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-   -   Here a MFMY Driver Story for Scott (http://www.autobanter.com/showthread.php?t=74502)

C. E. White[_1_] September 13th 06 01:59 PM

Here a MFMY Driver Story for Scott
 
The following happened this morning on the way to work.

I live in Raleigh, NC. In the morning I take Wade Ave. to I-40 to go to
work. It starts out as a fairly narrow 4 lane street (2 in each direction,
with some left turn lanes, but not one at every potential left turn) and
lots of stop lights. As you head out of town it widens first to a nice wide
surface street, then a controlled access highway and finally merges with
I-40. I am in the right lane behind a plumber's van, so my vision ahead is
limited. At every light, my line takes off quickly, pulls ahead of the
people occupying the left lane, but before I can pass the van (which is
going slower than I want to), my line tops out and the cars in the left lane
catch back up, preventing me from passing. Finally, because a car in the
left lane is turning left, there is a nice opening in the left lane. The van
moves over to the left lane first and I see that the van is not the reason
my lane is acting strangely. There was a Prius in the right lane in front of
the van. I move over behind the van, so I do can pass the Prius. Before I
can complete my pass of the Prius, we have to stop at a red light. When the
light turns green, the Prius driver floors it and immediately pulls to the
left in front of the van. In my opinion, it was a total MFFY move. There is
not another left turn off the road from there to Barstow, Ca as far as I
know. Not only that, the Prius driver doesn't even have the good sense to
outrun the van. The van driver is clearly irate. He is tailgating the Prius,
flashing his lights, etc. We are now on the controlled access portion of the
street (past the I-440 exits). The right lane is clear, so I move back to
the right. I leave room for the van to do the same, but apparently he wants
to intimidate the Prius driver. I prefer not to be involved, so after
waiting a significant period of time for one of them to move right, I just
pass them both. Eventually, after I am maybe 3/8 mile ahead, the Prius
driver gets the message and moves over. Meanwhile a Mitsubishi Eclipse has
entered the left lane between the van and me to pass a slower vehicle. The
van driver gives him the flashing light treatment as well. As soon as the
Eclipse passes the slower vehicle, he gets out of the vans way. The van
never changes back to the right lane (but most people don't as they approach
I-40). Just before I reach I-40, I have moved back to the left lane of Wade
Avenue (the right lane turns into an exit only lane at this point). The van
catches me just as we reach I-40 (but never feels the need to flash me). As
soon as he hits I-40, he moves as far to the left as he can (the road is 4
lanes, then briefly 5 lanes wide going west at this point). He is really
moving, maybe 75 or 80 in a 65 zone. I never see him again.

So who is the MFFY in this story -

a) The Prius Driver
b) The Van Driver
c) Me
d) The Eclipse driver
e) All of us
f) None of us
g) a + b
h) a + b + c

Is there a JLEDI in this story?

Oh yeah, I arrived safely at work and it took about the same amount of time
as it always does (20 minutes). I never saw the van or the Prius again. I
assume the Prius was somewhere behind me, and the van might be half way to
California for all I know.

In my opinion, the Prius driver was a jerk. But so was the van driver.
Rather than waste his time trying to intimidate the Prius, he could have
just passed him. The Eclipse driver did nothing wrong, and was probably
flashed because the van driver was suffering from road rage. Of course, I
was totally blameless - well except people who are KRETP Nazis probably
think I should not have passed on the right - even though it was perfectly
legal - and except for the people who think the van driver was right for
intimidating the Prius - they probably think I should have taken a few
minutes to harass the Prius as well. The only excuse I can make for the
Prius driver is that as the road widens into a controlled access highway
(but before I-40), there are acceleration ramps entering Wade Avenue from
I-440, Blue Ridge Road, and Edwards Mill Road. He might have though he
needed to be in the left lane to avoid the traffic entering from those ramps
(particularly the I-440 Ramp). However, he made his move to cut off the van
well before we encountered any traffic entering from those ramps, and to be
honest, traffic was pretty light on that portion of the road. If he had out
run the van I don't think there would have been an issue. However, moving
over to cut someone off and then not accelerating to a speed above the guy
you cut off is a true MFFY action in my opinion.

Regards,

Ed White



morticide September 13th 06 02:08 PM

Here a MFMY Driver Story for Scott
 

C. E. White wrote:
> The following happened this morning on the way to work.
>
> I live in Raleigh, NC. In the morning I take Wade Ave. to I-40 to go to
> work. It starts out as a fairly narrow 4 lane street (2 in each direction,
> with some left turn lanes, but not one at every potential left turn) and
> lots of stop lights. As you head out of town it widens first to a nice wide
> surface street, then a controlled access highway and finally merges with
> I-40. I am in the right lane behind a plumber's van, so my vision ahead is
> limited. At every light, my line takes off quickly, pulls ahead of the
> people occupying the left lane, but before I can pass the van (which is
> going slower than I want to), my line tops out and the cars in the left lane
> catch back up, preventing me from passing. Finally, because a car in the
> left lane is turning left, there is a nice opening in the left lane. The van
> moves over to the left lane first and I see that the van is not the reason
> my lane is acting strangely. There was a Prius in the right lane in front of
> the van. I move over behind the van, so I do can pass the Prius. Before I
> can complete my pass of the Prius, we have to stop at a red light. When the
> light turns green, the Prius driver floors it and immediately pulls to the
> left in front of the van. In my opinion, it was a total MFFY move. There is
> not another left turn off the road from there to Barstow, Ca as far as I
> know. Not only that, the Prius driver doesn't even have the good sense to
> outrun the van. The van driver is clearly irate. He is tailgating the Prius,
> flashing his lights, etc. We are now on the controlled access portion of the
> street (past the I-440 exits). The right lane is clear, so I move back to
> the right. I leave room for the van to do the same, but apparently he wants
> to intimidate the Prius driver. I prefer not to be involved, so after
> waiting a significant period of time for one of them to move right, I just
> pass them both. Eventually, after I am maybe 3/8 mile ahead, the Prius
> driver gets the message and moves over. Meanwhile a Mitsubishi Eclipse has
> entered the left lane between the van and me to pass a slower vehicle. The
> van driver gives him the flashing light treatment as well. As soon as the
> Eclipse passes the slower vehicle, he gets out of the vans way. The van
> never changes back to the right lane (but most people don't as they approach
> I-40). Just before I reach I-40, I have moved back to the left lane of Wade
> Avenue (the right lane turns into an exit only lane at this point). The van
> catches me just as we reach I-40 (but never feels the need to flash me). As
> soon as he hits I-40, he moves as far to the left as he can (the road is 4
> lanes, then briefly 5 lanes wide going west at this point). He is really
> moving, maybe 75 or 80 in a 65 zone. I never see him again.
>
> So who is the MFFY in this story -
>
> a) The Prius Driver
> b) The Van Driver
> c) Me
> d) The Eclipse driver
> e) All of us
> f) None of us
> g) a + b
> h) a + b + c
>
> Is there a JLEDI in this story?
>
> Oh yeah, I arrived safely at work and it took about the same amount of time
> as it always does (20 minutes). I never saw the van or the Prius again. I
> assume the Prius was somewhere behind me, and the van might be half way to
> California for all I know.
>
> In my opinion, the Prius driver was a jerk. But so was the van driver.
> Rather than waste his time trying to intimidate the Prius, he could have
> just passed him. The Eclipse driver did nothing wrong, and was probably
> flashed because the van driver was suffering from road rage. Of course, I
> was totally blameless - well except people who are KRETP Nazis probably
> think I should not have passed on the right - even though it was perfectly
> legal - and except for the people who think the van driver was right for
> intimidating the Prius - they probably think I should have taken a few
> minutes to harass the Prius as well. The only excuse I can make for the
> Prius driver is that as the road widens into a controlled access highway
> (but before I-40), there are acceleration ramps entering Wade Avenue from
> I-440, Blue Ridge Road, and Edwards Mill Road. He might have though he
> needed to be in the left lane to avoid the traffic entering from those ramps
> (particularly the I-440 Ramp). However, he made his move to cut off the van
> well before we encountered any traffic entering from those ramps, and to be
> honest, traffic was pretty light on that portion of the road. If he had out
> run the van I don't think there would have been an issue. However, moving
> over to cut someone off and then not accelerating to a speed above the guy
> you cut off is a true MFFY action in my opinion.
>
> Regards,
>
> Ed White


I'm not sure about how to estimate Scott's opinion...other than to say
that as a general rule, anyone who drives is a MFFY waiting to happen.

My take would be "H" - definitely not the Eclipse driver as he did move
back to the right.


Brent P[_1_] September 13th 06 03:33 PM

Here a MFMY Driver Story for Scott
 
In article <45080152$1@kcnews01>, C. E. White wrote:

> In my opinion, the Prius driver was a jerk.


Yes.

> But so was the van driver.


At that point he was likely not thinking rationally, but yes.

> Rather than waste his time trying to intimidate the Prius, he could have
> just passed him.


Likely the van driver was now focused on the Pirus driver.

I find that people who cut me off or accelerate hard just to block and go
slower than I want to annoying. Same with those who have to pull in front
of me at a light and then don't accelerate. (oddly, all of this occurs
when bicycling as well as driving) I can see how the van driver might have
lost it if this was the 10th or so such driver he had encountered like that
that day.

> over to cut someone off and then not accelerating to a speed above the guy
> you cut off is a true MFFY action in my opinion.


Yep.


Brent P[_1_] September 13th 06 04:07 PM

Here a MFMY Driver Story for Scott
 
In article >, Scott en Aztlán wrote:

> philosophical questions. For example, if everyone were to become a
> MFFY, and MFFYs need enablers in order to do MFFY things, would
> everyone instantly cease to be MFFYs due to a complete lack of
> enablers?


No. However there would either be far more collisions or much less MFFY,
reduced to only those instances where no 'just let them do it' was needed.



Arif Khokar September 13th 06 04:23 PM

Here a MFMY Driver Story for Scott
 
Scott en Aztlán wrote:

> If *everyone* was a MFFY, there would be NO enablers.
>
> Of course, that realization leads us directly into some Zen-like
> philosophical questions. For example, if everyone were to become a
> MFFY, and MFFYs need enablers in order to do MFFY things, would
> everyone instantly cease to be MFFYs due to a complete lack of
> enablers?


That depends mostly on whether one considers intent as an element of
being a MFFY. If it is a consideration, then even if the person is
unable to accomplish their action that would demonstrate to others that
he or she is a MFFY would still be classified as one.

morticide September 13th 06 04:32 PM

Here a MFMY Driver Story for Scott
 

Scott en Aztlán wrote:
> "morticide" > said in rec.autos.driving:
>
> >I'm not sure about how to estimate Scott's opinion...other than to say
> >that as a general rule, anyone who drives is a MFFY waiting to happen.

>
> I don't know where you got such a distorted idea of my position, but
> let me be perfectly clear: not everyone on the road is a MFFY. In
> fact, that is IMPOSSIBLE, and MFFY depends on JLEDI enablers in order
> to accomplish its goals. If *everyone* was a MFFY, there would be NO
> enablers.
>
> Of course, that realization leads us directly into some Zen-like
> philosophical questions. For example, if everyone were to become a
> MFFY, and MFFYs need enablers in order to do MFFY things, would
> everyone instantly cease to be MFFYs due to a complete lack of
> enablers?
> --
> I'm a wreckless driver and damn proud of it!


Interesting question. To pull a quote from an old Dilbert comic strip,
we'll just leave that question to the philosophers. :)


necromancer[_1_] September 13th 06 07:31 PM

Here a MFMY Driver Story for Scott
 
Ladies and Gentlemen (and I use those words loosely), C. E. White said
in rec.autos.driving:

<snip Story>

> So who is the MFFY in this story -
>
> a) The Prius Driver


Yep.

> b) The Van Driver


Definitely.

> c) Me


Maybe some JLEDI (I wouldn't have waited and left the gap for the van to
pass the prius - I would have just slipped to the right lane and floored
it and gotten away from these two in post and in haste), but not MFFY.

> d) The Eclipse driver


Nope. I don't see what this guy did at all.

> Is there a JLEDI in this story?
>
> Oh yeah, I arrived safely at work and it took about the same amount of time
> as it always does (20 minutes). I never saw the van or the Prius again. I
> assume the Prius was somewhere behind me, and the van might be half way to
> California for all I know.
>
> In my opinion, the Prius driver was a jerk. But so was the van driver.
> Rather than waste his time trying to intimidate the Prius, he could have
> just passed him. The Eclipse driver did nothing wrong, and was probably
> flashed because the van driver was suffering from road rage.


Agreed, but I find the Prius driver most responsible for this situation
since his actions are what caused the van drivers rage. (of course, this
conclusion is based on information given in the story; we don't know if
there was any history between these two prior to your entering the road)

> Of course, I was totally blameless


Of course... ;)

> - well except people who are KRETP Nazis probably
> think I should not have passed on the right - even though it was perfectly
> legal - and except for the people who think the van driver was right for
> intimidating the Prius - they probably think I should have taken a few
> minutes to harass the Prius as well.


I consider myself a "KRETP Nazi," (to use your wrods), but I have no
problem with passing on the right, and do it with out mercy almost every
time I find myself on the interstate system.

> The only excuse I can make for the
> Prius driver is that as the road widens into a controlled access highway
> (but before I-40), there are acceleration ramps entering Wade Avenue from
> I-440, Blue Ridge Road, and Edwards Mill Road. He might have though he
> needed to be in the left lane to avoid the traffic entering from those ramps
> (particularly the I-440 Ramp). However, he made his move to cut off the van
> well before we encountered any traffic entering from those ramps, and to be
> honest, traffic was pretty light on that portion of the road. If he had out
> run the van I don't think there would have been an issue.


As we see, it is quite possible that there was some history between the
van and the Prius before you entered the picture. Therefore, it is
difficult to definitively assign the worst MFFY to either driver.

> However, moving
> over to cut someone off and then not accelerating to a speed above the guy
> you cut off is a true MFFY action in my opinion.


Yep.

--
"Look down on me, you will see a fool.
Look up at me, you will see your lord.
Look straight at me, you will see yourself."
- Charles Manson


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