Moron Drivers of the Month

[w3sy]

Could not let these two get away without mention. I saw 'em both on the same day.

1) Going down a 50 mph 2-lane major road, I noticed I was closing fast on the white Explorer in front of me. When I caught up to the chick in front of me, I noticed we were both going 35. In my mind, that's a bit slow for a 50 mph road on a clear, dry day. Then I noticed she had the visor mirror down and was doing The Eye Makeup Thing -- mascara with the little brush, etc. Luckily, I was able to pass her shortly thereafter.

Hey, if you can go the speed limit, drive straight, and get from point A to point B without killing someone while dressing, shaving, brushing teeth, clipping your toenails, performing acts of "feminine hygiene," eating, bathing, getting an enema, giving birth, OR applying makeup -- MORE FROGGIN' POWER TO YA! I'm sure it happens every day in this great land of ours. But if you are going to go 15-20 mph less than traffic SHOULD be going, FROGGIN' PULL OVER. Or better yet, do that crap at home.

Besides, even with the makeup, she was STILL bug ugly.


2) Entering the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, I noticed traffic was unusually slow and bunched up. Often, that's not a good sign. About halfway through the tunnel, at the head of the mess, was some gnat brain in the right lane doing about 20-25 mph through the tunnel with a white-knuckle grip on the wheel. (Tunnel speed limit is 45.) Once I passed her (yes, it was a "her" again), traffic IN MY LANE moved just fine. The right lane traffic, with Granny in the lead position, disappeared to a mere speck within seconds. I think the momentary congestion in the left lane was from people slowing down to get a look at who the hell was backing up traffic in the RIGHT lane.

I say if a particular road or tunnel scares ya that much, TAKE ANOTHER ROUTE!! Creeping through the tunnel is dangerous, because it tempts other drivers to violate the tunnel "no passing" rule. And lane changes in a tunnel are a recipie for major disaster.

Idiots.

Judge says, "Justifyable road rage! NOT GUILTY! Case closed!"

Haw.
Out.

[K7JBQ]

Observation from driving too many miles in the lovely state of California:

Q: How do you blind an Asian woman?
A: Put a windshield in front of her.

73,
Bill

[WA5KRP]

Stevie,


I ain't messin' with this thread. My Maalox and Zantac consumption would ruin the household budget.



WA5KRP
Texas

[AG3Y]

I blew right through "The Scales" this morning without even a minor slowdown! ! ! Only reason I can figure is because that parked car with the red tag dangling from the antenna was gone today ! Three @#$% days worth of slowdowns at that point this week. I must have lost 45 minutes total for the week just in that 2 mile stretch of road!

73 from Jim ( and may all of your commutes be uneventful ! )

[w3sy]

Unflogginbelievable what people will slllloooowwwww down to look at!!

[N7AAO]

Quote[/b] (w3sy @ Aug. 19 2004,09:25)]Unflogginbelievable what people will slllloooowwwww down to look at!!
Many years ago, during the morning commute and traffic report in 6-land, the reporter mentioned a stalled car and all the "lookie-loos" that were slowing down to take a peek...

Then he yelled (literally) into the microphone, "don't look!"

I wasn't there, but I understand from later reports that while a few people that had been rubbernecking decided it was time to move on, his comment just drew more people to the scene, which bogged things down even more.

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/unclesam.gif

[W0UZR]

When I was riding my motorcycle one afternoon, I saw this gal at a cross road and saw that she only looked to her right. (the oppisit way than from where I was coming)

And I thought, "She doesn't know I'm here. So,,,I stopped right at the corner, she pulled out RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! My tire was about two feet from her door, and she gasped and slamed on the breaks when her head finally turned to where she could see me. And I said, "You didn't look this way at all in my direction. Where did you get your license,,,Out Of a CRACKER JACK BOX!!!?"

She was dumbfounded, and just hit the gas and took off.

[ai4ep]

it is easy to fuss and rant and rave at all the "idiots " on the road between your point A and point B. But also remember all the good folks that you met, or were behind or in front of on your commute.

I wonder what some of they would / could say about YOUR driving, if some one sat them down in front of a keyboard with this thread at the monitor.

It might be interesting to hear the other side of the story.

I make NO claims to being the perfect driver and YES.. I've done each of the following BONEHEADED moves in the past.. but when I did I realized I did it and I practiced so I wouldn't do it again..and you know what.. I haven't! #Since I do over 35,000 miles a year (not professional driver) I've gotten rid of most of the idiot habits.

But I have annoying habits like the rest of us do.. HOWEVER, here are the common ones that constantly irritate me.

The 'idjit' who begins to cut directly in front of me on the Interstate. THEN, when he is 1/2 way INTO my lane engages the turn signal!

Must mean.. 'Hey! #I just put it on so in case you hit me I can tell the cops/insurance adjuster that "I had my turn signal on!"

People who, on a limited-access high-speed (55+) multi-lane road ..

1) Cannot understand the concept of ACCELERATION LANE means use it to match speed with the traffic flow and merge gracefully. #(THEY go S-L-O-W and get to end and then S----T----O---P!!! #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif # to wait for a big break so they can accelerate and leave ALL of us in the back saying BAD things about that person.

2) Want to exit the expressway. Do they get over to the RIGHT lane in a decent time to keep from playing 'cut across the lanes'? #NO WAY!

They are 1/4 mile from their exit. Road is QUITE crowded! They think 'MY EXIT!! MUST EXIT NOW!!'.
No turn signal.. just look for the opening.. Ziiiipp over (horns blow fingers raised they don't care!) #sharp quick look to right.. ZIIIIPPPPP over a lane and then get ot exit and ZIIPPPP (cut in and cut off people trying to merge) and get off at their exit.

3) Swervy-curvy folks who zig-zag through the traffic trying to gain 'that extra car length or two'.

4) The idiot who tailgates on the expressway. Speed limit is 55. I'm doing 65 or greater (flow of traffic) in left lane. Comes barreling behind.. tailgates.. flashes lights. I look over to right.. Lane is filled with people going SLOWER than I am plus no safe way to get over. #I look down at speedometer. doing WELL above 'The Limit'.

Ignore idiot who flashes lights. #He tailgates for couple miles.. drives me nuts. I tap brake pedal while keeping foot on gas. Makes him back off. He resumes tailgating. I slow down.. He never gets clue. Keeps tailgaiting. #Finally I just press gas to increase speed and give brake GOOD QUICK SHARP PRESS to make my car 'jump' like I'm hammering the brake without me losing any real speed. Usually idiot GETS IT by that time and decides to STOP tailgating! I also increase the distance between him and me.

[KA9VQF]

Near Louisville Kentucky on route I-65 {if I remember right} there is a very short tunnel. For the last seven or so years I have been forced to take my wife and daughter through that tunnel on our way to visit the wife’s sister in Tennessee.
The first few times my daughter was all excited when we would go through it. She would take pictures of it as we approached, while we were inside and as we exited it.

We usually get there in the late night or early morning times and traffic is usually pretty thin. There have been times when the driver ahead of me has come to a virtual stop in front of me, for no apparent reason, and I was forced to pass inside the tunnel.

I recently made the trip again this year. My daughter is now of driving age and wanted to try a turn at the wheel. We hit town around 2:30 local time and she did well through the construction that always seem to be on the Indiana side of the line and went pretty smoothly over the bridge and made the lane changes necessary to get to the tunnel.

As we approached the tunnel she slowed down a bit. I didn’t say anything but I did look at her. She had the white knuckle death grip on the wheel and had disengaged the cruise control. When I asked what she was doing she said she was afraid of the tunnel. This blew my mind. She has successfully logged a lot of miles on her own and I truly thought she was a competent driver.

I told her that she was lucky that she was the only traffic on the road and she was right to disengage the cruise but she really should not let the speed drop so much.

You never know what kind of road surface you might find in a tunnel it could be wet or have debris all over or well just anything really and having the robot feeding the gas is a poor idea sometimes and it is handy to be able to react to whatever conditions may be, but you should never drastically slow down that much.

I explained that, that is what causes a lot of the road rage that goes on. You never know what kind of day, week, month, year, or life some of the other drivers on the road have been having and slowing them down maybe the last straw and they may produce a firearm and blow you away.
On the way home she did just fine.

[AG3Y]

My next car is going to be a HumVEE ( don't want one of those whimpy Hummers. . . I want the REAL THING ! ) Better yet, maybe a Brinks armored truck . . . GET OUTTA MY WAY ! ! ! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif

Jim

[N7AAO]

Quote[/b] (AG3Y @ Aug. 19 2004,11:10)]My next car is going to be a HumVEE #( don't want one of those whimpy Hummers. . . I want the REAL THING ! ) # Better yet, maybe a Brinks armored truck . . . #GET OUTTA MY WAY ! ! ! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif

Jim
I am currently between vehicles, riding the bus, but am seriously looking at a Jeep Cherokee... not the new Mommy-friendly type, but the ones from back when a Jeep was about the most rugged thing on the road.

By the way, when riding the bus, you'd be amazed how many id10ts think the bus can stop on a dime and cut right in front. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/unclesam.gif

[KA9VQF]

It's bad enough when it is a mass transit buss. I was relief driver for our school system. You would not believe how many folks think that the yellow flashing lights mean pass faster.
You might also be surprised how many of those little yellow sticks that are mounted on the front of the school busses these days get ripped off in an average year. Those sticks aren’t extended until the bus has stopped with the red lights on.
The local school system has installed those annoying strobe lights and flashing red lights on the sticks this year. I wonder how many will get trashed.

[AG3Y]

Good Gosh ! I call the stobe-lighted busses ( with the lights up high on the back of the bus ) the "busses from Hell ! " I can't imagine how much more irritating they are going to be when they fire off right in your line of vision!

"Honestly, Officer, I didn't see the child because he was right out there with the flashing lights! "

Oh, that's another exceedingly annoying thing, those blue, ultra high-lumin output enhanced lights that you pay beaucoux bucks to put on your car so you can blind everyone coming from the other direction for at least a mile down the road! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif

See how easy it is to get me riled up ?

73 from Jim AG3Y

[N7AAO]

The school buses here have a small "STOP" sign (about half the size of a regular stop sign) on the left side of the bus, and they have mounted strobes on the top and the bottom of the sign... not to mention a white strobe on the rear of the roof that flashes whenever there are children on board... they are very visible, but sometimes they are too visible!

[KA9VQF]

From what I understand the strobes will only fire once the arm is extended same with the blinking red lights.

They have had the white strobe on top for years.

I wondered why they put the strobe up there but I can see why when it is foggy they are a good idea.

Not sure how popular the new lights are going to be. As far as I know there have been no injuries in our school district caused by butthead drivers just those crossing sticks ripped from the busses.

I know the drivers have cameras on board to take photos of offending vehicles. The cops don’t ask a lot of questions just hunt you down and arrest you if your stupid enough to leave the scene.
Does not matter if you can prove you were not at the wheel if you own the vehicle you are responsible unless you can maybe prove that the vehicle was stolen.

[N7AAO]

Quote[/b] (KA9VQF @ Aug. 19 2004,13:16)]From what I understand the strobes will only fire once the arm is extended same with the blinking red lights.
Not these strobes... the ones on the stop sign flash as long as the sign is extended (it swings out when the door is opened, I think), and the white one on the roof is almost always going.

[KA9VQF]

I edited my post so there is more information now

[N7AAO]

Okay, that makes more sense about the white strobe... and we do get early morning fog here in this river valley we are sitting in. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[KA9VQF]

It seems strange for me to believe that some people can not see a large yellow machine like that and not be more careful around it. They have had yellow and red flashing lights for many many years. I can always see them and tho they are a pain in the butt sometimes when they have to make stops every few hundred yards I always take a deep breath and just follow them until they turn off or there is a decent place to pass them.

[N7AAO]

Quote[/b] (KA9VQF @ Aug. 19 2004,13:35)]It seems strange for me to believe that some people can not see a large yellow machine like that and not be more careful around it. They have had yellow and red flashing lights for many many years. I can always see them and tho they are a pain in the butt sometimes when they have to make stops every few hundred yards I always take a deep breath and just follow them until they turn off or there is a decent place to pass them.
What is even more amazing is that they can't see the huge bright white (with light green and light blue stripes) city buses... but there was a lady just a few weeks ago that ran a red light and T-boned a bus and claimed she couldn't see it.

Actually, not all of the buses here are mostly white... after 9/11, a local paint company donated some red, white, and blue paint and they did one of the buses in a flag motif, and gave it a new number... bus # 91101.

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/unclesam.gif

[k5phw]

Try riding a motorcycle. You will be a better driver or a fatality. People don't see anything other than their cell phone.

[N7AAO]

Quote[/b] (N5PHW @ Aug. 19 2004,16:00)]Try riding a motorcycle. You will be a better driver or a fatality. People don't see anything other than their cell phone.
You think that's bad, try being a pedestrian!

[w5alt]

Whine, whine, whine. You whooses ought to try commuting in South America for awhile. Even being a pedestrian can be challenging.

There is a sign just outside the bus terminal in Santa Cruz, Bolivia that says (translated) "According to Section XXXX of the municipal code, in case a pedestrian is struck by a motor vehicle, it will be assumed that the pedestrian was in the wrong place unless there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary."

Gives a whole new meaning to CYA. And believe me, they drive like they fully believe the law!

73,
Walt, W5ALT

[KG4CGC]

It is easy to mount a cheap camcorder on your dash that will swivel where ever you want it. Start rolling those tapes folks. With the newer models you would start spinning those disks. Folks.
I won't get into it but I've wanted to do that for years!

[K4JSR]

I wish that all of you people complaining about mu driving would just get the heck off of the sidewalk! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif

Have you seen that bumper sticker that says, "Don't like
my driving? #Call 1-800-EATS#*T
73 and #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif # # #Cal # #K4JSR http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif

# # # # Bent Bumpers, Ga.

# # # # # # # # http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/blues.gif

[w3sy]

SCHOOL BUS QUESTION:

How come a lot of the new school buses set off my radar detector?? #Whoops, I mean my K, Ka, and Laser band receiver.... heheheheheh

[KA9VQF]

Do these busses have the satellite tracking systems {like so many of the bigtimeovertheroadProfessionalsemitrucks} if so they might be setting off the birddog. I mean K, Ka, and Laser band receiver

[w4rot]

It's then dad gum kids..man...they are are screwing up everything.
Fun thing to do behind a stopped school bus...Start poking 'em the bird..man everyone of them migrate to the back...You'll have everyone of them giggin you. Sort of like mob theory.
Then smile...they get embarassed and go away.
Kids these days...
w4rot

[w4rot]

Of course it helps if you live in rural America. Same kids everyday...Man they grow up fast.
w4rot

[N8CPA]

I don't know about other areas of the country.
But around here, I'm convinced that to be a school bus driver, you have to have been a passenger on the short ones!

[W0UZR]

Quote[/b] ]It's then dad gum kids..man...they are are screwing up everything.
Fun thing to do behind a stopped school bus...Start poking 'em the bird..man everyone of them migrate to the back...You'll have everyone of them giggin you. Sort of like mob theory.
Then smile...they get embarassed and go away.
Kids these days...
w4rot
<span style='font-size:12pt;line-height:100%'>WHAT !!

When you are behind a school bus, you flip them them the Bird !

I guess it's obvious what kind of person you are.

Or you just trying to be funny? Cause if this stuff goes on for real, then I can understand why 10 and 13 year olds swear at me and throw rocks, and don't have any respect for me and others. It's because of people like you!</span>

[k6pme]

Quote[/b] (w3sy @ Aug. 19 2004,09:07)]Entering the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, I noticed traffic was unusually slow and bunched up.
unusually slow and bunched up? Thats the one on I-95 right? I thought that was status quo for that tunnel. I have yet to make it through there with having to come to a dead stop at some point.

[w4rot]

Duly noted UZR,
Yes I was trying to be funny..guess it did not work. You also missed the smile part.
I will be more careful with my tangents from now on.
Good Day,
w4rot

[ai4ep]

Yep...if you get behind a school bus and it stops to pick up more children or at a red light ...and YOU flip them a BYRD...maybe the back door should open, 3 - 5 of them high school males jump out and beat the living *&amp;^% out of YOU,damage your vehicle and then jump back in the back door of the bus and leave...that would problably be the last time you were DUMB enough to do that kind of stuff.
No one on that bus is going to tell that any one got out through that back door...and no one in the vehicles behind you is going to tell a story that half way matches yours. They are just going to be mad at you for blocking traffic ( make all of them late for work, school, etc )...
So just go ahead and &quot; flip them a byrd &quot;...just go right ahead and do it !! You are invincible, you are immortal, YOU are super duper man !! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[kc2jga]

Quote[/b] (AG3Y @ Aug. 19 2004,06:10)]My next car is going to be a HumVEE #( don't want one of those whimpy Hummers. . . I want the REAL THING ! ) # Better yet, maybe a Brinks armored truck . . . #GET OUTTA MY WAY ! ! ! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif

Jim
According to FedLog, our Army supply pricing system. A BASE humvee will go for $36,000. No doors, no soft top, no A/C, no stereo, no decent heating, and a 5.8L engine that will get you about 5 blocks to the gallon. The H1's and H2's are just as bad on gas as the normal Army ones.
Of course, you could uprgrade to a model that has armor, A/C, turbo diesel, steel plated floors, bulllet proof glass and a .50cal turret. Here is a pic of my truck...
http://home.twcny.rr.com/kc2jga/2004_0723Image0005.JPG

[N7AAO]

Are you Lawson or Gordon? Driver or shotgun? http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[K4JSR]

SY asked, &quot;SCHOOL BUS QUESTION:

How come a lot of the new school buses set off my radar detector?? Whoops, I mean my K, Ka, and Laser band receiver.... heheheh&quot;

Because all of the kids on that bus had the X
band oscillators that Ramsey Electronics used to sell!http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
If you can still find one of those things you can still upset a few speed demons! I have
seen people get the &quot;brown ring&quot; around their necks when zapped by one of those devices.
Also at one time, several states had decided
to put messages onto those radar signals to warn of danger, bad road conditions, etc.
Several detectors were made that would post those warning advisories. No clue as to what
ever happened to that idea.

73, Cal K4JSR
Neck Band, Ga.

[ai4ep]

bad road conditions ? man, in Alabama that thing would be going off constantly !!

[kc2jga]

Quote[/b] (N7AAO @ Aug. 20 2004,01:55)]Are you Lawson or Gordon? Driver or shotgun? http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
A quick check of my callsign would have saved you the trouble of asking and waiting for an answer. j/k! Yes, I am the driver of that truck. Just recently had a new paint job, new doors, new top, new exhaust manifold(left one had cracked) and a few other goodies. Normally, you would see antenna's on it, but they are not mounted.
73's
Mike