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Rode around Toronto with my company's Canadian sales rep yesterday and OH MY GOD what a terrible driver. Backed up 8 car lengths at a red light, through and around other stopped cars, to get to the right hand lane so he could make a turn. Repeatedly cut across 2 lanes & the striped gore section to take highway exits. Herky-Jerky gas-brake-steer-gas-steer-brake on straight roads while following nobody. Multiple instances of almost running into curbs and dividers after turning in the city. Drove around with tons of salt caked over the windshield. Squirters and wipers worked, he used them once and kept the wipers on for a few minutes wiping a dry windsheild, smearing what was left. Didn't turn them off until I said something. Drove straight into the blinding morning sun with no sunglasses, unavoidable, but he didn't even try to use his visor to help see the road. With the sun shining through the salt, the windshield was almost opaque. He's the nicest guy in the world otherwise and I enjoy working with him, but I don't understand how people can go through life like he does. NoWake fucked around with this message at 17:47 on Feb 12, 2016 |
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Feb 12, 2016 17:44
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I had a coworker drive to get "lunch"* one time. He had something attached to his windshield. I asked if it was a radar detector and he proceeded to lean in really close to it and start pressing buttons while not watching the road and swerving back and forth. He also complained about getting pulled over by the cops one time for driving erratically. Yeah, he wasn't exactly driving straight and between the lines, but it was only because he was eating a burger, not because he was drunk! I only rode with him one time and vowed to always drive since that point. *Was working third shift, so this was ~1 am.
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Feb 12, 2016 18:02
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Yea, I've got a coworker who I absolutely will never ride with again. Riding with him was just frightening. In other terrible driver news, watched a guy pull out of a parking lot right in front of the car ahead of me, and then immediately pull into the right turn only lane, which he promptly ignored, driving straight across the intersection cutting off another driver who was entering an angled right turn lane on that side of the intersection. Just completely oblivious to everyone around him.
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Feb 13, 2016 03:28
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I know you're supposed to move over if you're getting passed on the right, but what are you to do if you're already in the right hand lane and some douche in a BMW decides to pass you on the shoulder at 70+ mph? Immediately after, he crossed three lanes into the left most lane, exactly one car further ahead than where he started.
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Feb 13, 2016 03:40
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Uthor posted:I know you're supposed to move over if you're getting passed on the right, but what are you to do if you're already in the right hand lane and some douche in a BMW decides to pass you on the shoulder at 70+ mph? Speed up and trap him on the shoulder, you want an idiot like that behind you.
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Feb 13, 2016 05:32
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Roseo posted:Speed up and trap him on the shoulder, you want an idiot like that behind you. Not sure I agree. I either want them drawing out traffic cops for me, or at least being in my line of sight. Either way, I win.
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Feb 13, 2016 06:01
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Just a minor frustration tonight, I pull up to a 4 way stop and there's a lady on my right at her stop sign, just sitting there with her head pointed down at her lap, reading something. I wait, get frustrated, and of course just as I decide to say gently caress it and go she pops her head up and takes off. So I have to slam on my brakes, which is fine, she had the right of way in the first place, but then of course she sees me way too late and stops in the intersection and tries to wave me out. I just sat there until she left like she was supposed to. Jesus christ, either drive or don't.
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Feb 13, 2016 06:58
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Was driving home from the store tonight right as the sun went down, had some idiot in a silver Chrysler 200 pop up in my blind spot as I was changing lanes, with out his headlights on. Between silver cars blending in with everything, no lights and headlights from other cars behind me I never knew he was there until he blew his horn. Pulled up next to me to flip me off while talking on the phone and I gestured to the front of my car while flashing my highbeams. He didn't get it, and continued on without headlights for another mile before turning down a sidestreet.
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Feb 13, 2016 07:04
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Ozz81 posted:I can barely see the biker on the right, guessing the other one is the reason the car is braking. Any idiot that goes out in the dark and doesn't wear visible gear around cars deserves whatever happens. It was a trick question of sorts, both cyclists are on the same bike. No helmet, no lights, no reflectors, no reflective clothing, and one sitting on the handlebars in pitch black.   Speaking of no lights, its becoming a worryingly common thing lately where people are driving around at night with no lights other than their DRLs on. 
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Feb 13, 2016 09:54
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I am at least somewhat sure of why that is, at least on Fords. A friend came over and picked me up to go do some pre-house move DIY last night and arrived in his girlfriend's 2015 Fiesta. DRLs are auto so when the key's turned they're on, no exceptions. Thing is, the DRLs are pretty bright looking out onto the street so you can very easily confuse the light you see them outputting as your lights being on. He had the mains off twice as we got into the car to drive off and neither of us noticed because of the brightness of the DRLs. So DRLs are bullshit and probably the cause of so many cars driving around without mains on.
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Feb 13, 2016 10:31
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88h88 posted:I am at least somewhat sure of why that is, at least on Fords. A friend came over and picked me up to go do some pre-house move DIY last night and arrived in his girlfriend's 2015 Fiesta. That coupled with the fact that 90% of the auto headlight gear is already in the loving cars, and it's just a switch or computer code locked behind a $1000 option pisses me off.
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Feb 13, 2016 13:00
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As for safety, Volvo does it right. All lights on, all the time. Key on lights on. You have to dig in to the software to allow the lights to be shut off manually.
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Feb 13, 2016 14:44
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LloydDobler posted:As for safety, Volvo does it right. All lights on, all the time. Key on lights on. You have to dig in to the software to allow the lights to be shut off manually. I wonder if that's a result of them being a Swedish car maker, and the Swedish law that made it a requirement to have low beams / rear light on. Well at least it used to be that way until the stupid EU DLR law passed and allows people to drive around with front DLRs only. Thankfully, like you say, Volvo does it right and recognize the safety benefit. It was pretty scary to see grey / silver cars just disappear at distances way to close in front of me (compared to the distance they should have been visible at) when I drove on the autobahn during pretty heavy rain. I even put on my fog light because I was afraid of getting rear ended. The worst was the lady I passed in a silver Golf with no lights on. Even the Germans flashed their lights furiously at her.
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Feb 13, 2016 15:31
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MrOnBicycle posted:It was pretty scary to see grey / silver cars just disappear at distances way to close in front of me (compared to the distance they should have been visible at) when I drove on the autobahn during pretty heavy rain. I even put on my fog light because I was afraid of getting rear ended. There is a reason why it is against the law to use fog lights unless visibility is under 50m due to fog or snow. Well it is everywhere except in Belgium. There the rule is to turn on fog lights in all circumstances where visibility is under 6km, regardless of whether it blinds every one around.
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Feb 13, 2016 16:11
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Deedle posted:Fog lights in the rain is such a loving Belgian thing to do. It's the first time I've used it outside heavy fog. Wouldn't surprise me if the visibility (with traffic moving at 130km/h) was around that. I couldn't see people in front of me even with their lights on unless they were too close for comfort. It was only for a short while when the heaviest downpour was hitting us. I'd rather have someone with a fog light on than someone with no lights on in poor visibility.
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Feb 13, 2016 16:23
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Speaking of fogs, had an interesting run-in last night. Going down a side street without street lights and something turns into the road behind me and gets up to speed to start tailgating me in short order. All I can see in my rearview mirror is this sort of football shaped light about the width of a dinner plate so I figure it's some kind of motorcycle/trike, but nope! As I pull into a turn lane I see that in fact it is a lowered Jeep driving around with no lights, at all, other than whatever the gently caress kind of weird light I saw dead in the center of its grill. That kind of light ring any bells? I can't even find an example on Google and have no clue as to what nomenclature to use.
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Feb 13, 2016 16:35
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There's an rear end in a top hat round here with a mid-90s Explorer who has replaced his front license plate with a bunch of bright white always-on LEDs. It sucks to be in front of them and I don't understand why they haven't been pulled over yet (this is a front license plate state).
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Feb 13, 2016 18:03
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because the cops only care about your front plate if they wanted to pull you over for another reason that isn't legally cause for a stop.
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Feb 13, 2016 19:42
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Deedle posted:Fog lights in the rain is such a loving Belgian thing to do. Eh, it's against the law but rarely enforced. And apparently it just being dark or just a bit grey is enough for people to flip them on here. In other Belgian news: Was driving home today, on a two-lane road. Get to a red traffic light at an intersection with two cars(first car silver stationwagon, second car dark blue compact shitbox) in front of me(left lane, right lane was a bit more filled) Light turns green, silver car starts to move but apparently too slow in blue car's opinion. So what's his natural reaction? Obviously, it's pass the silver car on the right after crossing the intersection, while traffic in the other lane is still accelerating, he cuts off the silver car, hits the brakes, both cars stop, driver of blue car gets out on the street and starts yelling at the first car for not going fast enough. At this point the right lane was clear, so I said "gently caress it" and passed them both on the right. In my rearview mirror I saw them both standing still in the left lane of a busy ring road while the green was still on. Hopefully nobody rearended them. What the hell is wrong with people.
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Feb 13, 2016 20:20
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I loving hate truck culture. Passed a stereotypical bro truck on the highway earlier, it's been snowing on and off for the past three days here so there was a moderate amount on the highway. The bro followed me at my exit and then into the parking lot at my destination to chew me out for passing his clearly superior for conditions vehicle. There was a bunch of bullshit but it basically boiled down to "you think your jap wagon is better than my truck in the snow?" Yes, apparently it is because I'm able to go faster than you in snowy conditions. He seemed genuinely flummoxed that a FWD midsize (Mazda 6) with snow tires could out drive his 4x4 lifted truck with worn to poo poo off road tires.
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Feb 13, 2016 23:06
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Considering how many trucks I've spotted clogging up ditches after a snow, I figure he'll get what he deserves before long.
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Feb 13, 2016 23:10
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kastein posted:because the cops only care about your front plate if they wanted to pull you over for another reason that isn't legally cause for a stop. Mid 90's explorer is basically probable cause at this point though.
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Feb 13, 2016 23:35
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LloydDobler posted:As for safety, Volvo does it right. All lights on, all the time. Key on lights on. You have to dig in to the software to allow the lights to be shut off manually. Maybe new Volvos, but mine has three options: Auto = DRL's on during the day, full lights at night, but you can't lock on high beams in this mode, only flash them. Middle position = Just parking lights On = main beams on, and allows locking on high beams. I like the fact that you can't lock high beams on in auto mode as it reminds you to put the full lights on. I don't think there's any real functional difference however as auto mode is pretty sensitive and will turn the lights on long before it's really dark out. Parking mode will allow you to drive around with no headlights at night.
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Feb 13, 2016 23:51
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nm posted:Mid 90's explorer is basically probable cause at this point though. True. Those things are all getting pretty haggard around here and between the condition and general appearance of the people I usually see driving them, I assume the "this is what I could afford after my second DUI" and "I can fit a whole haybale of weed, a milk crate of heroin baggies, AND some skeevy nasty dirty clothes and a sleeping bag in the back? Score!" Demographic of secondgen explorer owners are getting pretty significant these days. Also, I find some hilariously trashy poo poo inside them at the junkyard. Either that or they're absolutely mint inside (I got a new bottle jack and lug wrench for my dad's out of one like this) and just got their ticket punched by a collision of some sort.
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Feb 14, 2016 00:59
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Flint Ironstag posted:Not sure I agree. I either want them drawing out traffic cops for me, or at least being in my line of sight. Either way, I win. Every time I take the Mass Pike westbound on my way to Connecticut I've encounter the same person, typically in a late model BMW or Audi with PA/NJ plates and zig-zagging dangerously through fairly dense traffic at about 90+ mph all the way towards NYC...and after I get out of their way and out of the way of any potential multi-car wreck directly in front of me I can then breath a sigh of relief knowing that I can then rapidly continue on in their wake without worry with that driver as jail cover along with my V1 which is nice once the traffic thins out. Geoj posted:I loving hate truck culture. eh I would have lost them in a hurry, ppl like that are crazy and any confrontation from bruising their fragile egos is best avoided. But drat it is fun passing them while driving through heavy snow on the highway in a subcompact on snow tires though...or having them assume that they can drive the same way since their vehicle is shown driving through the desert on the tv commercials, until you see them have an oh poo poo moment in your rearview and they suddenly back off. Mariana Horchata fucked around with this message at 04:24 on Feb 14, 2016 |
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Feb 14, 2016 04:12
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I think people from places where winter tires aren't mandatory underestimate how much difference they really make. Even my old lovely '98 Mitsubishi Carisma could get through anything that wasn't so much that it bottomed out.
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Feb 14, 2016 09:42
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The one winter I spent driving my MX5 with snow tyres on was incredible. Being able to just drive away from idiots in Range Rovers and X5s and seeing the looks on their faces was the best thing. 
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Feb 14, 2016 11:17
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How long do winter tyres last if stored off the car correctly?
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Feb 14, 2016 17:48
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Cakefool posted:How long do winter tyres last if stored off the car correctly? I've had the same set on my Mustang since I got them in November 2010, and they're still fine. I don't drive a whole bunch, but the climate here means that I frequently am driving with them on dry pavement above freezing.
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Feb 14, 2016 18:43
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Cakefool posted:How long do winter tyres last if stored off the car correctly? I've heard that some of the winter rubber compounds start to lose effectiveness after about 4 years, but I don't know from personal experience. This is my third winter with my current winter tires (Michelin X-ice 3's) and a check of my tread yesterday showed between 1/2 and 2/5 tread life remaining. I put them on in late November generally and don't take them off until late March or early April. I did a lot of 60°+ driving on them this year and expected them to lose a lot of tread but I guess I was wrong.
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Feb 14, 2016 19:28
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This is my set of tires' sixth season, still going strong in the snow and have a good amount of tread left. At the rate I (well technically it's my wife's car, and she works less than a mile from home) drive they're probably going to dry rot long before they're worn out from actual use.
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Feb 14, 2016 20:03
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Mine would be on their third winter, I think, if I had bothered to take them out of storage. It's been mostly 40s here all winter.
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Feb 14, 2016 20:30
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Cakefool posted:How long do winter tyres last if stored off the car correctly? At least 6 if you store em right.
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Feb 14, 2016 21:38
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Jeez, mine must be on their eighth year. Didn't realize they're that old. It's most likely their last season as they're pretty worn by now. They're on the car from December until March or April. They see a lot of dry pavement, but not a lot of temperatures above the 40s.
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Feb 14, 2016 22:11
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkYA4fJ1xvE lol
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Feb 14, 2016 23:27
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I swear to god I am so loving sick of people who drive at a slowish speed on the motorway and promptly speed up as you try to overtake them. Then once you move back in behind them slow down again.
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Feb 14, 2016 23:40
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Ludicro posted:I swear to god I am so loving sick of people who drive at a slowish speed on the motorway and promptly speed up as you try to overtake them. Then once you move back in behind them slow down again. It is usually a subconscious behavior and people often don't realize they are doing it. Their mental cruise control adjusts to the flow of traffic, when means keeping pace with other cars, including you, despite the high velocity. Break their trance by accelerating past them faster than you actually plan to cruise. They will accelerate a bit, but they will cancel their mental cruise control and resume whatever default speed they had. For me, in the US, on a 65 mph expressway, if I detect one of these zombies by their creeping acceleration, I accelerate to 80 for long enough to out some distance between us, check my mirror to confirm they have resumed their former speed and then drop back to 70-75mph. I risk a ticket, but its a risk I take to keep these barnacles off my hull.
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Feb 14, 2016 23:58
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I honestly don't understand how this happens, even all-season tires aren't that bad if they have decent thread. Are these people just 100% oblivious when it comes to how to traverse safely over any kind of slippery surface? I'm guessing they are.
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Feb 15, 2016 00:19
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Low visibility + sudden ice is a hell of a combination. I've been in some pretty sketchy conditions thinking "oh so these are how pile ups happen"
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Feb 15, 2016 01:06
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If the snow started as sleet you might not even know there's an issue until you drop the anchors and discover there's way less friction than you thought would be there. Course at that point you deserve it for driving beyond what conditions allow or not checking conditions with gentle braking but them's just details.
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Feb 15, 2016 01:31
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