Great post. I'm relatively young and athletic, and I love walking, and even for me it can be a challenge to cross certain street where I have to be very quick to get out of cars way. I can only imagine what its like for elderly, less able bodies people, people with shopping carts or strollers. And this is here in NYC, where somehow people, drivers, bicyclists and motorcyclist can more or less negotiate space. It is ten times worse in the suburbs where drivers are not used to pedestrians, where there are barely sidewalks or crosswalks and everyone is speeding like a maniac.

 

Agree 100% - I really hate driving now, seems like MOST people drive like idiots for some reason.

My 3am drive to the airport on Tuesdays is relatively calm, thank God.

 

I remember when I was 19 and driving a Porsche. I was a big man on campus, and everyone else were peasants. Got caught 155 in a 55 (I think we were going faster), and even with that I snubbed the man in the NYS troop car (he said you pay the toll, or I put you in cuffs and you ride with me--I had to think, what an a**h*** I was). Boy was I really something and I hope my son is never like that.

One thing I remember to this day--I was in NH, and basically drove the same way as in NY, and nearly hit a woman. The reason was expectation--being NH, she fully expected me to come to a stop and allow her to cross at a crosswalk. Not only did I not care, I likely gave her the finger.

Honestly my position is completely 180 degrees, since I was a dumb a** 19 y.o. with a fast car. I don't want to make contact while driving, with anybody, period. If that means the other party is being inconsiderate I will try to let it go. I've talked to colleagues in Toronto--they still feel annoyed when one person crosses slowly and is not looking, but they tolerate it and they yield. We should too...

 

Glad you've matured and changed your driving habits. Unfortunately, there are plenty of drivers who are mature in age, but still behave like utter maniacs.

 

I ride a motorcycle also, and I've seen some bikers do some really stupid things around cars to **** them off. That's what makes it hard on the rest of us. And yes too much distraction going on in the car, saw a lady in rush hour traffic the other day putting on her makeup while she was driving or attempting to drive.

 

Back in the '70s I bought a shiny new Honda 500 (4 cylinder street bike, very smooth) and used it exclusively to drive the streets and freeways of LA for about 6 years and 75,000 miles. I was cautious and in my mid-20s so I did not suffer too much from testosterone poisoning like my younger peers. Traveled the USA on it and only dropped it once, on glare ice in Lake Tahoe.

Looking back I can see how motorcycles and young men are a perfect example of Darwin's Natural Selection at work. I drove the freeways every day, and would lane split but only if traffic was at a near-standstill (legal in California). The bike eventually became pretty exotic, with the first turbocharger kit ever made for a Honda Four, and numerous suspension and handling mods. The acceleration was just remarkable and the fastest I ever saw was 124 (but NOT on the highway). Anyway, one day I came back to my parking space on the USC campus in LA and the bike was gone. The theft probably saved my life in the long run.

I am sorry the kid was killed. I can imagine how much he loved his bike and the sensation of speed. He was too fast for conditions and I don't know if he had his headlight on. It was mostly his fault. I don't think I ever met a driver that was "out to get me" because I was on a bike, but then I was never aggressive around them.

There are many activities that carry increased risk and require scrupulous attention to proper procedure, such as flying, mountaineering, hang gliding, scuba diving, auto racing, spelunking, and so on. They make life exciting but also tend to sort out folks who don't think clearly.

As for crosswalks, perhaps it's an Oregon thing but folks here regard not stopping for pedestrians to be practically a felony, with penalties to match. It is rare to see aggressive drivers around crosswalks. People in Oregon may be nuts in other regards, but they are good to pedestrians.

 

What I see are A LOT of stupid drivers out there who can't wait like another 3-5 sec for a car (while there are absolutely no car behind it) to pass so they can make that left turn

In this instance where the biker was going super fast AND the other driver not waiting for him to pass........unfortunately, biker will always lose

 

It's so important what company one keeps. I got mixed up with the upper crust of society, and wanted to belong so badly. So badly that I would buy a Porsche at 19. Ridiculous.

Where are all these guys today? You guessed it, still in society's upper crust hahahahaha I zillow'd one of the guys' summer homes that his parents owned where we would hang out, and it was recently sold for 8 mil. f'in Massachusetts!

But again, there is nothing square or uncool about being yourself, and doing your best to be a good citizen, follow the golden rule, etc.

Sometimes when I drive my LS430, I am really driving it the way many people drive it! (grandpa's here!) And when I drive my 335i, I don't usually drive that fast, don't feel the need.

edit p.s. and when I'm on the beach, I'm in a speedo trying to tan my ******!

 

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh TMI, LOL!!!!

 

A few weeks ago, we had a cashier at Costco who reminded me of that guy Redfoo cuz he had similar hair, and whom I could not remember at that time. So when I got on YouTube, I started watching lmfao videos, where he says, "I work out!"

 

http://www.derehamtimes.co.uk/news/i...-car-1-3649858

Here is part of the inquest.

 

I don't disagree, but you can stop using the offensive term "retards". Not necessary to prove your point when there's already a good argument there.

And yeah, sadly people have this sort of road rage attitude in general. I get in that head space all the time and have to remind myself that we're all just trying to get somewhere at the end of the day. And after having been in an accident, even though I wasn't the driver, I am a lot more cautious around other cars on the road now than I was before.

 

well the guy that turned in fornt of him DID plead guilty...

 

Disagreed. Correct terms and much harsher punishment have to be used in order to identify problem and improve driving behavior.

 

In all seriousness: You are missing the point - the term you have deliberately used in multiple posts is demeaning to those who have mental challenges. I won't continue to argue about it because it is off-topic, but I don't have any sympathy for people who are willingly disrespectful. In other words, hope you're trolling.