Grinding? SCREEEE!

[Nashida]

Happened tonight on my way back from work, figured this fit better here than in my thread back in the SC forum.

They're repaving one of the roads I travel pretty frequently on. They've just started grinding the road, so it's all grooved and everything, and it's a bit awkward to drive on. There's also a big dip as you drive off the paved part onto the ground part. Feels odd, nothing to worry about.

There's an older Civic in front of me, and we've been going along at a pretty good clip until we get to the dip. I ease off the gas so I don't bounce the front of my car on the pavement (did that once...thought I got a flat) and also just to slow down for the ground area without hitting my brakes and scaring whoever's behind me.

Not the Civic. He slams on his brakes and comes to a dead stop just before the dip. I almost slam into him from behind. Then he ea-a-a-a-a-a-ses himself onto the grooved part at what seemed like 2 miles an hour, probably getting pushed by the wind. Then suddenly picks it up to 30 and cuts people off across 3 lanes to get into the left turn lane from the far right.

Thank God I went straight. I was still shaking my head at the next light. Good thing I was paying attention. Someone else might not have.

[Dreamstalker]

Did the Civic have MA plates?

...wait, even if they did that's not a guarantee they know how to drive.

[Nashida]

He did, but yeah, I'm still convinced this guy got his license from a box of Cracker Jacks.

Like I said before, he was lucky I was paying attention. The road in question is a major connector that connects two major routes and the Mass Turnpike, and constantly has semis using it. If a semi had been behind him when he pulled that stunt, he would have lost for sure.

[Dreamstalker]

Mom's convinced that all licenses now come in Cracker Jack/cereal boxes.

My dad and I were stuck in the middle of a similar stunt on the Garden State Parkway; some fool not only crawled onto the grooved pavement (I swear he slowed down to gawk at the warning signs) but he tried to cut across 3 lanes to make an exit off said stretch that was partially blocked anyway. We were not only between him and the ramp but also in the middle of a pack of semis

[mattm04]

Never seen that particular stunt but I have seem people slam on the brakes when the speed limit changes from say 35 to 25. The second they pass the sight they act like a kid just ran in front of the car, slow down to 10-15 and then accelerate up to 25.

[EricKei]

Never seen that particular stunt but I have seem people slam on the brakes when the speed limit changes from say 35 to 25.

That's one of the few things I *do* like about our local road system -- they usually forecast speed changes of 10mph or greater -- The placement is usually just right so that, if you need to slow from 35 to 25mph, if you simply let go of the gas just as you reach the "Warning" sign, then you will hit 25 just as you reach the 25mph sign ^_^

[roothorick]

Wisconsin DOT doesn't know how to put down gravel. The road in front of The Gerbil is all torn up, and turning off into our parking lot has you go through a dip that my car just barely fits in to. Any decent sized vehicle has to go not more than 1mph or scrape their bumper on the gravel.