I was just thinking that my most terrifying driving experience was not being T-boned after running a red light, but suddenly finding myself in a disappearing lane as two 3-4 lane highways merged somewhere in NJ. (On a different trip from the one Nutty recounts. I hate driving, and possibly also New Jersey.) May I introduce the state of New Jersey to the concept of following distance, please? Which needs to be longer, not shorter, when we are all going 75.
My feeling on (not high-traffic zone) highways is 10 miles over the limit isn't much. It's when people are doing significantly faster than the flow of traffic (which is almost always 5-10 miles over the limit) that it gets scary. But lots of people speed on residential city streets, which have speed limits for a reason. There's a big difference between 35 and 50 when you're trying to cross the one-way street with your stroller.
I tend to stick within 5mph of the speed limit. On the highway, I tend to go with the flow of traffic and that can pull it up a little higher though.
I signal in my driveway, because it's just ingrained habit.
[original post sounded snippy which I didn't mean.]
Driving here makes my blood boil and I'm usually a very calm driver.
This morning on my way to work I saw:
1. Completely blowing through a stop sign IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
2. Going 30 on a residential street past a group of walkers (also in our neighborhood).
3. Going right from a left turn lane (I assume because it's faster than waiting behind on the right-turners).
4. Blowing through a red left turn light (Again, I assume impatience.)
"Who am I signalling for? WHO?! Am I signalling for God?! GOD DOESN'T CARE!!! HE ALREADY KNOWS WHICH WAY I'M TURNING AND GOD.DOESN'T.CARE!!!!!"
Ha! I was just telling someone the story of how my father lectured a young cop out of giving him a ticket for making an illegal u-turn -- on an empty street, on like Christmas Eve or something. "The laws are made to keep us safe... Was anyone put at risk by my actions just there? No, no one was..." I'm sure my father pulled the minister card, which is part of what reminded me.
It's funny that that's your perception. I'm constantly amazed (in a pleasantly surprised manner), after living in Louisiana, how often people DO signal here.
Well, maybe people in the East Bay are more polite.
I think people are signaling less and less everywhere, but here it seems particularly bad. Of course, maybe that's because I'm walking near traffic more.
My brother routinely bombs around B'ham at close to 90 on stretches of highway. You'd think it'd be terrifying, but I was shocked when I realized it because it wasn't (after driving around with him for days.) But on the whole? Most people bombing around at 90 are scary as shit, and so I wouldn't blame anyone for being nervous seeing my brother's car approach in the rearview mirror.
suddenly finding myself in a disappearing lane as two 3-4 lane highways merged somewhere in NJ
Houston has a few of those.
And god, the entrance to I-35 right by the UT campus in Austin is a deathtrap. It goes something like:
1) Enter freeway
2) Realize that there's no acceleration lane
3) Realize that there's no shoulder to your right, only a concrete wall
4) Realize that oncoming traffic is screaming toward you at 70mph
5) Wish you'd just stayed home
And god, the entrance to I-35 right by the UT campus in Austin is a deathtrap.
I saw quite a few of those no acceleration lane on ramps when I lived in Texas. People I knew called them suicide on ramps.
Yes, driving in Texas with the disappearing lanes was quite interesting. Although I guess it prepared me for them here. So there's that.
