dang cars

[InvaderTMNT]

I just "love" it when i'm trying to cross the street out of a store and some moron decides to speed up. T.T "wow... we really kno how to drive." I say tht sarcastically to him. even though he can't here me.

[BubblyShell22]

Yeah, people can be rude like that. I don't drive myself, but when I'm with my mom, I hate it when semi trucks speed up when they're not supposed to.

[Raphael]

The problem is that everyone tends to get into their own little world, and they forget that there are others out and about.

And this goes for drivers, pedestrians & cyclists.  As a driver, I've had cyclists suddenly cut in front of me...and I've had pedestrians walk in front of me without looking, either texting or talking on a phone or listening to an iPod and I've had other drivers cut me off, then kinda look up with this "deer in the headlights" when they realize what nearly happened.

[Aignatius]

As a cyclist, I know the feeling. And that's why I have to be all the more the defensive driver, so to speak, because I'll be the one who loses out in a collision. 

[Raphael]

Thank you, Aig!  That's how I feel on the subject.

Sure, the pedestrian has the right of way in a crosswalk, no doubt about it.  But, if there's an inattentive driver out there, and let's face it, there are many!, who's going to come out the loser in a car-pedestrian face off?  Most likely, it won't be the car.

You hear about car accidents, pedestrian accidents, cycling accidents daily - if you're venturing out, regardless of your mode of transport, why assume that every other person who's out and about is a 100% perfect driver/pedestrian/cyclist?  Especially if your life is on the line.

I assume everyone out there is an idiot, myself included. 

[BubblyShell22]

Yeah, there are no perfect drivers anymore. Some people just think they own the road.

[Fugitoid]

Speak for yourself. My driving skills are so awesome I can snatch the beard off of Chuck Norris' face using my bare hand at 100 MPH!

But in seriousness, bad road manners is one of my biggest pet peeves. I say road manners because I just don't mean cars. Some times it feels like hardly anyone knows road safety/etiquette anymore. Things that I was taught at a very young age like looking both ways, staying to the right and going with traffic (walking, biking, etc).

Living in Florida doesn't help. I have nothing against the elderly but I wish some of them would recognize that it's time to not be behind the wheel anymore. And don't get me started on all the snowbirds at this time of the year. *facepalm*

[Aignatius]

Ooh, Florida, I've heard many nightmarish accounts by cyclists who live there. Apparently it is the highest rate of pedestrian and cyclist collisions and deaths in the US. 

Ha, I can recall once while on the bike path someone lecturing me about stopping at intersections because she said "bicycles always have right of way". Even though there was a stop sign on the bike path... she rode right along, never looking or stopping, with earbuds in and all. Uh, actually, she's completely wrong. Bikes are vehicles with the same laws applying to them as cars, only I'd say common sense dictates that since bikes go a lot slower than cars, I'm not exactly comfortable with pedaling along a curving country road with cars going 60 on it... argh. I'll leave that to the Armstrongs and Cavendishes to navigate... 

But as a driver, I have to watch and let people and bikes go in front of me, because hitting them with my car would likely have a very bad outcome for them. Big old pointed fenders on it...

[Fugitoid]

Did not know that Florida has the highest rate of pedestrian and cyclist collisions and deaths in the US. I'm so proud of you Florida! But that explains why people on bicycles seem to be pretty good about following the rules of the road. At least that has been my observation. A lot of bad drivers out there.

[Aignatius]

It's a shame because Florida is such a great state for bicycles, it's flat, and the weather is pretty good year round, and such.
It's nice here too most of the year, though rather hilly, but it rarely gets hot or cold. But there is not enough accommodation for walking and biking. Some places, it seems impossible to walk anywhere without climbing over guardrails and walking through parking lots...
And weather-wise, people have been out walking in subzero weather for centuries. We've just become a bit too worried about being out in the elements lately, I guess. People don't seem to be as acclimated anymore. We used to live in Arizona without air conditioning. You just get used to it... 

[InvaderTMNT]

  I'm actually afraid to drive... Every dream i have about driving a car I always crash. 

[Aignatius]

Can't say I blame you for not wanting to drive. Yesterday while riding min town on my trike, I felt like the hunter in a scene from The Bear, when being confronted by a Grizzly:  "Pleeese don't killl meee!"

[Raphael]

Totally off topic for this discussion, but InvaderTMNT's comment about always dreaming of a car crash put the following line into my head from an old (1984) TV show:

"The only thing I ever flew was a paper airplane and...it ... crashed."

[Aignatius]

And now we know how Raph thinks. Like an 80's TV show. Or a line from a Beatle's tune. 

[Fugitoid]

Nice threadjack Raph. LOL! I'll let it go this time since it's in the flame pit area.

Anyways... now I gotta know what the TV show was Raph!

Also, just to get slightly back on topic. I love driving! Even though I've been in three crashes in my life. And I'll admit, I love driving fast. But only where appropriate, like on the highway. It really irks me when people are going like 20+ MPH in my apartment complex because there are always people walking/running with or without a dog around here. In my opinion, there is no reason to go any faster than 15 MPH in a people dense area such as where I live.