The increasing stress of driving

>> Hey, why do you think the Camry has been #1 for a while now? -Dave
>
> Actually the old Camry looked OK. The new one is fugly.
> The Toyota Avalon is similarly ugly--I hate that box on
> thin wheels look.

And the old Camry wasn't nearly as popular until they made it fugly. That's
my point. -Dave

Other than leaving hours earlier to go anywhere and taking
> detours or pulling over to avoid potential problems, which I do sometimes,
> is there something I might do differently to reduce these problems?

You could do what I did, and move closer to work.

I used to drive 30-45 minutes of hair raising, adrenaline pumping commute
each way to cover 13 miles or so to my job from my house.

Now, I live less than 1 mile from work, and can walk, bike, motorcycle, or
drive. No high volume roads between my house and job. <10 minutes a day of
commuting beats the **** out of 90 minutes a day. And I'm alot calmer when
I get home every day. Not to mention my gasoline use is less than half of
what it was. With prices going up (and up and up) that factor alone will
become more significant. My rent went up $100 a month (sold my house) but
my quality of life has gone up a great deal not having to deal with what you
so eloquently described in your post.

Of course, not everyone can do it. But if you can, I highly recommend it.'

Oil is finite and we're using it 3-6 times faster than we're discovering it.
(depending on which source you look at). Genius level thought processes
aren't necessary to see where that will eventually lead.

Even Chevron has jumped on the oil depletion bandwagon with their new site
www.willyoujoinus.com .

Reducing dependence on cars and gasoline now keeps you ahead of the curve
IMO.

My 2¢ worth.

Roy

"Harry K" > wrote in
oups.com:

>
>
> Scott en Aztlán wrote:
>> On Sat, 09 Jul 2005 08:11:17 +0000, Alexander Rogge
>> > wrote:
>>
>> >I'm very frustrated by the number of driving days that require
the
>> >use of rapid deceleration, evasive action, and rapid
acceleration to
>> >avoid a secondary incident. I've had more than 100 incidents
within
>> >the past month, and I've noticed that it has taken my driving
to the
>> >border of reasonable and sometimes past prudent, just to keep
ahead
>> >of the traffic problems.
>>
>> It's enough to make ya wanna take the train...
>
> Or increase the following distance so you don't have to do the
> brake/gas dance...
>
> Harry K
>
>

Try driving as if you have no brakes. If you can control your
vehicle with just the accelerator, you won't have as many quick
moves to make. This takes looking far ahead for problems and
avoiding them before they become emgencies. Will this get rid of
your problem completely, no, but it will lessen it.

Doug

DYM wrote:
> "Harry K" > wrote in
> oups.com:
>
>
>>
>>Scott en Aztlán wrote:
>>
>>>On Sat, 09 Jul 2005 08:11:17 +0000, Alexander Rogge
> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>I'm very frustrated by the number of driving days that require
>
> the
>
>>>>use of rapid deceleration, evasive action, and rapid
>
> acceleration to
>
>>>>avoid a secondary incident. I've had more than 100 incidents
>
> within
>
>>>>the past month, and I've noticed that it has taken my driving
>
> to the
>
>>>>border of reasonable and sometimes past prudent, just to keep
>
> ahead
>
>>>>of the traffic problems.
>>>
>>>It's enough to make ya wanna take the train...
>>
>>Or increase the following distance so you don't have to do the
>>brake/gas dance...
>>
>>Harry K
>>
>>
>
>
> Try driving as if you have no brakes. If you can control your
> vehicle with just the accelerator, you won't have as many quick
> moves to make. This takes looking far ahead for problems and
> avoiding them before they become emgencies. Will this get rid of
> your problem completely, no, but it will lessen it.
>
> Doug

Good advice, but difficult to do unless you have a stickshift, or
alternately, a lockup torque convertor. Lots of autoboxes feel "loose"
and don't offer a whole lot of compression braking.

nate

--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

> I'm very frustrated by the number of driving days that require
> the use of rapid deceleration, evasive action, and rapid
>acceleration to avoid a secondary incident.

> The idiots on the road are beyond critical mass

Having breakfast with a Bay Area friend a few years ago, I mentioned
how getting from my apartment to work often -- increasingly? --
required some form of evasive action, and how often I witnessed a
near-miss involving other parties. This jibed with his experience.

It isn't just city traffic either. I've noticed that it's become near
impossible for me to take a road trip of several hundred to a thousand
miles (I do this a few times a year) without witnessing the still-fresh
aftermath of a high-energy wipeout under road and weather and traffic
conditions that, with a bit of skill and attention, should've been
just another day at the office. I don't *think* it used to be that
way.

Are drivers getting worse?

--Joe

"Ad absurdum per aspera" > wrote in
oups.com:

> > I'm very frustrated by the number of driving days that require
>> the use of rapid deceleration, evasive action, and rapid
>>acceleration to avoid a secondary incident.
>
>> The idiots on the road are beyond critical mass
>
> Having breakfast with a Bay Area friend a few years ago, I mentioned
> how getting from my apartment to work often -- increasingly? --
> required some form of evasive action, and how often I witnessed a
> near-miss involving other parties. This jibed with his experience.
>
> It isn't just city traffic either. I've noticed that it's become near
> impossible for me to take a road trip of several hundred to a thousand
> miles (I do this a few times a year) without witnessing the still-fresh
> aftermath of a high-energy wipeout under road and weather and traffic
> conditions that, with a bit of skill and attention, should've been
> just another day at the office. I don't *think* it used to be that
> way.
>
> Are drivers getting worse?
>
> --Joe
>
>

I believe so.
Ever since the 1973 National Motor Speed Limit of 55mph,I believe courtesy
and driving discipline has steadily deteriorated.
IMO,that was the beginning of it all.
It certainly trashed STKR and KRETP.

The MFFY style of driving has become rampant.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

Brent P wrote:
> In article >, 223rem wrote:
> > Solution: buy an old, rusted, fullsize pickup truck
> > (I saw one here for $400) and use it to commute.
> > Drive it like you dont give a **** about anybody.
>
> The problem with beaters is they breakdown. I need to find a reliable car
> that looks like crap.

Think "Bluesmobile."

nate

Around 7/13/2005 8:02 AM, N8N wrote:

> Brent P wrote:
>
>>In article >, 223rem wrote:
>>
>>>Solution: buy an old, rusted, fullsize pickup truck
>>>(I saw one here for $400) and use it to commute.
>>>Drive it like you dont give a **** about anybody.
>>
>>The problem with beaters is they breakdown. I need to find a reliable car
>>that looks like crap.
>
>
> Think "Bluesmobile."


Though an amazing car while it lasted, I think the Bluesmobile defined
the word "breakdown."

----
<CLUNK>
Elwood: Oh no.
Jake: What the **** was that?
Elwood: The motor. We've thrown a rod.
Jake: Is that serious?
Elwood: Yup.

http://tinypic.com/8vqe13.jpg

http://tinypic.com/8vqe86.jpg (Why do I get the feeling that looks
exactly like Judy's car on one of it's "better" days?)

Of course, Elwood is probably still in shock and mourning the
Bluesmobile's passing: http://tinypic.com/8vqfkj.jpg


--
~/Garth |"I believe that it is better to tell the truth than a lie.
Almgren | I believe it is better to be free than to be a slave.
******* | And I believe it is better to know than to be ignorant."
for secure mail info) --H.L. Mencken (1880-1956)