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(71 posts)

Cavacade of stupidity - or, I see stupid people

Started 3 years ago by JenV
Latest reply from swimcat

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BG39
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Scott B I am totally with you on this. I am NOT going to go faster than what I am comfortable with just to make someone behind me happy. In normal weather I go the speed limit, sometimes faster, in this type of weather the speed limit may not be the best option, so guess what for all those impatient people who are "experienced" to drive in this type of condition...SLOW DOWN and GET OFF MY ASS! I am NOT going to get into an accident just because you think I'm scared and shouldn't be driving, because neither of us is more important than the other, we all have places we need to be or else we wouldn't be risking our lives to get there.

Posted 3 years ago #
HunterG
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If someone is tailgating me, I usually go slower than I was before, because tailgating is rude and unsafe.

I know what I do may be just as rude, but if they really want to get around me... they will.

Posted 3 years ago #
JoB
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a friend was going up a hill on the east side of seattle at 3 mph.. slowly enough that someone walking safely crossed in front of him.. and still found himself sliding down the hill into someone else.. who slid into someone else.. who slid into someone else..

he said his ABS was no help because he was going so slowly the computer thought he was stopped:)

and... neither he nor those well behind him could successfully steer well enough to avoid sliding into other drivers.

long story short.. he shouldn't have been on the road... and that's what he says too...

if you have to go that slow to drive.. you probably should stay home.

Posted 3 years ago #
angelescrest
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There were some awesome drivers today in the muck on California: slow, kind, courteous, heeding crosswalks, allowing others in. Totally nice. Did you feel that "love"?

Posted 3 years ago #
JoB
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i was out and about this afternoon.. and yes, i did:)

Posted 3 years ago #
BG39
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ok, seriously job, 3 mph? Yes, then 3 mph is to slow. I don't go 3 mph, but if I'm going 25 in a normally 3o zone on ice, then you and all your tailgating friends stay off of me, or else I will also hit my brakes and reap the rewards of your insurance

Posted 3 years ago #
Jerald
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I'm specifically picturing the slight hill I live on, two blocks long, ending at a stop sign at the top. The cross street is a lightly used arterial, maybe even not officially that.

Some people inch their way up the hill (if they're lucky enough to maintain traction), then stop at the stop sign at the crest, and sit there and ponder where to go next. Meanwhile, two or three cars behind them get stranded partway up and maybe get stuck.

A polite and sensible person would be aware of those trying to get up the hill behind them, and turn onto the cross street, maybe even without making a "complete" stop. As I said, there is little traffic on that cross street, even in normal conditions.

This is what I mean by paying attention to the cars behind you.

Similarly, a pedestrian shouldn't insist on crossing in front of that car perched at the top of the hill. Let the car go first, when you know they're at risk of losing traction.

It's just common sense.

Posted 3 years ago #
mellaw6565
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Amen Jerald

Posted 3 years ago #
Anonymous
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Jerald,

Your car is stopped at a stop sign, a pedestrian is waiting to cross the street, you expect the pedestrian to yield to you, and you think that is common sense.

Sheesh.

Some people do not deserve their driver's license.

Posted 3 years ago #
ellenater
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merry christmas!

Posted 3 years ago #
BG39
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a polite and sensible person wouldn't be tailgating someone

Posted 3 years ago #
JoB
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when does common sense kick in?

normally, expecting a pedestrian to yield to a stopped car would be absurd. but if that car is topped at a stop sign at the top of a hill in weather conditions like these.. i would wait for that car to move out of my way before i continued down the road... because if that car is not in control i have no guarantee that it is safe for me to walk.. even on the sidewalk.. and i want to have that car in my sight so i can can jump quickly out of the way once it starts to slide.

normally, the very idea of tailgating would absolutely stupid and wrong.. but if someone is traveling up a hill at 5 mph or less and you are behind them on that hill.. no matter how much room you leave in front of you there is going to come a point where you either go slowly enough to lose traction or you begin to tailgate that car.

When the roads get as slick as they are now.. all bets are off. No matter how well intentioned the person behind the wheel of a car is.. they are relying as much on luck as skill to keep from sliding into the nearest parked car.. or slow moving vehicle.. or pedestrian.. or kid barreling down a hill on a sled oblivious of traffic.

you can expect cars to watch out for you all you want to ..

but if you are relying on their ability to do so in these driving conditions.. you are putting your life at extreme risk.

not so smart no matter how you look at it.

Posted 3 years ago #
BG39
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okay, you are right job...evidently there are good times to tailgate, gosh my apologies that I thought that there was never a good time to tailgate...

Posted 3 years ago #
Anonymous
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JoB wrote (in part, and I snipped for clarity):
"no matter how much room you leave in front of you [snip] you begin to tailgate that car."

I will no longer try to reason with those of you who seem incapable of reason.

Posted 3 years ago #
BG39
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Scott B, yeah, I'm definitely feeling that way. They won't understand the stupidity of tailgating until they are in an accident, but then it will be someone else's fault.

Posted 3 years ago #
angelescrest
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I get the uphill-keep-the-speed-going thing, but there was no reason both today and yesterday that anyone needed to stay on my tail on Alki-Harbor as closely as the nimwits in their SUV/trucks. And, today, on 61st, unless you were heading to the emergency @ Pegasus, Mr. "I'm in a Big Jeep, the Road is Mine, and I Will Barrel Down on You", causing me to cower in my little AWD red car at the side of the one lane that 61st has become, you were a nasty, piggy, unsafe driver. May Santa bring you some awareness.

Posted 3 years ago #
GenHillOne
Member Profile

Point is, even if the argument is that someone is going too slow for good traction, tailgaiting won't help. It doesn't make sense...so they don't have traction, how is being closer to them going to help you when they lose traction? This is a no-win discussion.

Posted 3 years ago #
JoB
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ok.. in the spirit of christmas i give :)))))

tailgating is wrong.. always wrong.. never right...

and to those who tailgated me on Alki.. i hope you took time to look around while i slowed down so you could enjoy the view:))))

Merry christmas

Posted 3 years ago #
littlebrowndog
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The law says that pedestrians have the right of way for crossing in crosswalks and marked and unmarked intersections. Nonetheless, during all my walking around the last several days I have been sure to yield the right of way to cars in almost every situation, but particularly when they were going uphill or downhill or stopping at the top or bottom of a hill. I am not interested in being dead right.

Posted 3 years ago #
JoB
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littlebrowndog...

when you put it like that.....

me neither.

it did occur to me last night that some of those going 5 mph might be grateful of a tailgater who could also give a push:)

Posted 3 years ago #
swimcat
Member Profile

There are idiots out on the road, no question about it. And tailgating pisses me off- what is the point when it is icy or slushy??? It's just dangerous and stupid to do. I have AWD now, many years of experience driving in snow in mountain towns in both FWD and 4WD cars, and feel very confident about my driving in crappy conditions, and there were still @ssholes out there tailgating me this past week. I'm not driving slow- just cautiously. Going 30 on 35th last week was not cause to be tailgated- some would even think I was driving too fast! And to the deushbag (sp?) in the black Outback who followed the gray Audi A4 by ONE CAR LENGTH when we were going 50 as the snow fell last Saturday afternoon from 5 South along the WSB: if you keep driving like that I'm sure one day you'll experience how bad it sucks to get in an accident. You could have taken out my whole family that day because you were in such a hurry to move up to the next car that was going 50 mph. Merry Christmas.

Posted 3 years ago #