they had already passed the last available exit that connected to any usable backroads.
The truck matched speed with the gravel hauler for a number of miles, the speed being approximately 50 mph on a 75 mph highway. From my mirrors I couldn't even see the end of the line that had formed behind me. Now even the gravel hauler had seen what was happening, and was trying to alleviate to problem. He would slow down to allow the pickup in front of him, or so that maybe somebody would be able to get around, and the pickup would slow down. Or he would speed up as much as he could and the truck would match the speed.
This nonsense continued for about ten miles, with the cars piling up behind every second that it continued. Finally, just before another exit appeared the truck sped off with the occupants laughing, since I was still right behind them I did see that they were laughing. Never before or since have I wanted a CB radio so badly. Many state police had been going the other way and I had a clear view of the license plate number, and a multi-mile backup surely must be condidered impeding traffic.
Once they sped up I lost track of the truck. My exit was only a few miles farther down the road so I have no idea if they tried that again that day, where there were more long stretches of highway with no escape.
Unfortunately people like this are all too common on our roads. Road games and rudeness are dangerous, I have no idea if there were any accidents due to the backup, but there easily could have been. Usually the games that I see aren't as far reaching, usually only one car is affected, but easily a very dangerous situation all the same.
So for now there is a rant about bad drivers. I really don't know what to do about them, but I think about it sometimes. I think the only thing that we can do is prevent them, and that is a problem in itself.
Can't think of anything else to say today.
Bye
Ok, before we get too far into this and somebody starts to think that I believe that I am god's gift to drivers, stop. If I had to rate my own driving I would probably give myself a C, maybe a C+ on good days. I get distracted and speed, and no matter how hard I try I can't drive the way that I would like all of the time. So when I rant about bad drivers keep in mind that I also realize that we are all human. I rant about drivers who have a blatant disregard for other drivers or the law.
I got stuck behind a bus for a short while this morning. It had turned onto the road in front of me, but it needed to get over one more lane because the lane that I was in turned into a turn only lane. Almost as soon as it was facing straight the bus turned on its left turn blinker to get over into the next lane. It had plenty of room, and had started to move over when a pickup truck suddenly moved into the lane. Now the pickup was not behind a slow driver, and in fact had plenty of room in front of it. The truck also did not get in front of me to turn, also once the bus had slowed down to get in behind the truck the truck moved back into it's still free original lane. Now why did the pickup truck do something like that? Probably just for kicks, or to see if they could make the bus crash into them for insurance money.
Anybody reading this may start to think that I am being a little harsh. But I see stunts like this every day. People purposely hindering other drivers, just to satisfy their own twisted needs for control.
One of the worst scenarios of this need for road control is the case where a driver created a multi-mile backup on a major highway.
This was probably close to a year ago. I was driving southbound on I-25, when I got stuck behind a (surprise, surprise) pickup truck. They were travelling below the speed limit, and hanging out in the fast lane, but as we were still passing even slower drivers I didn't think much of it. Then a place opened up in the slow lane, I waited for them to move over. When they didn't move over, I finally tried to pass them in the slow lane. That is when they sped up, assuming that they were what I have dubbed a thou shalt not pass I moved back in behind them, since I really don't mind being behind somebody as long as they aren't slowing me down.
They stayed at a decent speed for a few miles , then they got beside a slow moving gravel hauler just south of albuquerque, which is always a busy stretch of highway. They also timed their maneuver so that they had already passed the last available exit that connected to any usable backroads.
The truck matched speed with the gravel hauler for a number of miles, the speed being approximately 50 mph on a 75 mph highway. From my mirrors I couldn't even see the end of the line that had formed behind me. Now even the gravel hauler had seen what was happening, and was trying to alleviate to problem. He would slow down to allow the pickup in front of him, or so that maybe somebody would be able to get around, and the pickup would slow down. Or he would speed up as much as he could and the truck would match the speed.
This nonsense continued for about ten miles, with the cars piling up behind every second that it continued. Finally, just before another exit appeared the truck sped off with the occupants laughing, since I was still right behind them I did see that they were laughing. Never before or since have I wanted a CB radio so badly. Many state police had been going the other way and I had a clear view of the license plate number, and a multi-mile backup surely must be condidered impeding traffic.
Once they sped up I lost track of the truck. My exit was only a few miles farther down the road so I have no idea if they tried that again that day, where there were more long stretches of highway with no escape.
Unfortunately people like this are all too common on our roads. Road games and rudeness are dangerous, I have no idea if there were any accidents due to the backup, but there easily could have been. Usually the games that I see aren't as far reaching, usually only one car is affected, but easily a very dangerous situation all the same.
So for now there is a rant about bad drivers. I really don't know what to do about them, but I think about it sometimes. I think the only thing that we can do is prevent them, and that is a problem in itself.
Can't think of anything else to say today.
Bye
posted by Phoenixwaller | 10:39 AM
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