The brother chronicles

[EricKei]

My brother did get a rude awakening of sorts with his driving back when he was still "bad" -- fortunately, no wreck, and no-one was hurt -- He came out of a fine drinking establishment one evening, sober as a priest, I'm sure ~_~...

Somehow, he decided that it was a good idea to cross four lanes of street all in one movement (no traffic at the time, thank God), with no turn signal...right in front of a line of 4+ cop cars who were waiting outside said tavern for people showing signs of possible intoxication. Fortunately for him, he retained enough wisdom in his head to co-operate with them, so they ended up leaving his car up on a bluff by the local pest-control place, after apparently having searched it quite thoroughly.

Thing is, who did he use his one phone call for? His girlfriend at the time, who didn't call me or our Dad until several hours later, just as we had returned from said bluff, where we found his car looking like it had been turned inside-out by a tornado (or worse, a carjacker) >_<

Suffice it to say that his punishment did not end after he was released from the drunk tank

[Pagan]

Drive with my left-side tires on the yellow line or a little over.

No offense, but doesn't she know you're supposed to drive in-between the lines, not on them?

[Kogarashi]

I'll bet ShadowBall's mom is worried about clipping things like parked cars or mailboxes on the right side, hence the driving so far left. Hubby does that on some of our narrow side streets, but they don't have the lines except right at the intersections, and they're less-traveled. I still rag on him for it.

[blas]

My Dad is annoying like that, in the sense that if he's with me, he "reminds" me that I have to stop at this upcoming stop sign, or that the speed limit is now 25 instead of 30-35, whatever. I try to ignore him.

Now, if I was doing that to my bf, he'd have every reason in the world to hate me. Maybe not to yell at me, but certainly to be frustrated.

I yell and scream at him because he puts both of our lives in danger and nearly gets into accidents all the time. I haven't been his passenger in quite a while now, and especially now that his brakes don't work and he's letting his psychopathic Adderall addicted brother work on his car, I will NOT ride with him ever again.

Can you believe even though his brakes are simultaneously working/not working, he is still driving that car?! Even though in the past, his brother has done nothing but make problems worse (his brother once spent 15 hours trying to change transmission fluid to NO AVAIL! Not to mention he broke the snaps off my old Neon's door, not to mention he started feeling "sick" so he quit working on it and just left it that way, and also not to mention that he just broke my boyfriend's fender right off his car when he was trying to fix it....bf spent all his money on his spring break vacation so now he has no money to get his car fixed and for some stupid reason he will always trust and continue to trust his stupid brother!).

He called me tonight and I could NOT believe he drove that car out and about, even though yesterday I over-heard his brother tell him that he'd worked on his car while he had been on vacation, and when he test drove it, multiple times the brakes locked up and wouldn't work!!

Anyone in this part of Wisconsin, look out.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Drive with your hands in a certain position.

If she is telling you to drive with your hands in the 2:00 and 10:00 positions on the steering wheel, STOP DOING IT. If the air bag goes off, it may injury your arms and hands. The recommended position for steering wheels with air bags (just about every car made in the past few decades), the recommended hand position is at 3:00 and 9:00, or 4:00 and 8:00 (I prefer 4-8).

[Pagan]

the recommended hand position is at 3:00 and 9:00, or 4:00 and 8:00 (I prefer 4-8).

Frankly, 3 and 9 is more comfortable than 10 and 2 ever was. The way my steering wheel is built, if I try for 4 and 8, I'll wind up honking the horn (meep-meep! Yes, it sounds like the RoadRunner).

Although I admit to driving at straight-up 12 or just 9 if I'm out on the interstate and it's not windy.

[Kogarashi]

10 and 2 is oddly enough the natural position my hands fall in. Helps that I'm pretty tall, and the steering wheel just low enough. Though I've noticed that gradually as I drive, my hands tend to slip down toward 9 and 3.

Although I admit to driving at straight-up 12 or just 9 if I'm out on the interstate and it's not windy.

You and me both.

[Chromatix]

The reason why 10-to-2 is recommended is all down to recommended driving technique. You are supposed to pull down with the hand you're turning towards, and let the other hand slide along the wheel. Then, if you need to turn the wheel further than you can pull, you push up with the other hand and let the first hand slide up. This means you don't end up with crossed hands, and you can usually determine where the centre position is without looking.

That doesn't mean you have to follow it slavishly, it's just good practice.

I should also point out that I was taught to use that technique in a fairly new, airbag-equipped car...

[Kogarashi]

I should also point out that I was taught to use that technique in a fairly new, airbag-equipped car...

I was too, actually. This thread is the first I've heard someone saying to avoid the 10-and-2 position.

[Ironclad Alibi]

I was too, actually. This thread is the first I've heard someone saying to avoid the 10-and-2 position.

I first heard it about 30 years ago, when I was working for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in their car recall office. It is very hard to get people to change what has always been done and taught.

[TheSHAD0W]

12 is definitely not a good idea any more. If the airbag ever goes off, you'll wind up with a broken hand, nose, or both, or worse.

[Pagan]

12 is definitely not a good idea any more. If the airbag ever goes off, you'll wind up with a broken hand, nose, or both, or worse.

Well, when you out on the interstate and there's nobody around you for literally miles....

[Shalom]

Years ago, if I was on a long road trip, sometimes I'd vary my driving position by putting my right hand at 11 and my left hand, or occasionally for a change my left knee, at 7. I don't do this anymore.

My '88 Chevy has a steering wheel with one horizontal spoke tangent to the bottom of the horn button, so it touches the rim at 8 and 4. This means that if you grab the rim such that the edges of your hands rest on the spokes, they're at 9 and 3. I mostly drove that truck with my hands on the spokes themselves, or sometimes my wrists. Of course that vehicle has no air bags, so I didn't have to worry about breaking my thumbs.

[Daemonmonkey]

12 is definitely not a good idea any more. If the airbag ever goes off, you'll wind up with a broken hand, nose, or both, or worse.

And if you keep your hand at 6, and you're a guy...

[Captain Trips]

Your brother drives exactly like my boyfriend. He also doesn't understand the concept of gradually braking. What's also awesome is part of his ADHD is that he can never remember where anything is, mix it with that he's one of "those" people who are always zig zag dashing from lane to lane to lane out of boredom, and he never times it right so that he's in the lane he needs to be.....oh, it's a nightmare. I almost always drive. I am too afraid he's going to kill me.

Oh, and what I love most is if you dare, and I mean dare try and tell him to slow down or that the turn is coming up, he goes into a rage. He has screamed at me, I mean, ear piercingly loud "YOU DO NOT TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" "DON'T TELL ME HOW TO DRIVE!!!!"

Leave him. Now.

He has too little concern for his own safety, none for yours or your feelings. He doesn't deserve to be with you, or even with anyone as long as he has this control-freak death wish.

(Of course, this is just my opinion, others may not agree.)