So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

[p51]

In a similar vein, I am amused (but not at all ticked off) by the drivers of vehicles capable of traversing rough terrain but who will never put those vehicles to such use. Wouldn't wish to risk scratching it, after all.

Even funnier are the people with chrome-plated brush guards. How insane is that? That's like buying a gold-plated axe!

This problem and many others would be very simply solved with a 45MPH national speed limit.

Here in WA state, people drive whatever speed they want, in whatever lane they want. Very few people have any concept of faster traffic to the left. I've seen countless times where someone will be dominating the left lane, going 10-20 MPH under the speed limit, with a mile of cars tight behind them and the driver up front never gets the hint.
Flashing your lights? Never works.
They'll do it to ambulances and police vehicles with their lights on, too. I've seen that plenty of times.
The locals who've never lived anywhere else refuse to accept it isn't like that everywhere else. My wife was from Oregon and had never left the area until she met me, and I've pointed it out in a lot of driving in other states since we married that generally, you just don't see it nearly as often in other states.
I had a boss who used to refer to them as "The Gatekeepers," and I'm convinced is as much of a power things than an oblivious thing. I've heard people brag about keeping people from speeding by doing this, because as one put it, "I'm going as fast as anyone needs to go."
I know a WA state trooper and he's confirmed it's common and that they do indeed pull people over for that as there is a law about it, one that is commonly ignored by drivers. He said they never, ever think they did anything wrong when he breaks out the ticket book.

 

[Bugguy]

Remember that these roads are not only used by powerful modern cars. They are also used by farm machinery, slow, heavy grain and stock trucks, Amis buggies and wagons, and those few of us who drive antique vehicles.

When I was in grad school, the state health director in North Carolina gave a lecture on traffic fatalities. Among the top were cases when a car rounded a corner or came over a hill and rear-ended a tractor pulling a trailer of tobacco leaf. Or when blowing past them on the left, they crank a hard left into the field. Not at all pretty. That lesson stuck!

 

[Stearmen]

I drive an SUV. Even if I never took it off roading (I drive on seasonal roads all the time that you can't transverse with a car or truck without AWD or 4WD) I wouldn't drive anything else on our snowy roads the way they are maintained lately.

What annoys me more is jacked up trucks driven by poser rednecks who think that because they lifted their truck they're country. Specifically more country than people who were born and raised in the country based solely on their pretty little chromed truck blasting out bad country western.

No, you ain't buddy. Your cat crawls in your oven and has her kittens, but you don't butter 'em up and call 'em biscuits, now do ya?

I went for over 50 years with out 4WD, now I can't imagine a winter with out one! They are nice, as long as you remember, they may go any where, but you do have to stop some time. That is what gets most of the sunshine state people that move here and buy a 4WD then have to stop on ice! I agree on the Urban Cowboys, with their trucks five miles in the air, roll bar, spare tire in the bed, mile long tank jack, and of course, some Jerry cans, as if they are members of the SAS in Libya!

 

[Stearmen]

I see your point. This problem and many others would be very simply solved with a 45MPH national speed limit.

Sorry, but 45mpd out here in the west, just wont work, 55 was bad enough, not that many went that slow. Could you imagine all the cars on the side of the road in Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, with drivers that committed suicide after doing several hundred miles at 45MPH!

 

[vitanola]

Sorry, but 45mpd out here in the west, just wont work, 55 was bad enough, not that many went that slow. Could you imagine all the cars on the side of the road in Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, with drivers that committed suicide after doing several hundred miles at 45MPH!

Then move to a civilized part of the country.

 

[LizzieMaine]

People drive that fast in the West because they're desperate to find their way back to civilization.

 

[tonyb]

I recall a car trip from Seattle to Birmingham, Alabama and back (with stops in the Upper Midwest along the way) in 1980, I think, or some year thereabouts.

One of the drivers was pulled over for going 65 in a 55 zone in Wisconsin and was taken to the local jailhouse. He was released after he posted the amount of the traffic fine. As I recall, that was something approaching a hundred bucks.

Another driver was pulled over in Montana for driving something in excess of 80. He paid a five-dollar "ecology" fine to the highway patrolman and was sent on his way.

My understanding is that the states were obligated under federal Dep't of Transportation regulations to enforce a 55 mph speed limit, unless they wished to make themselves ineligible for highway construction funds. Montana's response was, okay, we'll enforce it. Five bucks, for wasting fuel.

As Stearman observed, out in the wide-open spaces of the American West, going about one's business might involve a drive of a hundred miles or more. On a divided limited access highway with little traffic, 80 mph is a sane rate of travel.

On the "big" highways in Montana the speed limit is lower in and around the cities (such as they are). Very large signs alert drivers to the reduced speed limit. Seems reasonable to me.

 

[2jakes]

People drive that fast in the West because they're desperate to find their way back to civilization.

...ouch...that’s gotta hurt !

... but probably the folks out West drive fast out of frustration because
my “Rosefa” will not go above 45 MPH... no matter how much I beg her !

 

[St.Ignatz]

I drive a 95 jeep yj or as I call it "the emerald cinder block ". Good for 18mpg if I shut down the engine and free wheeled down a long hill. My peeve is the driver that brakes down hiil only to accelerate to climb out of the valley.

Tom D.

 

[Stearmen]

Then move to a civilized part of the country.

Which reminds me, why haven't you moved here? Seems like all the rest of you states residents have! Wish they would all go back to civilization. Once you've tasted freedom, there's no going back!

 

[Bamaboots]

People drive that fast in the West because they're desperate to find their way back to civilization.

Or to get the hell away from it.

 

[swanson_eyes]

Here's annoying: People who treat their apartment like a frat house. Some of us do have to work in the morning. I have no qualms about calling the authorities. I've lived here 8 years and have probably called at least 15 times. As the kids say, I ain't playin'.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Actually as I can see your point but I believe going one better, banning all motorized vehicles and mandating real "horse power" would be best. You wouldn't have the pollution and you would be well below the 45mph you are proposing and thus eliminating your problem.

It would just be a different kind of pollution.
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/when-horses-posed-a-public-health-hazard/?_r=0

 

[2jakes]

~​Buster Keaton ~ “Our Hospitality” :yo:

 

[ChiTownScion]

Another driver was pulled over in Montana for driving something in excess of 80. He paid a five-dollar "ecology" fine to the highway patrolman and was sent on his way.

----------------

On the "big" highways in Montana the speed limit is lower in and around the cities (such as they are). Very large signs alert drivers to the reduced speed limit. Seems reasonable to me.

I recall crossing from Wyoming into Montana and observing a daylight speed limit sign that said, essentially, "..as fast as is safe under the circumstances."

We were in a Honda, so "opening it up" was a relative term.

 

[tonyb]

^^^^^

We were in a '69 Plymouth Sport Satellite, with a 318 cubic inch V8 and a two barrel carb. So it was no hotrod, but it had no complaints about moving along at speeds in the 90 mph range.

Paid $200 for that car (it had some superficial body damage and a ratty interior), and I drove it for a year or so after that before giving it to one of the other guys who joined us on that trip (the guy who got thrown in jail in Wisconsin), who eventually passed it along to some people who turned it into a race car, believe it or not. I never saw it on the track, but I doubt that any of its running gear was what it had when I drove it.

 

[tonyb]

As to people finding annoying the habits of drivers in their new locales ...

A large part of that might be attributed to being more comfortable with one's old surroundings and finding fault with the new. In Seattle, you had better stop for pedestrians, even those who have yet to step off the curb. It's just the habit there, which is reinforced by pretty stringent law enforcement. Yes, you will be cited for failure to yield there, and you will get yelled at by pedestrians for whom you do not yield. Do the same in Denver, and you might well get rear-ended. At the very least, you'll get puzzled looks from the pedestrians.

Oh, and they run red lights here. The default mode seems to be that if you enter the intersection on the yellow, it's okay.

And they block intersections, too. Frequently. And that ticks me off. It not only impedes traffic, it also slows emergency response. The rule: If you can't get all the way through an intersection, don't enter it.

 

[2jakes]

As to people finding annoying the habits of drivers in their new locales ...

A large part of that might be attributed to being more comfortable with one's old surroundings and finding fault with the new.

tonyb.

At home downtown walking, if I want to cross the street to get to my location. I simply get off the sidewalk & wait until
there’s a chance & I proceed. (I’m not referring to the street corner with traffic lights & walk/don’t walk signals)
Everybody does this & we don’t expect the traffic to stop for us. Which is fine !

In California recently. I did the same, but the traffic would come to a halt.

This was very unusual for me. It made me feel like they were very polite...but also at the same time, I didn’t trust that the
other lanes would be as polite & I would suffer the consequences. So I would wave the people to keep going.

I know I was in the wrong big time but nevertheless I was somewhat annoyed because I wasn’t used
to this.

Realizing this & not wanting to frustrate the Calif. motorist any further, I stopped doing it & went to the street corner & proceeded.

Only thing is...the "Walk/Don’t Walk “ signals lasts only a few seconds...so I had to scramble to get to the other side.

Perhaps they should change the signals to read : ​‘’RUN / DON”T RUN" ...

 

[Zombie_61]

As to people finding annoying the habits of drivers in their new locales ...

A large part of that might be attributed to being more comfortable with one's old surroundings and finding fault with the new...

"When in Rome, do as the Roman's do." Several years ago my wife and I took a vacation, the last four days of which were spent in San Francisco. On the first day we were there I was getting frustrated because it seemed to take twice as long as it should have to get anywhere (measured by southern California standards, that is). I soon noticed the cab drivers didn't seem to have this problem, so I started driving like they did and we were able to get to wherever we were going in record times. lol Granted, this might not be the best suggestion for everyone, but it worked for us on that trip.

And on our first trip to the Chicago area as husband and wife in 1981 I quickly realized the overall pace there was much more "relaxed" than it was here in the Los Angeles area. It took me a few days to readjust, but once I did the trip became much more enjoyable. Most of the time it's simply a matter of adapting to your new surroundings.

tonyb.

At home downtown walking, if I want to cross the street to get to my location. I simply get off the sidewalk & wait until there’s a chance & I proceed. (I’m not referring to the street corner with traffic lights & walk/don’t walk signals)
Everybody does this & we don’t expect the traffic to stop for us. Which is fine! In California recently. I did the same, but the traffic would come to a halt. This was very unusual for me. It made me feel like they were very polite...

Boy, it's not often I hear or see the words "California" and "polite" used in the same comment. :lol: In my experience you're taking your life into your hands every time you step off of the curb here, even if you're within the boundaries of a crosswalk. Again, it's all about the overall pace; most Californians (southern Californians, anyway) always seem to be in a hurry and don't particularly care about anyone else. Regardless of whether you're walking or driving, you have to keep your head on a swivel because the other denizens seem to go through life with blinders on and don't particularly care that you're in their way until/unless they run into you and it becomes a costly legal issue for them. There are exceptions, of course, but it's best to be on your guard at all times.

 

[2jakes]

Boy, it's not often I hear or see the words "California" and "polite" used in the same comment. :lol:

Well...perhaps “California” is too broad. I should have stated, Bel Air Estates in Westside Los Angeles.
Sorry !