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Driving - 4/8/2013 7:24:35 PM

Posts: 2826
Joined: 4/25/2011
From: The Old Pueblo
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Does anyone have any suggestions on how to maintain one's sanity and composure while driving?

There's a dangerous mix of drivers who never really learned how to drive in the first place, along with those who view driving as some kind of gladiatorial combat and think the public roads are their own personal raceway.

A lot of people clearly don't even bother to plan their route, as evidenced by people who zip across three lanes to make their exit in time. I see that a lot.

Many drivers don't even use their turn signals.

I'm probably speaking of a minority of drivers, as I think most drivers are courteous and obey the traffic laws. But there are some people who are enough to drive you nuts. Don't get me wrong, I'm not on the edge of road rage, but I'm just trying to gauge whether anyone else gets frustrated with traffic, bad drivers, etc. and how they generally handle it.

RE: Driving - 4/8/2013 7:30:25 PM

Level

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Joined: 3/3/2006
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I drive offensively.

Yeah, traffic and goobers behind the wheel can be aggravating, but that doesn't help anything. Try to chill.

_____________________________

Fake the heat and scratch the itch
Skinned up knees and salty lips
Let go it's harder holding on
One more trip and I'll be gone

~~ Stone Temple Pilots

(in reply to Zonie63)

RE: Driving - 4/8/2013 7:40:28 PM

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Joined: 8/5/2008
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Eh, I just figure everyone has their own issues, and I let it go. I'm fortunate, though, in that I don't have a very long commute.

The Mister has a VERY long commute, but his patience level is impressive. He just turns up the music and knows going into it that people are going to do ridiculous things out there. It helps if you accept it going into it.

_____________________________

Live Simply. Love Generously. Care Deeply. Speak Kindly.

(in reply to Zonie63)

RE: Driving - 4/8/2013 7:41:41 PM

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Yes ^^^

_____________________________

Fake the heat and scratch the itch
Skinned up knees and salty lips
Let go it's harder holding on
One more trip and I'll be gone

~~ Stone Temple Pilots

(in reply to NuevaVida)

RE: Driving - 4/8/2013 7:51:03 PM

Posts: 2826
Joined: 4/25/2011
From: The Old Pueblo
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Level

I drive offensively.

Yeah, traffic and goobers behind the wheel can be aggravating, but that doesn't help anything. Try to chill.

Oh I try. Actually, I've found that the best time to drive is early morning, between 5:30 and 6:00. There's a bit of traffic by that time, but it's not too bad. Traffic moves at a good pace, with a minimum of goobers. I think they start out later in the day. The maniacs seem to come out in the evening, especially after they've had a few.

(in reply to Level)

RE: Driving - 4/8/2013 8:27:09 PM

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(calmly raises hand to driving like a prick) but I only do it to a minimal degree. I'm really more in the middle.

I have a led foot only because I love driving fast, that and where I learned to drive the freeways were as close as you're gonna get to an autobahn in the US. I usually reserve my speed preference to when I get closer to home - it's more rural and traffic is very slim.
I'm actually a really laid-back driver and never in a rush to get anywhere. Wanna tailgate me while I speed? I'll slowly decrease my speed. Wanna pass me in a fury and flip me off? I'll blow you a kiss. I know, that's aggressive driving but it keeps me calm and keeps me from worse.
The overly-cautious drivers are what bother me more than anything. If at all possible, I speed past just to get out of a pack of cars to stay away from them.
Loud music and deep breathing is all I've got for a relaxant. Especially during heavy traffic. Many people spend so much time in the car, why waste all of that being angry?

(in reply to Zonie63)

RE: Driving - 4/8/2013 9:39:41 PM

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Joined: 3/25/2007
From: California, USA
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I have a habit you'll find among those who earn their living at the wheel. I talk to the other drivers. They cannot hear me, of course, but I go ahead and get it off my chest anyway. No need to yell, but swearing is sometimes involved.

If you wish to drive safely and legally, and as part of the communal flow, that's beautiful. Just stay the fuck out of the passing lane when you do it.

OK. Straight answer from a guy who spent better than a decade making a living at the wheel. The biggest trick to staying even on the road, is to accept the reality of the conditions in front of you, and that some people on the road won't be able to do that.

_____________________________

If you lose one sense, your other senses are enhanced.
That's why people with no sense of humor have such an inflated sense of self-importance.

(in reply to Zonie63)

RE: Driving - 4/8/2013 9:50:11 PM

Moonlightmaddnes

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Joined: 6/4/2012
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I learned to drive in a tiny farming town and prefer to stick to my small town and country roads. My husband learned to drive in Los Angeles and can handle any driving including the mad drivers in Chicago easily. I have a lot of family in the Chicago area. When we go see them I will have my hands over my eyes in horror when 10 toll booths shrink down to 4 lanes but he will just shoot for a lane and go and make it look easy.

_____________________________

Submission is a gift that must be earned. It can be given, but never taken

(in reply to TheHeretic)

RE: Driving - 4/8/2013 9:52:01 PM

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Before I even got my license, my father put me through a top notch defensive driving class. One of the things I learned to do was predict what the other dipshit was likely to do and plan my actions in case he or she really was that stupid. A little over two years later, the Air Force put me through a similar defensive driving course, so all those habits are engraved into my brain. Knowing how to deal with the other morons on the road really is the best way to deal with them. Although, cursing a blue streak helps a lot

_____________________________

Bill

(in reply to TheHeretic)

RE: Driving - 4/8/2013 10:11:04 PM

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quote:

ORIGINAL: theshytype
Wanna pass me in a fury and flip me off? I'll blow you a kiss.

Haha, I've done this a lot, actually.

I don't mess with other drivers - if they're tailgating me...well, whatev,I just move over if I can. They obviously are in more of a hurry than I am, and I'm not offended or bothered by it. Hell, I've tailgated while rushing someone to the hospital...

But when someone flips me off or is shouting at me or whatever (doesn't happen often, I drive fast but also try to stay out of other peoples' way), I smile and blow 'em a kiss. They always look kinda surprised...

Here's how I look at it, though. I'm pretty sure every single one of us has accidentally made a stupid move on the road, or had a moment of really bad judgment. I know I have. So when someone does something stupid, I figure today is their turn. And I swear it's always after I let myself get pissed off at someone's stupid driving move that I make one of my own...a humbling moment, well timed.

_____________________________

Live Simply. Love Generously. Care Deeply. Speak Kindly.

(in reply to theshytype)

RE: Driving - 4/8/2013 10:25:15 PM

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Joined: 3/21/2013
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quote:

ORIGINAL: TheHeretic

I have a habit you'll find among those who earn their living at the wheel. I talk to the other drivers. They cannot hear me, of course, but I go ahead and get it off my chest anyway. No need to yell, but swearing is sometimes involved.

If you wish to drive safely and legally, and as part of the communal flow, that's beautiful. Just stay the fuck out of the passing lane when you do it.

OK. Straight answer from a guy who spent better than a decade making a living at the wheel. The biggest trick to staying even on the road, is to accept the reality of the conditions in front of you, and that some people on the road won't be able to do that.

I'm a Jack of All Trades, and I've taken jobs as a driver since I was 17. I currently hold a NYS endorsement for taxi/livery driver, have held Class C and Hazmat endorsemens for NYS and Utah. My official logbook stands at over 300k, paid and certified. I drive the speed limit, pisses other people off but fuck them. I've been in fourteen documented MV accidents, not counting the chopper crash. I know what it's like to have Jaws of Life open up a roof that's THIS close to your face.

I see people playing with trucks, driving too fast, with their feet on the dash (ladies...). I was run off the road once by a woman more intent on applying eye makeup than operating her vehicle. I've been rear-ended several times by people who were livid that I actually came to a full and complete stop at a signal. For the last six years, I've been a used-car salesman, and in addition to driving with people barely qualified to walk, I've had to transport vehicles that needed brake work, transmission issues, the whole nine yards.

When I'm driving, I KNOW I am better than 90% of the other drivers out there, simply because I've done more of it. Not because I can drive faster (I can, and very well, thank you), but because I know how to apply "road psychology" in daily life. I don't thing of myself as arrogant-I'm not that good. Yet. I see stupid shit happening every day-chicks driving fast with their hands out to dry their nails, guys acting out their frustrations, people scared shitless at dealing with traffic, the list is enormous.

Just...follow the rules, go the speed limit, don't talk on the cell, or get so into your "beats" you lose focus on the fact you're operating a machine that kills more people each year than Vietnam did in ten years. Is that so hard?

(in reply to TheHeretic)

RE: Driving - 4/8/2013 11:01:55 PM

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Joined: 3/25/2007
From: California, USA
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14 accidents, and you consider yourself an excellent driver? Yeah. Stick to the limit, and stay to the slow lane. I'd also suggest keeping a better eye on your mirrors.

(Psst. It's a class A, and a hazmat emdorsement is federal, not state).

I let my commercial license lapse, after moving to a job where I don't need it. Who needs to give the cops permission to fuck with you?

_____________________________

If you lose one sense, your other senses are enhanced.
That's why people with no sense of humor have such an inflated sense of self-importance.

(in reply to MasterCaneman)

RE: Driving - 4/8/2013 11:05:54 PM

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Joined: 3/21/2013
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Only three were my fault, I forgot to mention. Two were while driving in fog, and one was on ice (and going to fast, to be honest).

(in reply to TheHeretic)

RE: Driving - 4/8/2013 11:08:04 PM

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Oh, and back in the 80's, it was still a state endorsement. Class C was different then. I had to get one to haul human organs and blood products.

(in reply to MasterCaneman)

RE: Driving - 4/8/2013 11:12:46 PM

Posts: 19100
Joined: 3/25/2007
From: California, USA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: MasterCaneman

Only three were my fault, I forgot to mention. Two were while driving in fog, and one was on ice (and going to fast, to be honest).

And you feel that adding worse details to the abysmal record you've already described is going to help your case, how exactly???

_____________________________

If you lose one sense, your other senses are enhanced.
That's why people with no sense of humor have such an inflated sense of self-importance.

(in reply to MasterCaneman)

RE: Driving - 4/8/2013 11:24:53 PM

Just0Plain0Mike

Posts: 127
Joined: 6/16/2010
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quote:

ORIGINAL: TheHeretic

And you feel that adding worse details to the abysmal record you've already described is going to help your case, how exactly???

Ummm, being involved in an accident doesn't necessarily mean you're at fault. My wife was involved in three separate accidents where she was stopped at a toll plaza and rear-ended by drivers that just didn't bother to stop. Too busy on their phone, looking for change, or just BSing with passengers in the back-seat. No looking in her mirror or driving defensibly would have made a difference, there was no where to go.

(in reply to TheHeretic)

RE: Driving - 4/9/2013 12:22:41 AM

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Joined: 3/21/2013
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quote:

ORIGINAL: TheHeretic

quote:

ORIGINAL: MasterCaneman

Only three were my fault, I forgot to mention. Two were while driving in fog, and one was on ice (and going to fast, to be honest).

And you feel that adding worse details to the abysmal record you've already described is going to help your case, how exactly???

Excuse me? Help my case? I don't need any fucking help. I am merely stating the facts.

(in reply to TheHeretic)

RE: Driving - 4/9/2013 12:43:19 AM

Posts: 9779
Joined: 1/12/2006
From: Texas
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Zonie63

I'm probably speaking of a minority of drivers, as I think most drivers are courteous and obey the traffic laws. But there are some people who are enough to drive you nuts. Don't get me wrong, I'm not on the edge of road rage, but I'm just trying to gauge whether anyone else gets frustrated with traffic, bad drivers, etc. and how they generally handle it.

I lived in Italy where lanes are pretty much non-existent and stoplights appear to be strictly optional. No worries, cars are people, too, which is why you will often find them sharing sidewalks with pedestrians. Given all that, driving anywhere in the US is a cakewalk. I don't get road rage cuz I've had the fear of God put into me by my fellow Italians.

_____________________________

"Oh, so it's just like
Rock, paper, scissors."

He laughed. "You are the wisest woman I know."

(in reply to Zonie63)

RE: Driving - 4/9/2013 2:06:09 AM

Posts: 14840
Joined: 6/10/2008
From: Somewhere Texas
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I have reached the point where I am convinced that I can do nothing about the idiots on the roads....

I have started looking into military surplus armored vehicles that are street legal (leaves out tanks) that way if I am hit, my vehicle suffers no damage, but the idiot has a totaled car.

_____________________________

Boy, it sure would be nice if we had some grenades, don't you think?

You cannot control who comes into your life, but you can control which airlock you throw them out of.

Paranoid Paramilitary Gun Loving Conspiracy Theorist AND EQUAL OPPORTUNI

(in reply to Kirata)

RE: Driving - 4/9/2013 5:14:40 AM

Posts: 19100
Joined: 3/25/2007
From: California, USA
Status: offline

Run the I-5 corridor a few times, huh, K?

_____________________________

If you lose one sense, your other senses are enhanced.
That's why people with no sense of humor have such an inflated sense of self-importance.

(in reply to Kirata)

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