Article: Five Tips for Safer Driving

Scott en Aztlán > writes:
>Bill Funk > said in rec.autos.driving:

>>It seems to me that if there's a long, long line of cars behind you,
>>then the space between cars will be minimal, and they are already
>>going slowly.

>>Where is the gap he's supposed to wait for?

>That's his problem. Worst case he has to stop and wait for a suitable
>gap.

Which means everybody on the feeder has to stop.

I don't understand what's so hard about _merging_.

But if the laws and/or selfish driver behaviour preclude merging,
then there's no option but to sit for hours and burn more fuel.
--
/"\ Bernd Felsche - Innovative Reckoning, Perth, Western Australia
\ / ASCII ribbon campaign | "Laws do not persuade just because
X against HTML mail | they threaten."
/ \ and postings | Lucius Annaeus Seneca, c. 4BC - 65AD.

Not Me wrote:

> If drivers around here wouldn't follow right on the back bumper of the
> driver ahead of them and keep a proper following distance instead then there
> would be no need to stop and "be courteous" and let other drivers in. It
> seems that every driver around here thinks everything is like the "rotary"
> and that it's one for one. Sorry but when I am driving straight on a
> roadway and drivers are attempting to pull out of parking lot
> entrances/exits it is them who have to wait for the way to be clear before
> they go. It's not the responsibility of drivers with the right of way to
> stop and let them out. Unless traffic is stopped and there is a car stopped
> ahead of the driveway then drivers must stop so as not to block driveways.

One of the difficulties I've noticed in this group is that people keep
talking about their own examples, without understanding that someone
else's examples are DIFFERENT!

If traffic is moving, I don't suggest stopping to let someone in,
usually. But if the traffic is bumper-to-bumper, and is stopped, and
someone is attempting to pull out of a driveway or other point,
courtesy suggests that you let a car out once in a while. There is no
need to make the poor bloke sit their for 2 hours until rush hour is
over. Or would YOU like to be the one who is sitting their, waiting
for some nice person with a misplaced sense of responsibility?

Nate Nagel wrote:

> IME for the most part people are not "committing errors" they are
> driving like jerks to try to get ahead at everyone else's expense. So
> screw 'em.

Maybe they're jerks. Maybe they've made a mistake.
Life is calmer if you assume they made a mistake.

Bill Funk wrote:

> It seems to me that if there's a long, long line of cars behind you,
> then the space between cars will be minimal, and they are already
> going slowly.
> Where is the gap he's supposed to wait for?
> --
> Bill Funk
> replace "g" with "a"


There isn't one. But heaven forbid that an act of courtesy should
delay another person by a half second or so. He's already ticked off
that he can't drive over the SL, and now you want to let someone in
FRONT of him?

In article >, Bernd Felsche wrote:
> Scott en Aztlán > writes:
>>Bill Funk > said in rec.autos.driving:
>
>>>It seems to me that if there's a long, long line of cars behind you,
>>>then the space between cars will be minimal, and they are already
>>>going slowly.
>
>>>Where is the gap he's supposed to wait for?
>
>>That's his problem. Worst case he has to stop and wait for a suitable
>>gap.
>
> Which means everybody on the feeder has to stop.
>
> I don't understand what's so hard about _merging_.
>
> But if the laws and/or selfish driver behaviour preclude merging,
> then there's no option but to sit for hours and burn more fuel.

I have never had a problem finding a gap when traffic is moving faster
than stop and go bumper to bumper. In those conditions, I usually find a
naturally occuring gap. Otherwise it's left right left right at the gore
point.

However, if traffic is not stopped, the merger should not disturb the
flow. It's the flow disturbances that bring on congestion earlier.

wrote:
> Rainbow Warrior wrote:
>
>>"Nate Nagel" > wrote in message
...
>>
wrote:
>>>
>>>When I have a choice between blocking out some idiot who can't be arsed to
>>>align himself with a gap, and braking and slowing the long, long line of
>>>cars behind me, the choice is clear. I'd far rather **** off ONE moron
>>>than a whole mess of people driving correctly. (actually, ****ing off
>>>morons really doesn't have a downside at all, unless they also happen to
>>>be mentally unstable.) If that happens to be you, all I can say is learn
>>>to ****ing drive.
>>>
>>>nate
>>
>>Yep, and they are out there, a guy at work ****ed one off, then thought
>>nothing about it till a tyre iron came through his window glass and
>>connected to his head while waiting at the lights 10minutes afterwards. The
>>driver eventually got behind him again.
>>
>>Another guy in a newish workvan thought he would be smart my throwing an
>>apple at an apprentices car after the apprentice flipped him the bird for
>>cutting him off, the apprentice responded by sideswiping the van with his
>>ancient 120y wagon, the van driver returned the favour, so the apprentice
>>slammed him twice more before he realised he was dealing with extremely
>>limited carefactor, and decided to cut his losses and retreat to the next
>>sidestreet, couldn't open the passenger side doors on the 120y wagon.
>>Another guy from work was further back and saw the whole thing, people were
>>just pulling off Gympie road in amazement & terror.
>
>
> Hey Rainbow: I didn't write that. Nate did. I don't use that kind of
> foul language.
> websurf1
>

****in' oath.

Andy.

Brent P wrote:
> In article >, Bernd Felsche wrote:
>> Scott en Aztlán > writes:
>>> Bill Funk > said in rec.autos.driving:
>>>> It seems to me that if there's a long, long line of cars behind you,
>>>> then the space between cars will be minimal, and they are already
>>>> going slowly.
>>>> Where is the gap he's supposed to wait for?
>>> That's his problem. Worst case he has to stop and wait for a suitable
>>> gap.
>> Which means everybody on the feeder has to stop.
>>
>> I don't understand what's so hard about _merging_.
>>
>> But if the laws and/or selfish driver behaviour preclude merging,
>> then there's no option but to sit for hours and burn more fuel.
>
> I have never had a problem finding a gap when traffic is moving faster
> than stop and go bumper to bumper. In those conditions, I usually find a
> naturally occuring gap. Otherwise it's left right left right at the gore
> point.
>
> However, if traffic is not stopped, the merger should not disturb the
> flow. It's the flow disturbances that bring on congestion earlier.
>
>

It's hard to avoid disturbing the flow if most people are tailgating on
the freeway, which is often the case here in Melbourne, Australia.

Ben

"Rainbow Warrior" > wrote in message
...
> "Al Smith" > wrote in message
> news:2LaJg.23150$tP4.18237@clgrps12...
>>>>Five Tips for Safer Driving
>>>>>
>>>>> · Aim High in Steering
>>>>> · Get the Big Picture
>>>>> · Keep Your Eyes Moving
>>>>> ·Leave Yourself an Out
>>>>> ·Make Sure They See You
>>>
>>>
>>> Spam.
>>>
>>> All "tips" obviously stolen from http://www.smith-system.com/
>>>
>>> You're not even a good plagiarist.
>>>
>>> - gpsman
>>
>> Here's some original tips, my own personal code of the road:
>>
>> 1. Don't hit anyone.
>> 2. Don't hit any thing.
>> 3. Don't let any thing hit you.
>
> Here's mine
>
> Be careful

I just drive like every other ****er on the road is out to kill me. Only
reason they can't is because they are such **** drivers.

Fraser

Spear and Magic Helmet wrote:

> Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS wrote:
>
>>On 29 Aug 2006 09:59:07 -0700, wrote:
>>
>>You left our rule nuber 1:
>>
>>DRIVE SLOW
>
>
> Hahahhahahahaha. Good one! Yeah drive slow in ALL conditions. Yeah
> that'll do it hahahahahaha <slaps thigh>
>
Exactly, S&DD should drive so slow "it" never gets out of the driveway,
or parking spot I should say.
That would make the roads safer for those of us who can handle normal
activity.

GK

"Bernd Felsche" > wrote in message
...
> Scott en Aztlán > writes:
>>Bill Funk > said in rec.autos.driving:
>
>>>It seems to me that if there's a long, long line of cars behind you,
>>>then the space between cars will be minimal, and they are already
>>>going slowly.
>
>>>Where is the gap he's supposed to wait for?
>
>>That's his problem. Worst case he has to stop and wait for a suitable
>>gap.
>
> Which means everybody on the feeder has to stop.
>
> I don't understand what's so hard about _merging_.
>
> But if the laws and/or selfish driver behaviour preclude merging,
> then there's no option but to sit for hours and burn more fuel.
> --
> /"\ Bernd Felsche - Innovative Reckoning, Perth, Western Australia
> \ / ASCII ribbon campaign | "Laws do not persuade just because
> X against HTML mail | they threaten."
> / \ and postings | Lucius Annaeus Seneca, c. 4BC - 65AD.

Merging from on-ramps to the highways is a concept many around here don't
seem to grasp. Cars follow each other way too closely to make a proper gap
between cars in order for oncoming vehicles to complete a proper merge. And
a lot of drivers, when on double lane highways, hog the right lane forcing
oncoming traffic to wait rather than simply moving to the left lane and
leaving the right lane clear for the on-coming cars. I'm not 100% sure what
the official terminology in NS is for an on-ramp but in Ontario they use the
term "acceleration lane" and "deceleration lane" to describe on and off
ramps of highways. You don't usually find cars stopping on them unless
traffic volume is very heavy and all lanes of the freeways are bumper to
bumper. Here you try to get on a 100 series highway and there maybe 10 cars
at that particular section at that time but they are all driving bumper to
bumper in the right lane so cars trying to get on it have to stop on the
on-ramp.