Let's bitch about other drivers

The Something Awful Forums > Archives > General Bullshit > Let's bitch about other drivers

«‹›7 »

Low Desert Punk: Jul 4, 2012; i have absolutely no fucking money

schoolbus drivers are the worst drivers on the road because they know they can get away with poo poo.

I once had a schoolbus cut in line at a 4 way stop when they were 2 cars back and almost run me off the road because I guess little timmy was going to be late for Mr. slipdicks homeroom.

# ? Aug 8, 2014 17:42

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? Apr 26, 2024 04:51

Panamaniac: Jun 18, 2007; HEROES NEVER DIE

redshirt posted:

Serious question:

During my drive to work, I can predict almost entirely accurately the speed of the drivers in front of me during segments of the trip. Their speed often has little relation to the posted speed - for example, there's a stretch of posted 50MPH where most everyone goes 40-45, and then immediately after that the posted speed is 40MPH and people will almost always go 50-55. And so on.

This behavior occurs night and day, both by what I presume are locals and tourists.

I have no explanation other than visual cues cause people to unconsciously react in a way I can predict. Does this make sense, or do you have a better explanation?

I know exactly what you mean. There's quite a few areas on my drive where the limit it 35 and everyone goes 40, and another 35 where everyone is 40-50. I've noticed it tend to be on the border of towns and almost never in the middle of them.

# ? Aug 8, 2014 17:47

redshirt: Aug 11, 2007; Reporting for shovel mission Sir.

Ron Paul Hype Man posted:

I know exactly what you mean. There's quite a few areas on my drive where the limit it 35 and everyone goes 40, and another 35 where everyone is 40-50. I've noticed it tend to be on the border of towns and almost never in the middle of them.

Another interesting facet of this is on the reverse drive, there's a pattern to the other driver's speed, but it's not the same pattern as in the morning. Such that on the same stretch of road with the same speed limit, in the morning (or more accurately driving south) most drivers are going 50 in a 40, and in the evening (or driving north) they'll go 35 in a 40. Predictably.

# ? Aug 8, 2014 17:57

dennyk: Jan 2, 2005; Cheese-Buyer's Remorse

redshirt posted:

Serious question:

During my drive to work, I can predict almost entirely accurately the speed of the drivers in front of me during segments of the trip. Their speed often has little relation to the posted speed - for example, there's a stretch of posted 50MPH where most everyone goes 40-45, and then immediately after that the posted speed is 40MPH and people will almost always go 50-55. And so on.

This behavior occurs night and day, both by what I presume are locals and tourists.

I have no explanation other than visual cues cause people to unconsciously react in a way I can predict. Does this make sense, or do you have a better explanation?

Most likely it's exactly that. In general, most drivers will drive at a speed they find comfortable regardless of the actual speed limit, and some parts of traffic engineering actually involve creating subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) visual or tactile influences along particular stretches of roads that are designed to alter drivers' speeds. Whatever is influencing drivers on your commute may well be accidental rather than intentional, but most likely there is something about those stretches of road (lane width, sight lines, number of driveways and intersections, the proximity of obstacles to the road, inclines, etc.) that causes people to drive slower or faster along those parts.

# ? Aug 9, 2014 00:06