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West SAAB Story posted:People out this way are still scared and confused by a Diverging Diamond Interchange. I've never seen one of these before, but I do get furious at people who for some reason can't figure out how a roundabout works. Also, I had a Golf R for one night and felt really dumb spending 15 minutes at the gas pump tearing the car apart looking for the fuel door latch and eventually had to pull out the owner's manual.
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Dec 3, 2013 17:14
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IOwnCalculus posted:Like this. I drive the HOV lane of that freeway on a regular basis and that type of thing (people pulling into it from stopped traffic without looking) happens all the loving time, and it's scary enough driving a car. At least in a car, that accident would be more of an annoyance; riding a motorcycle you're looking at serious injury. I really really want a bike but this single thing is what terrifies me the most and what stops me. Every day I see it. Every god drat day.
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Dec 3, 2013 17:26
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If they're lifted high enough I can actually see oncoming traffic below the bodies of their trucks   Think this is foggy enough to actually turn on your headlights? Too bad half the people on my commute don't think so!
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Dec 3, 2013 17:26
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rscott posted:If they're lifted high enough I can actually see oncoming traffic below the bodies of their trucks In my home city, everyone would be running around with highbeams on. Because that's what the dude on the traffic radio said to do. I actually called the traffic tipline just to yell at them for being idiots.
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Dec 3, 2013 17:29
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Maker Of Shoes posted:I really really want a bike but this single thing is what terrifies me the most and what stops me. Every day I see it. Every god drat day. You learn pretty quickly to not ride in formation with car traffic, to avoid loitering in blind spots as much as possible (far more than if you were in a car), to maintain non-zero relative velocity. This is part of why motorcyclists tend to zip through traffic, it's actually safer for them than it is to sit and wait for some unruddered momwagon to slide them off the road. Also you learn to be constantly looking at where drivers' heads and wheels are pointing, and plan accordingly. The good news is that even on a low-powered bike, unless traffic is literally bumper-to-bumper and you won't or can't filter, you've always got a lot more escape options than you would in a car. I actually find it more stressful getting through traffic in the car these days than on the bike.
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Dec 3, 2013 17:35
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rscott posted:If they're lifted high enough I can actually see oncoming traffic below the bodies of their trucks This is compounded by the fact that every car sold since 2006 is gray. "IT HIDES DIRT!" (aka I'm Too Lazy To Wash A Car) Ugh, if I had a nickel for every time a gray late model Accord came at me over the center line at twilight with no headlights, I might be able to afford proper maintenance for my car. It still doesn't enrage me as much as the people that drive with parking lights. CLICK CLICK....whoa.....too much light...let's back it down a notch....CLICK . Just Right!
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Dec 3, 2013 17:38
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Snowdens Secret posted:You learn pretty quickly to not ride in formation with car traffic, to avoid loitering in blind spots as much as possible (far more than if you were in a car), to maintain non-zero relative velocity. This is part of why motorcyclists tend to zip through traffic, it's actually safer for them than it is to sit and wait for some unruddered momwagon to slide them off the road. The problem is all of the above is effectively impossible when you're doing 60 in the HOV lane and the non-HOV lanes are crawling, and inevitably some jackass in the non-HOV decides to dive left without loving looking. And if you say "slow down", well if there's open road in front of you, you'll have five cars crawling up your rear end in short order. I wouldn't even put it past some of the brotruck drivers here to seriously try to just run you over if they think you're blocking them from going faster.
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Dec 3, 2013 17:43
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War Bunny posted:I've never seen one of these before, but I do get furious at people who for some reason can't figure out how a roundabout works. I take one of these DDIs almost every day (now). It used to be one of the busiest intersections. It's still busy, but nowhere near as much. People are afraid of it. v vThe problem I have with roundabouts is that people here in the US don't seem to know what their purpose is, and they use them rather than speedbumps to hinder traffic. So, Google Maps is 3 years out of date, or I'd show you the glory of not two, not three, but FOUR roundabouts in a row. In a 25mph zone. I need to get a bloody dashcam, but I doubt 16GB would be enough space to record going through it.
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Dec 3, 2013 17:52
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Michael Scott posted:I would blame the local DOT and not the driver; the road paint has worn to the point where it looks like there are two stop lines instead of a line and a crosswalk. It's significantly more obvious than the windshield glare makes it look. They're also straddling both lanes 
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Dec 3, 2013 18:10
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West SAAB Story posted:I take one of these DDIs almost every day (now). It used to be one of the busiest intersections. It's still busy, but nowhere near as much. People are afraid of it. v I'm still waiting for a Miami driver to actually stay in the inside lane in a roundabout. The outside lane to go straight is only there to keep insurance rates up, as far as I can tell.
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Dec 3, 2013 20:19
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IOwnCalculus posted:The problem is all of the above is effectively impossible when you're doing 60 in the HOV lane and the non-HOV lanes are crawling, and inevitably some jackass in the non-HOV decides to dive left without loving looking. I do this at least twice a week on a bike and have maintained relative safety. Slow down, move left, keep an eye on the idiots stopped in the fast lane, keep every last inch of roadway in your escape plan. I've never had anyone really gently caress with me while on my bike. I might be lucky or just good at being into and out of the ranges of idiot drivers as quickly as possible. Also, loving with bikers would raise the ire of the squadrons of CHP motor cops all up and down my commute.
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Dec 3, 2013 21:29
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Krakkles posted:I was at Harbor Freight yesterday, and as I'm walking back out to my car, this four-door Tundra suddenly (but slowly) starts backing out of a space, while I'm behind it. The brake lights flick on, and I step away from it, thinking the driver has noticed me ... then she lets off the brake and keeps rolling. I step away again, while hitting the tailgate with my hand in what I think was a passable impression of the sound a car accident makes. She gets back on the brakes, throws it in drive, pulls back into the space. (By now, I've kept walking and am at my car.) I had a similar encounter with an older Rav-4. I was literally on my way to court, carrying a briefcase and a laptop bag through the parking lot. I was ~3' directly behind the rows of cars when the one directly adjacent to me backed out, aggressively. (mentally) Driver doesn't see me. Isn't stopping. Oh poo poo. Can't jump to the side or back, not enough time. Can't jump onto the trunk, its a Rav4, ain't got no trunk. Can't jump onto the bumper, might miss. Go under? (this thought process took a second, maybe less) I threw the bags to the side, twisted and hit the deck on my back, feet first, directly behind the car. Which continued backing up - straight over me. I started pounding on the the gas tank and shouting... The car stopped. The driver (an older lady) got out and came around to the back to see what was up. She was greeted with the spectacle of a body under her car. She wailed "Oh God! Oh God! I kill him!" and just crumpled to the ground. I dragged myself from under the car, propped her head up, checked her breathing and pulse then called 911. "St. Thomas 911 how can I help." "I need an ambulance to the Fort Christian parking lot. This lady just ran me over and then she fell over and passed out." ~~SILENCE~~ Yeah. She woke up while I was still on the phone with the 911 operator, at which point I had to calm her down and convince here that she had not, in fact, killed me. My friends call me Roadkill now. 
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Dec 3, 2013 21:36
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So this guy just trailered in this nice looking '69 Mustang for some minor work into my shop this morning... I'm standing out in the lot looking at the motor and talking with the guy about what he wants to do and notice there are nitrous lines running around the motor in an odd looking way. I'm like hey cool, got some nitrous on this thing huh? He goes "I just have it hooked up for show right now" I go what does "for show" mean? He then proceeds to tell me that he has lines run from the tank, to a purge valve (with a light up blue led light!) so he can "hit a switch and vent/purge the tank and it shoots up out of the hood! So people think I have nitrous!" None of the nitrous stuff is actually hooked up to the motor at all, just lines running all around the engine bay going nowhere There is a HUGE nos tank sitting on the passenger seat, just rolling around. I think I just died a little inside.
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Dec 3, 2013 23:53
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West SAAB Story posted:The problem I have with roundabouts is that people here in the US don't seem to know what their purpose is, and they use them rather than speedbumps to hinder traffic. So, The road my dead end street was off of growing up had two roundabouts placed in it, just small enough to be a nuisance since it was just a two lane road with a single lane road intersecting at each point, all residential. They'd put some plants and small trees in the center. The whole purpose of it was to slow traffic down, which makes sense, but then at one end of this road they stuck a no turn on red light just to create huge gaps so presumably people who lived on the road had plenty of opportunities to pull out onto it. Well all the roundabouts did was space out the traffic that was hindered by the no turn on red, so it was counterproductive. Plus every now and then the signs in the roundabouts had to be replaced by people not paying attention and plowing right through them. One time I left for work in the morning and there was I think a Suzuki Vitara, the little one, balanced perfectly with its rear on the ground and it's front up on the bent over tree. It was a thin little tree, but strong enough to carry the weight of that thing, but no wheels were on the ground so it just sat there. Anyway, people realized it was stupid but it still took about 8 more years for them to actually get removed. They got leveled so now the road is just lumpy where they used to be. One was replaced with 3 speed bumps, while the other was replaced with those 3' high rubber markers in the center line and edges so people slow down as if they're incapable of staying in the center of the lane at 35mph.
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Dec 4, 2013 00:01
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I had a delicious bit of Schadenfreude this morning on the way to work. I'm driving along, on single lane hills roads doing the speed limit when a wanker in a lowered commodore comes speeding up behind me, total spankers car, lowered, lovely body kit, massive chrome rims, HID fogs on (clear morning in summer) music up so loud I can hear it over my engine when I pull up at an intersection. Retard proceeds to tailgate me for a good 10 mins, so close I can't see anything of his WINDSCREEN out of the rear of the landcruiser. Got to a point where they're doing some roadworks and have diverted our lane off the road onto the gravel verge for room. Turns out when your jammed up the arse of a landcruiser, you can't see the 2-2.5" lip where the bitumen ends and the gravels been kicked away by traffic. Also turns out when your following a landcruiser with high performance 2" lifted off-road suspension and 33" mud terrains, and he goes over that lip at 30-40kph, he won't even feel it. But you certainly will feel your commodores front bumper being ripped off and fed under your front wheels!
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Dec 4, 2013 00:56
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It is surprising to see the number of P (Probationary) Plate drivers in Commodores that do stupid poo poo like this. It's also hilarious to see them rocking a Commodore Executive (aka fleet hack spec) with 20" rims that cost double the price of the car. If I was going to do something with a Commodore, surely you should be aiming at a Berlina or Calais. At least they have some extra gear in it.
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Dec 4, 2013 01:17
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Ferremit posted:I had a delicious bit of Schadenfreude this morning on the way to work. I'm driving along, on single lane hills roads doing the speed limit when a wanker in a lowered commodore comes speeding up behind me, total spankers car, lowered, lovely body kit, massive chrome rims, HID fogs on (clear morning in summer) music up so loud I can hear it over my engine when I pull up at an intersection. This makes me so happy. Every single time I have someone hard up my arse while driving it's a Commode with a body kit and various accessories. Not the same one either. At first I was wondering if there is a common fault with their speedometer because after being an irritating dickflop for ages they tear off at probably 140km/h+ along the reasonably rough, one lane each way, heavily policed road. I hope they find policemen with unlubed truncheons waiting for them. ^^^ Yeah them too. Especially.
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Dec 4, 2013 01:41
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West SAAB Story posted:I take one of these DDIs almost every day (now). So how did you like the weather today? I had over half a foot of snow on my truck, it's snowing. So that means everyone in a white car must turn their loving headlights off. Good times indeed. Also that loving roundabout over by Scheels is loving retarded. Just because of that damned turn lane(s). You shouldn't have to cut across lanes of traffic to go straight drat it, so help me, I'm gonna lock in my hubs, don't make me loving run over that cocksucking airplane I swear on my mum.
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Dec 4, 2013 04:02
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I ended up behind a black VW Touareg on my drive back. In non-lit streets. She had just her running lights on. The only reason I didn't slam into her is thanks to the reasonably large reflector strips on the back. I managed to get in front, flag her down and said to turn on your lights. She looked at me as if I was dumb and calmly replied "What? They are always on".  Why do DRL's exist. It is just another contributing factor of "anything behind me is not my problem" for your average driver.
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Dec 4, 2013 04:40
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Why not just implement DRLs as normal low beam headlights (and obviously tail lamps)?
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Dec 4, 2013 05:44
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My mother drives a '00 VW New Beetle, I basically do all the maintenance for her and I don't mind. A few nights ago she called and asked me to come check out her tail lights, apparently they're both burnt out and she got pulled over. I'm not one to ask condescending questions like "Well is your computer plugged in?" but I asked anyway, and she told me that yes she had her lights on. I braced myself for what I thought sounded like a melted harness since two bulbs popping at the same time is pretty rare. Went over and checked it out; all brake lights were good, both tail lights were good. Puzzling. Why did she get pulled over? Well, New Beetles have DRL's which are always on when the engine is running and the parking brake is disengaged, but the tail lights are not included in the DRL function. So, she was driving along in the dark and in the rain with her headlights on, aware that she could see, but unaware that nobody behind her could see her. Terrible design.
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Dec 4, 2013 05:52
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dissss posted:Why not just implement DRLs as normal low beam headlights (and obviously tail lamps)? I'd much rather go the other way making people learn how to drive their car, then allow them to be idiots.
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Dec 4, 2013 05:52
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NoWake posted:Terrible design. You mean like every other car and truck with DRLs? My semi truck is the same way. People should know since the headlights are at 75% power and the brights won't stay on, but nope, they keep on trucking. I'll admit I've completely tarded out before and drove with my markers on and my DRL on. So yeah I was lit up, but my headlights where only at 75% BUT my dash was also lit up. Can't blame me TOO much, the headlight switch is by my knee and blocked by the steering wheel.
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Dec 4, 2013 05:58
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InterceptorV8 posted:I'd much rather go the other way making people learn how to drive their car, then allow them to be idiots. I'd much rather have a teleporter and also a pony. Relying on people understanding how cars work has never been successful, and manufacturers are I right to make cars more difficult to be bad at.
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Dec 4, 2013 06:00
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Cocoa Crispies posted:I'd much rather have a teleporter and also a pony. Relying on people understanding how cars work has never been successful, and manufacturers are I right to make cars more difficult to be bad at. I don't know, man. I heard some pretty bad stories about a dude who used a teleporter with a house fly. I don't even want to imagine what would happen if you used a teleporter with a pony.
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Dec 4, 2013 06:08
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The good news (sort of) with DRLs is that car makers have started making it an option on the headlight stalk. So they're just an extra click that people ignore on their way to turning on the headlights. It also illustrates why DRL's are a stupid safety measure. Just turn the loving headlights on if extra visibility is needed. (And stop painting cars silver)
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Dec 4, 2013 06:18
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InterceptorV8 posted:You mean like every other car and truck with DRLs? When I first got my truck I accidentally forgot to turn on the proper headlights a few nights, and just left the DRLs on, and felt retarded. But then I noticed that at night the dash and taillights are on whether I turn the headlights all the way on or not, and the headlights don't actually get any brighter in the full on position...kinda makes me wonder why the headlight switch is even there? Tap it to the left and all of the lights go out, turn it one position right and everything but the parking lights go out, turn it all the way to the right and it's exactly the same as the default(at night, that is- during the day it turns everything on). Also, my truck is totally greyish-silver, and I like it...
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Dec 4, 2013 06:59
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NoWake posted:My mother drives a '00 VW New Beetle, I basically do all the maintenance for her and I don't mind. A few nights ago she called and asked me to come check out her tail lights, apparently they're both burnt out and she got pulled over. I'm not one to ask condescending questions like "Well is your computer plugged in?" but I asked anyway, and she told me that yes she had her lights on. I braced myself for what I thought sounded like a melted harness since two bulbs popping at the same time is pretty rare. Suzuki did this on their later models too.. except they also lit up the cluster anytime the car was on. Normal low beam headlights at full brightness, dash lit up, but no tail lights or corner lights until you flip the switch. I see so drat many of them running around at night with nothing but the headlights on. BLARGHLE posted:When I first got my truck I accidentally forgot to turn on the proper headlights a few nights, and just left the DRLs on, and felt retarded. But then I noticed that at night the dash and taillights are on whether I turn the headlights all the way on or not, and the headlights don't actually get any brighter in the full on position...kinda makes me wonder why the headlight switch is even there? Tap it to the left and all of the lights go out, turn it one position right and everything but the parking lights go out, turn it all the way to the right and it's exactly the same as the default(at night, that is- during the day it turns everything on). On my car, the headlight switch only really does anything if it's not dark enough for the headlights to come on automatically. There's a position to turn off the DRLs (and automatic lights), but it's a momentary contact position - it springs back to "auto" when you let go, and the next time you start the car, the DRLs and lights function normally. Thankfully my DRLs are the bright filament in the front turn signal bulbs, instead of the headlights. If it ran the headlights for the DRLs (and didn't have automatic headlights) I'm sure I'd tard out at some point. I still turn the lights on if it's raining, snowing, etc - silver car on grey concrete roads in anything but sunlight?
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Dec 4, 2013 07:06
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dissss posted:Why not just implement DRLs as normal low beam headlights (and obviously tail lamps)? Switzerland will have a new law on January 1st 2014 which requires everyone to have dipped beams on even during the day or risk a small fine (30 euro's or so)
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Dec 4, 2013 07:13
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You Am I posted:It is surprising to see the number of P (Probationary) Plate drivers in Commodores that do stupid poo poo like this. It's also hilarious to see them rocking a Commodore Executive (aka fleet hack spec) with 20" rims that cost double the price of the car. Are P plates removable for families that share a car?
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Dec 4, 2013 08:07
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At this point I really wish Canada would mandate that DRL includes the tail lights. gently caress everyones annoyance at having to replace bulbs no one seems to understand that DRL still means your tail lights are out in a snow storm.
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Dec 4, 2013 08:20
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Got pounded in the arse this morning on my way home from work. Two lane highway going each direction, median in the middle. Same intersection that I was almost wiped out in a few weeks ago. Traffic is only flowing southbound and it's starting to cram up behind me, so I went ahead and pulled into the median. Both lanes of oncoming traffic blocked, so I wait. Long string passes, I give a glance and just as I start to pull out I see a big ugly Ford grill filling my rearview. *cruwhap* Hat flies off, everything shoots forward, belt locks and I start cussing. Hitter was an old dude, Tennessee plates and the whole time I'm thinking "Be insured sparky, be loving insured." Called cops, take pics, po-po rolls up, takes our info, oldster asks me for name and address. The gently caress? I told him the officer has it, his insurance has it, so unless he plans on giving me his, he's not getting mine. He declines. Says he doesn't want to get in trouble at work. "Then you shouldn't have hit me, sir." Now I have a Jeep with an injured rear end. Pics when I get home if anybody wants to see.
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Dec 4, 2013 08:21
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InterceptorV8 posted:So how did you like the weather today? I had over half a foot of snow on my truck, it's snowing. So that means everyone in a white car must turn their loving headlights off. Good times indeed. It wasn't really all that bad. I grew up with snow, I can drive in it.  Hell, this was my 'pilot' snow drive in the new DD with unfamiliar (unmatched and lovely all-season) tires. I did fine, taking 395 all the way down to town, and opting for Business Loop on the return due the number of other assholes unable to find the road. I heard an awesome Deep Purple live track between Lemon and Golden - I had never heard Smoke that awesome while driving before. I did watch a WRX in Subablue and pink wheels heading over the hill to Red Rock at about 70, and destroying their jeans while slowing to 35 while attempting to maintain their lane. I politely waved as I passed. Also, a Q37 near Panther Valley onramp who failed to negotiate a rather, well, simple curve. I'm still waiting for Scheels to be torn down and be replaced with an outlet mall.
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Dec 4, 2013 09:11
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Last night, I'm joining a dual carriageway, on an unlit section. I come down the sliproad, check my mirror and do a shoulder check, see that there's nothing there, and build up speed. I keep checking my mirror, and do my last shoulder check before merging and drat THERES A loving CAR THERE A black golf, with heavily tinted windows, and no loving lights on, and even after I dropped behind and gave a mild hint that maybe they should turn on their loving lights by demonstrating use of my main beams and swearing a lot they continued along to the next turn off without them on. Considering plastering my car in dashcams as some kind of charm to ward off stealth VW's
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Dec 4, 2013 10:41
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Horse Divorce posted:I don't know, man. I heard some pretty bad stories about a dude who used a teleporter with a house fly. I don't even want to imagine what would happen if you used a teleporter with a pony.
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Dec 4, 2013 11:44
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Horse Divorce posted:I don't know, man. I heard some pretty bad stories about a dude who used a teleporter with a house fly. I don't even want to imagine what would happen if you used a teleporter with a pony. I think I've seen something like that on DeviantArt, "tripod" covers it pretty well.
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Dec 4, 2013 15:25
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I had a religious experience today on my way to work. An old lady wearing a knit hat and driving a silver prius pulled into the left lane in front of me. Then she passed the person she'd been behind, used her blinker, and moved back into the middle lane 
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Dec 4, 2013 15:39
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War Bunny posted:I've never seen one of these before, but I do get furious at people who for some reason can't figure out how a roundabout works. The second time I filled up my wife's R I had the same issue. WHY. THE. gently caress. WON'T. IT. OPEN?!?! I know I did this last week just fine. gently caress gently caress gently caress. *beep* *boop* Climb back into car to find manual. Ohhhhhhhh.... Also, we had a very rare 'fog event' in Austin this morning. Visibilities under 100yards on the freeway. Does anyone turn on their headlights? gently caress no. I counted and less that 10% of drivers had on their lights. I still don't know how there wasn't a pile up somewhere. Probably only due to them all driving so drat slow. edit: For those wondering: Locking a Golf's doors also locks the gas tank door. There is no door release inside the car. With the car unlocked you just open the gas door. Kill-9 fucked around with this message at 16:24 on Dec 4, 2013 |
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Dec 4, 2013 16:17
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Kill-9 posted:edit: For those wondering: Locking a Golf's doors also locks the gas tank door. There is no door release inside the car. With the car unlocked you just open the gas door. I had this problem with a Mercedes I had just bought that had 1l of fuel left and a 30mile journey home. Except in my case, the tank door was very stiff and also required you to press hard in exactly the right place. and I didn't have a manual.
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Dec 4, 2013 17:12
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I'm running errands during my lunch hour today and was about the seventh car in line in a left-turn-only lane. This particular light is short, and the wait for the green is very long, so it's easy to get impatient. The light turns green, the first car pulls forward, the second vehicle creeps forward a few inches...and stops, just sitting there. My blood pressure shoots through the roof and I begin yelling, wondering why it's not going anywhere. Of course it's one of those massive hulking Infiniti QX56. I finally get through the light after the driver deigns to move and I take a look at the driver - rich housewife in a ballcap, on her cellphone, of course. loving hell, they get my blood boiling.
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Dec 4, 2013 22:32
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