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Driving Is Less Fun
I have to vent, and if I am wrong in my opinion pile on. I can take it.
We are not new bus owners. We have been doing this since 1990, and I have 400,000 miles behind the wheel of our buses. I admit when we started out Prevost motor home conversions were very rare and attracted a lot of attention. Not just from car drivers, but from truckers as well. It was a real pleasure driving the coach because for the most part drivers were curious but polite and there seemed to be a much more enjoyable aspect to driving.
Today we headed from home in Knoxville for a short vacation period in New Orleans. No major cities, and the only cities were went near are hardly traffic issues. But today was typical of most recent trips. Drivers are either getting more stupid and rude, or my tolerance as I age is getting far worse than ever.
In a construction zone in which 3 lanes were merged into the left lane a van trying to somehow get ahead of everyone decided he was passing everyone in the left lane on the right, even though he was running along the orange barrels that were moving closer to the left. When he got along side of me, his option was to hit me on his left (in the correct open left lane), hit the barrels merging with him on his right, or hit his brakes hard because his speed was significantly faster than those of us already in the correct lane. He hit his brakes and was quickly stuck, stopped alongside of traffic in the open lane moving along side of him. We came upon another section of closed lanes, and I was shocked to be passed on the right by the same van that wasn’t successful the last attempt.
Further down the interstate a couple hundred miles, 2 lanes and on the right was the ramp onto the traffic lanes. A car comes down the ramp but instead of slowing down or accelerating his speed matches mine. The merge lane was lengthy, but it was coming to an end and the car still had not moved off my right side. I was stuck because a car was pacing me on my left. As the merge lane ended I expected the car attempting to merge would slow, but instead, no signal, just an abrupt movement to his left right at the side of my coach. His nose was next to my steer axle. I laid on the horn to wake someone up. The car attempting to merge, got back onto the shoulder and stopped. The car to my left got afraid of me because I initially wiggled hard left into his lane about a foot. He had room, but I scared him and he hit his brakes hard, and traffic in his lane really must have been surprised, and traffic behind me backed off a lot not knowing what was going on or was going to happen.
Then there was the white SUV, that passed me fast, cut in close, and stood on his brakes so he could get off at the exit immediately to my right.
These were the prize winners of the stupid award.
Is it just me that attracts idiots, or am I unrealistic in thinking driving has changed in 30 years. It is not fun when my normal driving tries to always anticipate what others will do and then do my best to change lanes, back off, speed up or whatever it takes so none of us are inconvenienced or feel threatened. But with pot smokers, cell phone users, and everybody in a hurry I wonder if driving being a pleasure is going to go away.
I have to vent, and if I am wrong in my opinion pile on. I can take it.
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41 Replies
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Some thoughts that come to mind, related to cars and to drivers.
1) To improve gas mileage manufacturers strive to save weight which makes cars more agile, i.e. accelerate, stop, and change direction more easily. These folks don’t have a clue as to the agility of 50,000 pounds.
2) With the proliferation of technology, people get less bored, so they don’t need to get out for a drive just for the engagement fun of driving. And manufacturers are striving to take away more and more and all of human input needed to drive. When something is less interactive/fun we don’t do it as much = less experience = increased risk.
3) As the country gets more crowded, our tolerance for having more people in our way is less, i.e. road rage etc.
4) According to a tv commercial, as we age, our brain changes.
Now, to be clear, I had one philosophy class in college, but I made all this up.
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We’ve been coming home from Corolla NC and are in Louisiana just west of New Orleans right now. On one on-ramp a car came down and I couldn’t make room for them because a car on my left was passing me – slowly…. as is always the case in this situation. The car came into the on-ramp merge lane right about my door. And then hung out there the whole merge lane – didn’t speed up (I’m going 62 in the 70 testing out Jon’s fuel economy speed) and then finally hit the brakes at the end of the lane…. not before. My wife and I looked at each other and said “dumb 4 wheelers” and that was that.
Another on ramp I saw a pickup coming down and again, I couldn’t move over… this one started slowing mid ramp…. and paced themselves around what we were doing. I noticed it… but, many might not have because in a way, they just appeared to simply slip in behind us.
i think in our lives things bother us more as time goes by – and things that bug us usually stick out more than the things that are normal… or expected. I’d guess that plenty of good moves happened on your trip Jon… but the screwups loom larger on your mind.
I don’t think anything is necessarily getting worse…. it just seems that way. I’m pretty sure there were bad drivers since Henry Ford sold his first car. Heck, I’m sure there were people saying “that guy on the brown horse… he cut me off! He should have waited till I….” before that.
As long as there are other cars on the road… this stuff will happen… and dealing is just part of driving.
But hey – we hit the Shelton fireworks store in Alabama and I just had a big bowl of butter pecan ice cream so I’m super happy!
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Absolutely no explanation for the increasingly poor driving skills exhibited on a daily basis almost everywhere I drive in the bus, my pickup, and especially when I am on the motorcycle.
No one considers the other drivers on the road. Too busy on their cell phones to pay attention and think about the four thousand pounds of destruction hurling through space they are aimlessly directing.
” Ohhh no they think, here is my exit and I need to merge across three lanes in the next two car lengths while I’m traveling at 75 mph in a 60 mph zone – NO PROBLEM, I’ll just cut in front of the car beside me, then make that motorcycle slow down while I drive into him and then cut off the slow moving bus in the last lane.”
Tailgating is a sport. Passing on the right or the shoulder of the road is fun. Driving 20 mph over the speed limit is a requirement.
One of the Myth Busters shows over the holidays tested drafting big rigs in order to increase fuel economy. They drafted a big rig from 100 feet behind the truck all the way to 2 feet behind the truck while driving 55 mph. They said the safe following distance behind the big rig at 55 mph was 150 feet. When was the last time you were in traffic and saw 150 feet of space between vehicles ? When I’m in West Texas and the western U.S. maybe. 150 feet? Really? I’ll see three or four big rigs in a row and there won’t be 20 feet between them.
Have fun out there and stay safe my friends.
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Most of the time I just zone out and try to stay out of everyone’s way and especially do my best to avoid getting road rage. Even yesterday with its greater number of people trying their best to irritate me I avoided getting pissed.
I guess I might expect too much. I have always tried to anticipate, and given an opportunity I will change lanes, pickup or reduce speed to accommodate what appears to be an unfolding situation, but it gets very hard when other drivers seemingly are unaware of anything, and they do things that are not only unexpected, but completely off the charts.
Merging traffic has always been an issue because some drivers enter the right of way with the belief traffic has to move over or slow down for them. Because we sit so low they have no clue we might have a car next to us, and they completely ignore the fact if we hit the brakes as they putter along at 25 MPH accelerating slowly in their Prius to save fuel the cars behind us cannot see ahead of us and are surprised if we hit the brakes.
This is almost exclusive to the bus because in our personal vehicles we can speed up faster, brake harder, find a small spot we can get into to change lanes, etc. Not so easy with the bus.
There were some bright spots. I came upon a truck that was slowing quickly and heading to the shoulder. A truck that was coming up to pass me watched what was about to unfold and backed off so I could slide in behind a car passing me. He was not alone. There were a number of drivers who were actually driving and working with others. It is the morons that make it difficullt.
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I has become very obvious that “today’s” rule of the road is that the car merging believes that they have the right of way. Just watch the truckers, they know I’m right. They are often seen on their brakes as a merge approaches. If the timing of them reaching the merge is the same as a car on the ramp they will slow to let them go ahead as they know anything else will end in a disaster. We even had a driver who came up beside us, failed to yield until the very end and then planned to pull in behind as soon as we passed as quickly as possible. Well, SURPRISE, there’s another car attached behind us. The swerve in and back out again nearly put him in the ditch. This was, of course, all my fault and he drove by with horns honking and fingers flying. Now it’s just a running joke when we are committed to the lane and a merge is upon us….Don’t hit the toad!
We now try to avoid driving in the right lane at all on 3 lane roads and we just plan to slow like the truckers do if the merge looks questionable at all. If possible we change lanes when approaching most every merge if there are any cars on the ramp at all.
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South bound I-85 and intersection of I-385 in Greenville a mile down before the Pelham Road exit the lanes go from
4 to 3 with the furthest right closing off 1/2 mile before the exit. Everyone needs to be aware of the crazed drivers in all types of vehicles, including our semi buddies, that stay at speed of traffic until the very end expecting they will force themselves into a spot. I have had to lay on the horn many times even though I drive 5 to 10 mph below speed in this area.
i do not think it the age, Jon. I think the drivers are more aggressive and they are distracted by their mobile devices.
Ron
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“I has become very obvious that “today’s” rule of the road is that the car merging believes that they have the right of way”
That is the ME ME ME attitude that is going on with the younger generation. I see it at work, in politics, everywhere It’s all about ME. MY emotions, and MY way of thinking. They live in a world where there is no one else out there and operate accordingly. And yes, I do think it’s because of the “Participation Trophy.”
And…. I’m quite sure for the younger generation it all seems quite normal for that is all they know!
I’ve wondered… will my kids think a 454 going BLAT BUH BUH BLAT sound cool to them? The smell of unburnt fuel? Or will it be the whine of a brushless electric motor and burning wire insulation that excites them??
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Jon,
I have been subjected to the same idiot actions as all of those on here. 4 wheelers look at us the same way they do big trucks. We are going to slow them down that 10 seconds it may take for us to pass a slower vehicle and that affects their life tremendously! I hate it when I am trying to pass someone and waiting for room to move over and see a car almost double there speed to prevent me from going over. I’ve had cars almost hit me doing this, then pass me and slam on there brakes trying to teach me a lesson. SURPRISE!! I don’t even try to hit the brakes. My dash cam just caught there stupidity…
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#! many, if not most parents today are crappy drivers and pass this along to the kids
#2 most “professional” truck drivers are no longer “professional” and are simply steering wheel holders
#3 driver education instruction today is a joke and many times does not address the interaction between cars and larger, heavier vehicles or the increased stopping distances involved with heavier vehicles. Much of that stems from the instructors just giving out participation certificates.
#4 phone calls and texting or emailing are more important than driving
#5 Jon is right
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you guys said anything I can . drive defensive stay alive enjoy the ride. What helped is I added a train air horn!!! sure makes wife chill out.? see ya out there… Bob
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Ouch! It’s called “defensive driving”. The cars and drivers have changed, as today’s Prius driver is yesterday’s VW van driver. It’s all relative. Jon, why not move west of the Mississippi where we have open trafficless roads. “Oh Wyoming”
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Jim, I hate to be the one to tell you this but since CO has become a pot state we are going to avoid it. It is hard enough working a bus through traffic but add to that coping with drivers that may be just as whacked out as a drunk or someone texting and it just makes a situation worse.
As far as out west, I suspect you do not consider Phoenix or the California big cities west? I went through Phoenix last spring in my car and at 10:00 AM is was as scary as going through Atlanta.
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Whenever we get into these type of interactions with “not a clue” drivers I’m always reminded of what my friend studying to be an anesthetist had to say. I can’t fix stupid but I can anethetise it
I pretty much agree with all the comments and usually just pray for an extra helping of patience with my fellow man.
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Jon: I’m still think Di has the right idea- you should mount cannons to the front of the bus and clear the way.
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I have been working very hard on th only remaining problem and that is to prevent whatever I fire at an offending car somehow has to be prevented from bouncing back and hitting my coach.
My thoughts are some kind of permanent paint balls that don’t splatter, but that come in the international color that marks a car as being driven by a moron.
I want something as recognizable as school bus yellow that immediately alerts other driver’s maybe moron mauve or idiot indigo or peckerhead pink.
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