So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

[Edward]

I can appreciate safe driving. I practice it myself.

But you in that late-model AWD Ford Escape I was stuck behind for the better part of a mile …

Maybe 15 mph over that well-packed snow would be reasonable. I can see even as slow as 10, on the corners or when there’s oncoming traffic. But I could have covered that distance on foot in less time.

In the village in Ireland where I grew up there was an old boy who was notorious for how slow he drove. The running joke was he'd thought he'd bought an automatic and it just didn't go any faster.... Certainly doubt he ever had that car out of first for the entire duration of his ownership.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I used to complain about old people who drive slow, until I became one.

 

[tonyb]

^^^^^^
I’m not a slow driver, but I observe the rules of the road and know when I do and do not have the right of way. Further, self-preservation has me ever mindful that not every driver shares that awareness.

I steer clear of what I call “competitive drivers.” I’m not particularly conflict averse, but that doesn’t extend to fighting over a patch of pavement.

 

[Trenchfriend]

We had the topic before, but IF they don't teach the basic rule of "defensive driving" in North America, it's just "negligent". In my opinion.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I think the big problem is that you only have to pass a driving test once, at least until you reach a certain age. I wouldn't at all object to having to pass a driving test every year to keep a license -- it might weed out the problem drivers sooner, and keep everyone else looking sharp. There are a lot of people on the road who took a driver's ed class fifty or sixty years ago, and haven't given the "rules of the road" a second thought since they got their ticket.

 

[Trenchfriend]

All of our european standard DL-cards from 2013 on are limited to 15 years.
The older like mine (01/2003) have periods of transition, so my card (not the license itself!) is running out on 19. january 2027.

But you just have to renew the card at DMV with a new photo, that's it. If you don't, you can simply do later.

If your health starts "troubleing", you don't must tell your Uncle Doc, here. But if you getting into accidents, DMV can order you to medical estimate.

 

[Edward]

I think the big problem is that you only have to pass a driving test once, at least until you reach a certain age. I wouldn't at all object to having to pass a driving test every year to keep a license -- it might weed out the problem drivers sooner, and keep everyone else looking sharp. There are a lot of people on the road who took a driver's ed class fifty or sixty years ago, and haven't given the "rules of the road" a second thought since they got their ticket.

When I was growing up in the north of Ireland, there were an awful lot of drivers still on the road who'd never had to do a test at all (it was first introduced in Northern Ireland in 1935; many of my grandparents' generation already had their licences before that, and never had to do a test. By the 90s, there were also even more people driving on the roads who'd done their tests in the 50s and eariler, long before the test covered anything like motorways, pelican crossings, or cars capable of modern performance. Terrifyingly, these people were also often driving some big and very powerful cars, due to a combination of pension funds maturing and the fact that (car insurance costs being ridiculously high in NI compared to the rest of the UK) these (dangerous) older drivers were among the few who could afford to insure them.

A regular retest wouldn't go amiss. Especially here in London, where so, so many drivers appear to regard things like red lights as more advisory than anything.

 

[tonyb]

I think the big problem is that you only have to pass a driving test once, at least until you reach a certain age. I wouldn't at all object to having to pass a driving test every year to keep a license -- it might weed out the problem drivers sooner, and keep everyone else looking sharp. There are a lot of people on the road who took a driver's ed class fifty or sixty years ago, and haven't given the "rules of the road" a second thought since they got their ticket.

The problem, I think, isn’t that people don’t know the rules of the road; rather, it’s just that they too often disregard them.

And it’s not that those less-careful drivers are incapable, either. I‘d bet that the overwhelming majority of them would pass a road test, and then go back to their reckless ways once they got their license renewal.

The demographic slice likeliest to endanger themselves and other road users are young males, who, by definition, fairly recently passed a road test.

 

[Zombie_61]

We had the topic before, but IF they don't teach the basic rule of "defensive driving" in North America, it's just "negligent". In my opinion.

I can't speak for all of North America, but way back when I took "Driver's Education" in high school they barely taught us the basic rules of "driving". And here in southern California, it shows.

 

[ChiTownScion]

We moved to a new state (in our sixties) and had to take a "written" (not behind- the- wheel) test to get our new licenses. I placed written in quotes because it's all computerized.

The key to passing is knowing that you only need so many correct questions to pass. You skip the ones you can't answer (or where one or more answers "could be" correct and move on. The computer lets you know as you're testing how many you got right and how many wrong answers you've racked up, as well as how many more you need to get right to pass.

My wife had to retest. I studied an extra day and got it the first time.

I turn 70 next year. I've always thought that after a certain age testing should be at least biannually after a certain age. It isn't the testing that I'd find annoying if I had to do it regularly as much as the bother of scheduling ahead of time. Our DMV has become like a dental office regarding scheduling since the pandemic hit, and it doesn't appear as if it's going to change anytime soon.

 

[tonyb]

When I moved to Colorado from the state o’ Washington it was a simple matter of presenting the people at the licensing place with my Washington license, peering into the eyesight testing thing, standing in front of the camera and giving ’em a few bucks. They punched a hole in WA DL, handed it back to me, along with a paper temporary. Six years later, when it came time to renew, it was done entirely online.

I maintain my motorcycle endorsement, although I haven’t been astride a bike since, gawd, I can’t remember when. So I effectively threw away 25 bucks (I think it was) a couple-three times, but I‘m reluctant to give up any “privilege” I’ve had for something like 50 years.

 

[Zombie_61]

When I moved to Colorado from the state o’ Washington it was a simple matter of presenting the people at the licensing place with my Washington license, peering into the eyesight testing thing, standing in front of the camera and giving ’em a few bucks. They punched a hole in WA DL, handed it back to me, along with a paper temporary. Six years later, when it came time to renew, it was done entirely online.

In California they appear to have a "system" in place that, for drivers with clean records, means they'll automatically renew your license and send you a bill for the fees; once the bill is paid, they mail your renewed license. My driving record was clean, so eventually they just mailed me my renewed license. When I took the tests (in person) to get my Class B license a couple of years ago, I had to take the Class C test as well for the first time in 20-25 years. I no longer need the Class B license, but I'm guessing they'll want me to come in and re-take the Class C license in order to eliminate the Class B. Money, money, money.

Funny thing was, for all that time they never wanted me to come in to update the photo on my license. Yep, same photo for 20-25 years (or however long it was). So when I finally got the Class B license they had me pose for a new photo. Now when I look at my license, I wonder, "Geez, who's that old man?"

 

[Who?]

I have been driving for more than 70 years.

During that time, I have had three accidents. 1. Sitting at a stoplight, a tractor trailer stopped by running into me, 2. Driving on a divided highway, a tractor trailer did a pit maneuver on me, 3. I whanged someone who turned in front of me after I left a stop sign.

I have no particular need or desire to retest, and I have no idea how close to a fireplug I’m allowed to park.

 

[GHT]

It won't be long before us oldies take a mandatory memory test. Times I have got back to the multi-story car park and can't remember where I left the car.

On the subject of amnesia, have you ever put something down and then it simply vanished? You think to yourself: "I could have sworn I put it there," swear all you like, it's not there. "Where the hell did I put that?" I tend to blame it on the aging process but truth be told I've been misplacing things most of my life.

 

[Edward]

^^^^^^
I’m not a slow driver, but I observe the rules of the road and know when I do and do not have the right of way. Further, self-preservation has me ever mindful that not every driver shares that awareness.

I steer clear of what I call “competitive drivers.” I’m not particularly conflict averse, but that doesn’t extend to fighting over a patch of pavement.

The ones that used to drive me mad when I drove were tailgaters. Sort of folks who'd be up your exhaust for miles, trying to push you to drive faster, until they found a spot to overtake and then they raced in front me.... only to drive no faster than I had been in the first place. Many's a time I was tempted to just stamp on the brakes, but the whiplash and the hassle wouldn't have been worth it.

The problem, I think, isn’t that people don’t know the rules of the road; rather, it’s just that they too often disregard them.

And it’s not that those less-careful drivers are incapable, either. I‘d bet that the overwhelming majority of them would pass a road test, and then go back to their reckless ways once they got their license renewal.

The demographic slice likeliest to endanger themselves and other road users are young males, who, by definition, fairly recently passed a road test.

True. The sort of people who delight in knowing where there are speed cameras, and just slowing down there....

It won't be long before us oldies take a mandatory memory test. Times I have got back to the multi-story car park and can't remember where I left the car.

On the subject of amnesia, have you ever put something down and then it simply vanished? You think to yourself: "I could have sworn I put it there," swear all you like, it's not there. "Where the hell did I put that?" I tend to blame it on the aging process but truth be told I've been misplacing things most of my life.

I firmly believe there are gremlins in my flat. They used to get in less often, but for some reason they appear to be more prolific, or at least those who were always there are more active re my keys, my spare glasses, my wallet, that letter that I opened the other day..... than used to be the case when I was younger. Unless.... but surely not?

 

[Trenchfriend]

Positive thing:

You all know the good old sleep masks. But did you notice, what a formidable "forehead warmer" they also give? At night, that can be very comfortable, if you got these with the soft fleece-like lining inside.

 

[LizzieMaine]

One night about ten years ago, I waited on a customer and set my huge knot of keys down on the counter while conducting the transaction. I placed their change down on the counter near those keys -- a wad of keys about the size of my fist, mind you -- and an hour later, when I was closing up to go home, I realized my keys were gone. Nearest I could figure is that the customer, for some dark purpose of their own, swept them up along with their change and took them back to Darien, Connecticut, or wherever it was that they came from. I never saw the customer, or my keys, again. I had to break into my own house that night, and the next day I had to have all the locks at home and at the theatre changed, and had to pay a locksmith an excessive amount of money to have a new key made for my car. I ASK YA.

 

[tonyb]

It’s bad enough to get so many junk phone calls. (I’ve taken to rarely answering my iPhone if I don’t recognize the caller; my outgoing voicemail message offers an apology to people who have legitimate business with me, along with my promise to call them back.) What’s all the more annoying are the sometimes lengthy recorded messages promoting one hustle or another. At the end of the spiel is a notice to opt-out by calling to another number.

No, no, no, no, no. The way it oughta be is an outright ban on calls unless the receivers opt-in, via email or some other medium. These pests not only inconvenience me, but also the people who have business with me who are left to leave a message and then tie up more of their time when I call them back.

 

[tonyb]

I can't speak for all of North America, but way back when I took "Driver's Education" in high school they barely taught us the basic rules of "driving". And here in southern California, it shows

I can't speak for all of North America, but way back when I took "Driver's Education" in high school they barely taught us the basic rules of "driving". And here in southern California, it shows.

I wasn’t in the first wave of “driver’s ed,” which, I was told, featured grisly films and other warnings of the horrors of the road, which really were bloodier then than they are now. (The numbers don’t lie.)

But my recollection of my time in driver’s education is that almost all of it was wasted. We had a “simulator,” such as it was. It was a trailer outfitted with a movie screen at one end and maybe 20 student stations, each equipped with a steering wheel and two pedals. Student input had no effect whatsoever on what was showing on the screen. It was the self-driving car of its time, and we were all along for the ride.

But the on-the-road instruction was worthwhile. I had started driving long before I was of legal age, some of it on the public rights of way, and some in other contexts. So I knew how to control a car going into it. But our instructor, a teacher from another high school, really did offer worthy tips. And it was fun to drive those big late-model American-made sedans, on loan from local dealerships. Those cars were equipped with two brake pedals, one for the teacher, in the right front seat, to stomp on should the occasion arise.

 

[Zombie_61]

It’s bad enough to get so many junk phone calls. (I’ve taken to rarely answering my iPhone if I don’t recognize the caller; my outgoing voicemail message offers an apology to people who have legitimate business with me, along with my promise to call them back.) What’s all the more annoying are the sometimes lengthy recorded messages promoting one hustle or another. At the end of the spiel is a notice to opt-out by calling to another number.

No, no, no, no, no. The way it oughta be is an outright ban on calls unless the receivers opt-in, via email or some other medium. These pests not only inconvenience me, but also the people who have business with me who are left to leave a message and then tie up more of their time when I call them back.

Since January 1 of this year I've received more junk texts than all of the previous years combined. Their subject matter so far has been mostly one of two types--either a contest that never existed yielded results with me in second place and they want me to contact them to claim my "prize", or a courier I've never heard of (except for the occasional invocation of "Fed Ex") wants me to contact them for delivery instructions. All lies, of course, but the moment you fall for it, follow their instructions, and call them, you've given them a valid phone number and they'll never stop pestering you.

I wasn’t in the first wave of “driver’s ed,” which, I was told, featured gristly films and other warnings of the horrors of the road, which really were bloodier then than they are now. (The numbers don’t lie.)

But my recollection of my time in driver’s education is that almost all of it was wasted. We had a “simulator,” such as it was. It was a trailer outfitted with a movie screen at one end and maybe 20 student stations, each equipped with a steering wheel and two pedals. Student input had no effect whatsoever on what was showing on the screen. It was the self-driving car of its time, and we were all along for the ride.

But the on-the-road instruction was worthwhile. I had started driving long before I was of legal age, some of it on the public rights of way, and some in other contexts. So I knew how to control a car going into it. But our instructor, a teacher from another high school, really did offer worthy tips. And it was fun to drive those big late-model American-made sedans, on loan from local dealerships. Those cars were equipped with two brake pedals, one for the teacher, in the right front seat, to stomp on should the occasion arise.

You've perfectly described my experience with "driver's ed" in high school. We'd all heard about the "training" films like "Red Asphalt", and were disappointed when our school didn't show them to us. Now you can watch the whole series on You Tube. But that "Instructor Brake" on the passenger side of the car came in handy once when the girl driving was roaring toward the cars stopped at the end of the freeway off ramp at 50 mph, not paying attention to her driving but with both hands off of the steering wheel and in front of the A/C vents, drying her sweaty palms. Good thing the Instructor looked up from whatever he was reading just in time.