Sooo...driving is a BITCH. Rant here to alleviate stress. - Page 23 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Pagal4321 · 07-09-2009, 08:34 AM

I think I vent about this once a week....

PLAYGROUND ZONES COME INTO EFFECT AT 8:30 AM, so when you hold up traffic at 7:45 AM I am well within my rights to lay on the horn until you get the message!!!

Traditional_Ale · 07-09-2009, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4X4

This ongoing debate shall be settled once and for all with this post. Anyone who disagrees with me is wrong. Here goes...

There are three different situations where this comes up: First, when two lanes merge into one with a relatively short amount of merge distance, and high volumes of traffic in both lanes. Example: SB Deerfoot on to WB 17th. Any idiot that stops at the end of the converging white line V and flips on his signal is a ###### and I will pass him on the right and force my way in at the very end where the two lanes actually become one. Everyone behind me should do it too, and the traffic should criss cross. If you are in the WB lane of 17th and you take offence to this, you are an idiot and a ######.

Second, when two lanes merge into one with a relatively long merge and there is considerable traffic in both lanes. Example: 50th Ave on to SB Crowchild. Any person that stops at the end of the white converged V is an idiot. There is a long lane that you should be able to merge into along the way. Stopping anywhere along the wall of cars is stupid. Go to the end and criss cross if necessary, but if the opportunity arises to get in along the way, take it. Most people in the wall of traffic can see that you're not trying to take advantage of your glorious open lane and will leave a gap for one car to scoot into to keep traffic flowing.

Third is when a lane is closed down for construction and there is high volume of traffic on the road. This lane must be used to it's maximum freaking potential. Let the traffic build up in all the lanes and criss cross at the VERY END of the lane. People who lose their mind and stop and try to nose their way in 500 meters before the lane ends screw everything up by causing half the cars behind to freak out and do the same thing, and the other half to get pissed off and fly down to the end, only to be greeted by a-holes that are now ticked that some people tried the early merge and now these end-of-the-laners are "cheating". It's not cheating. It's proper traffic flow.

I think the people that don't get this are the same people who can't walk and chew gum at the same time.

Is it really so hard to multi-task? Especially driving where the only multi-tasking is freakin' THINKING.

Pastiche · 07-09-2009, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

I think the people that don't get this are the same people who can't walk and chew gum at the same time.

Is it really so hard to multi-task? Especially driving where the only multi-tasking is freakin' THINKING.

I think it's people scared to death of changing lines in busy traffic. People who don't know how to use their mirrors properly. To them the best thing to do is the change lanes as soon as possible and then sit in traffic.

Traditional_Ale · 07-09-2009, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pastiche

I think it's people scared to death of changing lines in busy traffic. People who don't know how to use their mirrors properly. To them the best thing to do is the change lanes as soon as possible and then sit in traffic.

So true. The worst I find are the petite soccer moms driving giant SUVs that have steering wheels thicker than their forearms.

I think automatic transmission is to blame for the demise of the 'driver'. My little cousin from the UK says shes the worst driver in the world. She actually kicks ass.

Pastiche · 07-09-2009, 08:56 AM

I agree. Standard transmissions make you a way better driver of your vehicle. Just amazing how many people I know who don't know how to use their mirrors, signal, change lanes, and edge in.

FiftyBelow · 07-09-2009, 10:42 AM

I was on 52nd and Memorial the other day and I was making a left turn. Some ass in the oncoming direction turning left on the other side had his high beams on in the middle of the day.

Jimmy Stang · 07-09-2009, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

Is it really so hard to multi-task? Especially driving where the only multi-tasking is freakin' THINKING.

What about chatting on the phone, eating, doing some make-up, watching a DVD, reading, checking email, texting, etc. ??

Jimmy Stang · 07-09-2009, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

I think automatic transmission is to blame for the demise of the 'driver'. My little cousin from the UK says shes the worst driver in the world. She actually kicks ass.

Manual transmission is the only way for me. I simply won't consider a car without it. There are so many benefits.

I have driven in the UK, and while shifting with your left hand is a bit strange at first, I wouldn't have had it any other way. At least the pedals are in the same order. I wish that you could rent manual transmission cars here in Canada for the odd occasion that I need to. Driving an automatic is kind of depressing for my left foot.

valo403 · 07-09-2009, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pastiche

I agree. Standard transmissions make you a way better driver of your vehicle. Just amazing how many people I know who don't know how to use their mirrors, signal, change lanes, and edge in.

I have absolutely no interest in ever driving a manual transmission, I feel like it's spitting in the face of progress. I've never found that the lack of a need to shift has caused me to be inattentive, I guess it might help some people, but I've always found the need to look out for total idiots to be enough to keep me awake.

Pastiche · 07-09-2009, 01:05 PM

I guess my point is that it makes you closer to driving the actual car. Gives you more control of the car and therefore you learn how the car reacts and forces you to engage the car in many different situations on the road by introducing a couple new variables.

Resolute 14 · 07-09-2009, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

http://www.traffic-simulation.de/

Those little red squares are aholes!

Phanuthier · 07-09-2009, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pastiche

I agree. Standard transmissions make you a way better driver of your vehicle. Just amazing how many people I know who don't know how to use their mirrors, signal, change lanes, and edge in.

Much easier to control your speed (i.e. for merging on highways) and driving in the winter and always wanting control of your tires. I have a automatic right now which sucks, used to always drive standard back home.

Cliche · 07-09-2009, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

Much easier to control your speed (i.e. for merging on highways) and driving in the winter and always wanting control of your tires. I have a automatic right now which sucks, used to always drive standard back home.

I will never miss a manual transmission in bumper to bumper up hill traffic.

jammies · 07-09-2009, 01:36 PM

Just for fun, I thought I'd count how many traffic violations I'd see going from Blackfoot/58th Ave to my place downtown - about a 15 minute drive.

Changing lanes without signalling: at least half a dozen examples
Changing lanes in an intersection: once
Excessive speed (15 km/h or more over): three
Running red light: twice, including a cop car w/no siren or lights
Turning through red light without stopping: twice
Driving under influence: pretty sure at least once, as van was wandering between lanes
Stopping at red light and blocking crosswalk: once
Failing to yield to pedestrian: once
Cycling like a f'in idiot: twice
Jaywalking: three
Failing to yield to transit: once

And this was with me paying attention to driving - I'm sure if I was a passenger I'd see many, many more. Disturbing.

Phanuthier · 07-09-2009, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliche

I will never miss a manual transmission in bumper to bumper up hill traffic.

I usually don't mind, unless I'd have to try in San Francisco. (thank god I haven't had to) I heard from a friend, what she does is throw on her hand break, foot on clutch and gas pedel, rev and release hand break. Sounds like a sketchy move, but I don't have any better ideas if you had to come to a full stop.

For Calgary/Edmonton - no problems for me.

Jimmy Stang · 07-10-2009, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

I usually don't mind, unless I'd have to try in San Francisco. (thank god I haven't had to) I heard from a friend, what she does is throw on her hand break, foot on clutch and gas pedel, rev and release hand break. Sounds like a sketchy move, but I don't have any better ideas if you had to come to a full stop.

Not sketchy at all - works quite well. Not really necessary here, but occasionally handy if you combine a steep hill and an assclown that parks/stops too closely behind you.

Or, if they're REALLY close, just gently use their front bumper.

Recommended only for parked, unattended cars.

STeeLy · 07-10-2009, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

throw on her hand break, foot on clutch and gas pedel, rev and release hand break.

I thought that's what you were taught in driving school for up hill starts if you were driving a manual.

JustAnotherGuy · 07-10-2009, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pagal4321

I think I vent about this once a week....

PLAYGROUND ZONES COME INTO EFFECT AT 8:30 AM, so when you hold up traffic at 7:45 AM I am well within my rights to lay on the horn until you get the message!!!

In Scenic Acres there is a playground zone. In the monthly Scenic Acres newsletter they have asked a few times for people to stop honking their horn while in the playground zone.

I guess people were either honking when people were driving to slow when the zone was not in effect. OR They were honking when when people were driving too fast when the zone was in effect. It was driving the people who lived there a little crazy.

STeeLy · 07-16-2009, 09:06 PM

So yeah...

I am still amazed at how people can't cope with lane closures and have to go into the other lane that is FULL of traffic 1 km before it actually closes. I did what I learned (and exactly as 4X4 described) slowly moved to the end of the closing lane and merge in... but holy crap... there were so many points in time where I just wanted to go pass the guys who is STOPPED >1 km before the lane closure trying to get in to the through lane but alas I had no room to do so... Friggin idiots!

PIMking · 07-16-2009, 09:16 PM

I drive dump truck for a living I could tell you all kinds of stories of idiots that shouldn't be driving.

hell one day I was loaded to the gills with Rock I weighed 63k lbs and I was booking along around 65mph and crossing over interstate 80 and some stupid broad decided either she didn't want to stop or she didn't want to be behind a "slow" dump truck so she pulled out infront of me about 50 yards before I got to the off ramp and I laid on the horn and brakes hoping to god I dont kill anyone and some how I managed not to hit her. I did however follow her to the place she was going and had a nice conversation on that most of these trucks in this area get paid by the ton not the hour so we work fast and we are not like 18 wheelers and to pay attention. I said alot of cuss words and Are you that stupid? or do you want to die? It got real bad when 2 kids under the age of 10 jumped out of her SUV.

I told her that I could of hit her and her husband would have to identify the body from dental records and I would of walked away.

After that she broke down in tears. I hope it works for her but I get tired of people that dont respect trucks.