Driving 101- What your teacher never taught you
- Thread starter bluemtn
- Start date
OP
OP
bluemtn
Senior Master
My example will have to be the "Do- it- yourself towing service." Yes, you read it right. I was driving home from work the other day, stopped at a relatively busy intersection, when all of the sudden I saw 2 cars come by. At first, I thought the other car was tailgating the one in front, when a closer look revealed the 2 were connected by a rope. Apparently, one of the trucks had broke down. I could not go anywhere, even though the way was clear, because of shock!
I would have to say the guy who was shaving, with half a McMuffin (or something similar) in his mouth, and a newspaper over the steering wheel... while driving down the freeway. Very disturbing... thankfully, my exit (or at least, one I could use easily) was very soon after, and I was able to get away from the idiot.
Hell, driving and eating is nothing. Driving and playing a musical instrument is pretty good. Towing with a rope doesn't even bump the radar. (Not even when the rope in question is nothing more than chunks of twine knotted together... or playground swing chains.)
Now, one night I did stop a car for driving rather erratically... weaving, uneven speed, and just generally not good driving. H'mmm... Walk up, male driver, female passenger. Noticed that her makeup was a little mussed... not completely unreasonable for someone on their way home from a date, and she was acting a little more embarrassed than typical. Bit of an odor of alcohol, not a lot. Got the driver out of the car... No, not drunk. But his fly was undone. The conclusions are left to the students... but I think I know why he wasn't driving so good... :wink: :wink: :knudge: :knudge:
Now, one night I did stop a car for driving rather erratically... weaving, uneven speed, and just generally not good driving. H'mmm... Walk up, male driver, female passenger. Noticed that her makeup was a little mussed... not completely unreasonable for someone on their way home from a date, and she was acting a little more embarrassed than typical. Bit of an odor of alcohol, not a lot. Got the driver out of the car... No, not drunk. But his fly was undone. The conclusions are left to the students... but I think I know why he wasn't driving so good... :wink: :wink: :knudge: :knudge:
On the infamous 405 freeway in So. Cal. where one gets on to park and eek their way to their next destination ... I saw a woman change her clothing - completely. She was in pajamas with hair in hot rollers. As we eeked along, she proceeded to remove her nightware piece by piece and don brassiere, camisole, blouse, change underwear, put on pantyhose and skirt. Followed makeup and hair, of course.
What a mix of emotions there for me - both outrage and jealousy at her clear sleep advantage plus complete embarrassment at being caught staring at the process from start to finish.
The most outrageous experience I've had as a passenger in the vehicle was by ex-brother-in-law who would write up an invoice while steering with his knee.
What a mix of emotions there for me - both outrage and jealousy at her clear sleep advantage plus complete embarrassment at being caught staring at the process from start to finish.
The most outrageous experience I've had as a passenger in the vehicle was by ex-brother-in-law who would write up an invoice while steering with his knee.
jkembry
Black Belt
Here in the Washington DC metro area...we have all that have mentioned previously....and a lack of knowledge on how to merge onto or exit freeways correctly. Then there is the 'get the hell out of my way, I'm more important and have places to go' mentality that makes it more dangerous for everyone on the road.
You've gotta make some allowances for the high number of left hand exit/entrance ramps...
OK... no you don't. The fact is, having done comparisons with colleagues around the world, there are dumb, stupid, careless, insane drivers everywhere. In fact, traffic anywhere in the US doesn't hold a candle to some parts of South America or Europe...
The one thing that does really screw up driving around DC is that there's a huge number of tourists, and of transients (people living here for only a few years) who never really learn their way around. I can't tell you how many people are hopelessly lost if they have to deviate from their routine route...
But that's drifting off the thread...
More driver nuttiness that I've seen... A young woman who didn't understand why I didn't share her interest in dental hygiene, as she flossed her teeth driving down the road. Another woman who didn't understand why I stopped her for the expired inspection, driving while she was eating a bowl of soup, without a seatbelt on... The guy I saw yesterday who decided he had to make a right turn at a traffic light. OK, right on red is legal -- except that it was posted "NO RIGHT ON RED." And he was in the center lane. I don't even want to try to count the folks I've seen reading books, newspapers, working on computers, and more...
The deaf couple arguing in sign language as they drove down the road was interesting...
I gotta laugh at the morons who absolutely must get that spot in front of me in rush hour traffic (which, in this area, turns a 4 lane freeway into a parking lot)... to sit there. Even better is when you pull into a store or something right behind the moron who was fighting and weaving through traffic, driving like a nut... Yep, they saved less than 2 minutes!
I'm sure it was... you didn't pull them over did you? It's hard enough for a non-signer to communicate with a deaf person as it is (sometimes) but worse when there's one that's already aggravated and then YOU come along and pull them over... probably making them later than they already are.... tch, tch, tch. Don't envy you on that one there boy... no sirree. :lol:
One of the things that folks should really think about is that the guys like me driving those 18 wheelers on the highway can see everything going on inside the car when you pass us. Had the OP not said keep it clean I could regale you with stories that would make even the saltiest dog blush... and often what I saw I was meant to see... some folks seem to enjoy the exhibitionism. As for clean stuff, probably the oddest thing I've seen was a couple of guys passing a bong back and forth in the front seat of a car. The passenger would steer while the driver would inhale.
OP
OP
bluemtn
Senior Master
Driving with my boyfriend's father is always an adventure, especially when you're seated in the front passenger seat! Second to last plane trip we had, he picked us up. Yeah, driving with one elbow, no consideration of the lines dividing the street, ignoring curbs, not to mention being just outside of Baltimore... All I can say is, me not being much of a drinker, and a complete non- smoker, I was ready for a hard hitting alcoholic beverage and a pack of cigarrettes after that trip!
I've worked domestic disputes with deaf families... Made multiple traffic stops, though never a DUI. It's always a challenge... and demands patience on both sides. The folks arguing didn't quite drive badly enough for me to stop 'em, though it got close.
