OT - Near head-on collision

"witfal" ...

This has _nothing_ to do with the particular car that was being driven. It has everything to do with the driver, in whatever car that driver is driving. Tomes

While I have obviously anecdotal knowledge of Prius drivers, I can only say that based upon what I see daily today's incident surprised me not a bit.

There certainly are drivers of other specific vehicles just as unpredictable or, what I call paranoid behind the wheel.

Yesterday's Prius incident, while it didn't affect me other than a waste of time and a bit of extra brake wear, had a Prius driver change their mind three times as to which direction they were going to turn out of a grocery shopping center. Center to left, then swerved all the way to the right, then all the way to the left once again.

Amazing stuff.

For some reason, it just doesn't enter the mind of some people that if you really don't know where you're going, you aren't entitled to inconvenience everyone else until you do. Just make the turn, and if it's wrong, go to the next light and u-turn your way back.

Here, we have two primary plagues at the moment. The first involves 20-ish women driving Volkswagens, tailgating like they're hooked on a trailer hitch, almost always with cell phone in hand. I don't think I've ever seen a male driving a Volkswagen here. It's interesting what their advertising has done.

The second plague involves the modern replacement for the Dodge Dart: Subaru wagons. Driven not just by the blind & dead, but also middle aged people who drive in fashion politely described as "mild". When a light turns green, it seems they don't touch the gas pedal. They just take their foot off the brake and eventually the car reaches some random speed. In a 40 mph zone, their speed will vary endlessly between 34 and 38. On a long stretch of road with no driveways or other variables, they'll slow down gradually for no particular reason, then speed up, slow down, speed up.

We really need to institute the driving test from hell, as designated by me, but states couldn't afford the loss of license & registration revenue after the test had its intended result: Eliminate almost 90% of drivers.

Same here. The reincarnated bug is driven almost 100% by women of all ages.

Same with mommy-vans, Cadillacs, and Priuses. This is why I mentioned the possibility of a lack of throttle response, but someone here said the Prius responds just fine. So it's obviously the idiot factor.

Good idea, but it wouldn't make a dent here. Recent stats in LA county have 1 in 3 drivers unlicensed.

Then, we assign new priorities for the cops. Leave the good drivers alone, even if they're doing 45 in a 40 zone. Nail the marginal ones, and that includes 4.5 foot tall Asian women who look terrified while driving. You can't drive well when you're scared.

There's the paranoia factor I mentioned previously. Those with no spatial perception or situational awareness.

You know the type. Stop sign. Looks back and forth five or six times before their brain finally processes the visuals that no one else is at the intersection. Consistently drives at the limit in the fast lane, stacking up vehicles fifteeen cars back while oblivious to their presence. Wears hats that prevent any possibility of checking their blind spots. Rear wind screen obstructed with stuffed animals and a chihuahua on their lap.

Add to this my favorite warning sign. Someone whose license should have been pulled in their seventh decade, wearing over-sized sunglasses indicating either their irises no longer function, or they're still dilated from an eye exam.

Around here, we get a lot of "Don't know how to work my defroster and I don't care." Side & back windows completely fogged on the inside. It's initially caused by failure to knock the snow off the shoes, so the carpet gets soaked. It can be 15 degrees, but sunny enough to make the interior of the car hot, which makes it like a steam room. But, the windows will still be cold enough for frost to form. All you have to do is crank up the defroster, push the AC button if the car doesn't do that automatically, and crack open a back window. But NOOOOOOOOOOO....that would be too much effort.

Same here. During certain months, we get a high-humidity, cold night. People get in to drive and the sauna thing happens.

I've seen people drive where you couldn't even tell the sex of the driver through the window fog.

If I were a cop...

I wonder if cops can use the general "wreckless driving" catch-all for that sort of thing.

They can. In California, at least, even a pair of fuzzy dice or a necklace hanging from the rear-view is sufficient for a ticket, though seldom enforced.

Reminds me of yet another fake public service announcement from WLIR-FM, my favorite station back in the 70s. I don't know how they got away with some of it. Vincent L. Toffany was the commissioner of motor vehicles at the time.

Imagine really dumb voice with Italian-Brooklyn accent: "Hello. This is Vincent L. Toffeecandy, commissioner of motor vehicle cars. Keep your windows clean, and for god's sake, watch where the hell you're goin'! Thank you."

If one has been ringing motorcycles for any length of time they should realize by now that being involved in what would be a 'fender bender' in you car, can kill one on a bike with or without a motor.

At least with a motorcycle one has the power available that may be needed to let one get out of the way and save ones life. I guess one must ask themselves if saving a relative few hundred dollars a year is worth risking ones life by riding in a small or midget car, let alone a bicycle?

One guy on a motorcycle almost lost his life yesterday as the dumbass cut in between a 10 foot gap between me and another car. I respect bikers as my parents are avid bikers, but I don't have respect for dickheads who pull crazy stunts no matter what they are driving. I pulled beside his dumb ass at the next stoplight and he asked me if I wanted to pull into a parking lot and go at it. I'm sorry, but I don't fight retarded people. Anyone on a 700 pound bike who thinks he can go up against a 3000 pound car has to be mentally disabled.

LOL, sometimes it's hard to tell even under the best conditions.

Rather than fake, they ought to try it IRL.

True. I AM talking about California here.

Big ASSumption, "Mike".

My bicycle is for exercise. Not normal transportation.

BTW, my cholesterol is 164, body fat 16%, and I can bench 25 pounds over my weight. You?

Are you on this page somewhere?

LOL. No.