Road Rage Random Thoughts Thread

[BPFH]

Hey, you! Yeah, you, the guy driving the POS light blue light-duty pickup truck.

People in the Lower Land of Ravenous Weasels tend to drive 5-10 mph over the posted speed limit in the left lane on highways, so you might--just might, mind you--want to consider that doing about 71 and building up a significant queue behind you isn't a good idea, particularly not with the LRW State Police starting to crack down on drivers cruising in the left lane.

Also, I'd just like to say that your vehicle is the best case I've seen (well, smelled) in years for reinstating auto emissions testing here.

[Nunavut Pants]

This entire thread is why I won't drive anything smaller than a compact car.

But I like my little cars! In fact, my base MINI Cooper is the biggest (and most powerful!) car that I've ever owned!

Hey, at least this one has a pretense of back seats, unlike most of the cars I've owned.

[Deserted]

I won't drive a roller skate like that, but for different reasons.

[Argus]

there are people who don't see 18 wheelers, or cop cars with the "disco lights" on.

I once saw a comment elsewhere about drivers failing to see a vehicle which was 12 feet high, 10 feet wide, and painted fire engine red. Not to mention the sound it generally makes.

[wolfie]

I once saw a comment elsewhere about drivers failing to see a vehicle which was 12 feet high, 10 feet wide, and painted fire engine red. Not to mention the sound it generally makes.

I gather from the colour and sound you mention that this is a vehicle operated by the "funny hat men" (CB slang). If so, I can understand the "12 feet high" bit, but 10 feet wide? The legal limit for operating without oversize permits (issued on a per-trip basis, so an emergency vehicle that needs them is useless) is 8 feet 6 inches (not including mirrors), and since fire engines need to operate on residential (read: narrow) streets, there's no reason to make it wider than that limit.

[Argus]

If so, I can understand the "12 feet high" bit, but 10 feet wide?

It's has been a while since I saw that description, so I tried looking up dimensions online. I think the 10 feet I found includes the side mirrors, because I see now that the Rear Wheel Base for that vehicle is 8.2' (not to be confused with the "Wheelbase" which is 21'4").

[notalwaysright]

*sigh* Pedestrians. Stop crossing at the sharp corner. You had to walk past a marked crosswalk, what do you have against crossing there? That crosswalk is located where it is because it's far enough away from the corner so that drivers can see you. This has happened for three days straight.

Also, hey City? Why did you paint little pictures of bicyclists on the road? We already have bike lanes, bike boxes, and sharrows. Now there are these little white bike symbols with no explanation. I assume they mean "bicyclists might be using this road," but honestly, what good does this do? Either people are going to play nice with each other, or they aren't. More paint is not going to help anything. We all know from experience that notes and signs don't fix stupid.

[BrenDAnn]

I had not one, but three different vehicles try to get me to t-bone them today. Are you people really that fucking stupid? Let's take them in order, shall we?

To the one on main street where I work: I know it was foggy and my car is black, but I did have headlights on...bright LED ones, at that. Wake the fuck up!

To the semi that cut across traffic: You couldn't have waited until things were clear to cross the road? Were you running out of hours? I'm fairly certain dude coming from the opposite direction that I was probably needed a change of pants after the shit you pulled.

To the stupid twat in the Wally World lot: I went up the aisle the proper way. You cut through the parking spots to my right, through my fucking blindspot, and cut me off. Fuck you and your ilk. Next time, you may not get someone so quick on the brakes!

[Dreamstalker]

Hey, at least this one has a pretense of back seats, unlike most of the cars I've owned.

I was with mom at the wholesaler last week, and as we got out of the car we just stared for a few seconds at a guy who had managed to stuff a number of cases, boxes, and cans of items into...a smart car. I should have taken a pic, it was impressive.

[BrenDAnn]

Hey, jackass in the black car yesterday? Maybe you should fucking leave sooner next time so you're not in such a hurry. I'm sorry that I had to stop, but the car in front of me stopped, because the SUV in front of it was turning. No, asshole, that didn't mean you could promptly pass both of us, in a no passng zone, as we were speeding back up once said SUV had turned. Where the fuck is a deputy when you need one?

[Shotgun Chuck]

Attention, everyone who wavers between 43 and 51 in a 55 zone, even in perfect weather: You are really. Fricking. Annoying.

Seriously, why do people do this? I can understand occasionally derping out and letting your speed drop, it's easy to do sometimes, but when you come to that one downhill corner and then slow down even more even though a car in decent condition could take it at 10 over without any issues, that pretty much tells me what kind of driver your are.

[EricKei]

I saw more of this than I could count with all the digits of all the hands and feet contained within my vehicle.

Well, you really only needed ONE digit in that situation. One that you could easily put on display

Is it bad that I read that as "For the love of Megatron"?

Nope. Heck, I heard it in Starscream's voice.

Something similar happened to me last January. Idiot decided to change lanes, didn't bother to check whether the lane he wanted was open (it wasn't).

I'd love to have heard his explanation to the cops and his insurance company as to how this happened!

I would imagine that it could have been the externalization of "absurdly rich people thought" -- i.e., "I'm better than him, he should have gotten out of my way."

This entire thread is why I won't drive anything smaller than a compact car.

This is why I lovvvved my Grand Marquis. Used to have a 2000 until a year ago or so, when the internals finally gave up the ghost. Wonderful tank of a car.

we just stared for a few seconds at a guy who had managed to stuff a number of cases, boxes, and cans of items into...a smart car.

I'm good at grocery Tetris, myself -- albeit mostly inside the store. More than once -- a couple of days ago, included -- I've checked out with a "small cart" (dual racks, less than half size) not even 100% full, and the bagger has needed to grab a full-size cart to properly fit everything when he was done.

[BrenDAnn]

Hey, local farmers. Great to see you out doing your often unappreciated work during harvest. However, just one teeny, tiny thing: Don't park your tractors with grain haulers ON the fucking busy main highway. Yes, I know, you pay to use the highway, too, but that doesn't mean you can cock it up for everyone else! At least try to be on the shoulder or something!

[Shotgun Chuck]

Hey, F-150 guy. I wasn't honking because I wanted to get past you. I was honking because you were going the wrong way down that parking aisle.

Seriously, what is it with Ford trucks? Twice in my life I've almost been run over by someone who drifted out of their lane. Both times it was an F-series, and not the same one either.

[RealUnimportant]

Look, the speed limit's not a state secret. It's usually posted on a sign in close proximity to the cameras, and if you're in an area where one of the defaults don't apply then this extra sign is mandatory, so why do you all insist on braking to 10+ under? They're designed to catch people going over, not at the limit; most won't trigger for less than the limit+10%. If your speedo's so poorly calibrated that you genuinely believe that you're doing 30 when mine says 15, then perhaps you could invest in a GPS? They always give you a far more accurate reading!