School cop and My pipes experience yesterday

[Thomasj]

Yep. Gotta drive with the attitude that EVERYONE around you is a stupid idiot. You not only have to drive your vehicle, but you have to try to be able to predict what others are gonna do. And that's damn near impossible. People are NOT predictable.

well stated

 

[ccreddell]

I have attempted to stress the point to all my kids who drive (and the one left who is almost ready to drive), that you have to expect everyone you see to do something stupid, so that when they do you are more likely to be ready for it. Has worked for me for almost 40 years.

 

[zraffz]

Haha I re-read this entire thing and got an even better chuckle out of it.

I'll admit I've done some stupid things. Usually they happen while I'm in my car (dumping the clutch, brake stands, donuts, etc) late at night. Fastest I have driven on the highway is only 105 (late at night). I rarely speed more than 5-10 MPH over the speed limit. I consider myself a very conservative driver. I have never gotten pulled over or gotten a ticket regarding a moving violation. No matter how slow somebody is going I do not tail gate. If somebody wants to risk passing me on a double yellow line, I usually let them (the Trans Am is a different story, I like to let them get next to me and then I peddle it to sit by them). My only issue is when I am being tail gated. My rule is - If I can't see your head lights you deserve a brake check, if you turn on your brights or stay on my ass I lock up my brakes and park my vehicle in the center of the road... done this quiet a few times. Good way to start a fight with whoever is behind you I might add. Even better when I have a passenger get out of the vehicle with me

I do have one thing to say though. I work with the road department and I've never given it any thought until this past year. If you are absolutely going to mess around on a public road or parking lot, please do so when it is late at night. This way you can see other vehicle's lights at the very least and people are less likely to be out walking or working on the roads. I have had to push a worker out of the road because some car was about to run him over. I have come very close to getting hit myself. You'd think the "Men working" signs or 4 commercial trucks/equipment with hazards and flashing lights on the side of the road would slow people down. If one of the guys I work with ever gets hit by a car, I swear to god I will kill the driver with a shovel and not think twice about it. I've gotten douched by water/dirt/mud/grit during storms because people do not slow down.

The worst is the people who speed past the elementary school when the kids are outside playing or getting off the bus. If you do this and get caught for it I hope the police have no mercy on you.

 

[silverado_lover]

Pennies work well for tailgaters

I've never been in a wreck and I used to drive like a mad man when I got my license. I trust my driving skills and know the limits of what I can and can't do, however I do not trust anyone elses driving skills.

Closet call I've had in a while was about 4 weeks ago I was going to make a right on red and a car was coming to the intersection with they're blinker on doing about 20 MPH (40 MPH road) so I assume they're turning. I pull out and it becomes obvious this car isn't turning, so when the car gets up to the intersection I roll down the window and tell her that her blinker was on. She then apologized lololol

 

[am92]

Pennies work well for tailgaters

I've never been in a wreck and I used to drive like a mad man when I got my license. I trust my driving skills and know the limits of what I can and can't do, however I do not trust anyone elses driving skills.

Closet call I've had in a while was about 4 weeks ago I was going to make a right on red and a car was coming to the intersection with they're blinker on doing about 20 MPH (40 MPH road) so I assume they're turning. I pull out and it becomes obvious this car isn't turning, so when the car gets up to the intersection I roll down the window and tell her that her blinker was on. She then apologized lololol

Yeah, I've learned that you have to wait until you literally see them start to turn. I almost got into an accident that same way, except they were in a right turn only lane and at the last second decided to go straight right as I was about to pull out in front of them...Can't assume anything with the way some people drive

 

[DieselPower]

I keep the old slider and ball in the hitch, just for tailgaters. Tap the back of my 3/4 ton diesel and odds are you just lost your bumper, radiator and a lot of time while you wait for the tow truck. Hit hard enough and you may lose your block as well. My wife was smacked at a light a few years ago, similiar 3/4 ton truck - she got a nasty scratch on the iron hitch, while the perps front end was pretty much scrapped. The best part is when the traffic cop directed her to pull forward and everything came with it... ;-) She barely felt the impact.
For the youth, consider that "stupid" gets expensive. Pull a few stupid stunts and you'll find out. A couple of my favorite experiences involve stupid driving. One guy in high school bought a buddy's '68 Charger, full of go-fast parts on a 383. They completed the transaction in the high school parking lot and when the new owner nailed the throttle while leaving, he must have forgotten the warning about the drum brakes not keeping up with the engine's power. The car would hit 130 mph very quickly, but it stopped like a big car with drum brakes. The roughly 1/4 mile run ended with a light post rammed into about the center of the hood, the car was totalled. Oops.
A less costly stunt involved a smokey burnout in the high school parking lot in a beautiful mid 70's Camaro. A u-joint gave out, dropping the driveline at high RPM and just making a nasty mess out of the underside of the car! We all learned about driveline loops that day!
Fortunately in both cases, nobody was hurt (physically). Both situations got expensive for the young and stupid! Years later, we all remember the guys that performed these stunts!

 

[Hezsus]

I have attempted to stress the point to all my kids who drive (and the one left who is almost ready to drive), that you have to expect everyone you see to do something stupid, so that when they do you are more likely to be ready for it. Has worked for me for almost 40 years.

Thats how i was taught to drive as well. We are from the country where there isnt much worry about the little cars that pull out infront of you. we've got more guys on tractors that dont look, or blinker (if they ahve them) than anything. Thats one thing I wouldnt trust any truck against.

 

[TruckinAin4Sissies]

As a professional driver since 2005 with over a million miles driven I have learned alot in regards to inconsiderate, unsafe & downright inexperienced drivers.

An example I was telling Jason (aka chevyguy78):
Thanksgiving day 2008 in Tacoma, WA. I was heading back to Portland with a high value load ($1.2 million worth of electronics...) and a young driver in a Mitsubishi Eclipse tried to pass between myself and another big-rig.
In the process of cutting between us he clipped my front bumper resulting in sending him into the Jersey barriers at ~80mph.

Not only did I have to fill out a incident report with WSP but I had to explain to my daughters that daddy wasn't going to make it in time.

The driver (19) and his girlfriend had to be taken away by ambulance.

As a professional driver we're constantly on the road. With the smaller, more low-key trucking companies you can get away with working over you're maximum allowed hours. I've often been behind the wheel 20 hours straight in an effort to satisfy a customer/ make extra $$.

Drunk, tired or emotional driving is dangerous too.

December 24th 2008 I lost my best friend.

My best friend Ryan was on his way back from Seattle with a load of envelopes in an effort to earn more Christmas money.

Ryan & I had spent all day digging out our trucks from all the snow.

After I went home he decided to run up to Seattle for a quick $200 (6 hours).
On the way back he fell asleep.

State police say that he drifted onto the shoulder for approximately 200 feet before hitting the guard rail. At that exact moment you could see him tap the brake lights (DOT traffic camera). He then dropped ~25 feet and into the underside of I-5.

This is from the local news

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After he was life-flighted to Portland I went to see him.

Surrounded by his family, I could only stare. Seeing him laying there motionless with tubes down his throat and a bandage on his head-I was speechless.
I said a few things to him and when his 2yr old daughter kept asking why daddy wouldn't wake up- I had to leave.

The next morning (Christmas) his wife called me and told me he didn't make it.

The reason I'm sharing this with all of you is to get a point across. If you're Mad, Tired or just shouldn't be driving- remember that my daughters are out there. Hopefully they make it home.

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RIP Ryan, I miss ya "sulley"

 

[sewlow]

Driving is a privilege, NOT a right.

My condolences to you & your friend's family.

Life is fragile.

 

[ccreddell]

That, in my opinion, is the biggest and best reason to be the best driver you can be. There's peoples kids, friends and family out there and its your sole responsibility to make sure youre not the one who keeps them from coming home.