# Scary Moment



## maryannette (Jun 8, 2009)

I was on a two-lane road yesterday and saw an impatient guy nearly roll his Explorer. He was behind a big truck and I was behind him. He tried to pass the truck - got into the other lane, but there was a vehicle coming at him head-on in the other lane. Instead of pulling back in behind the truck, he went off the other side of the road, hit a ditch, went flying and hit hard. I pulled off and 2 cars behind me also did. The guy was okay, except for being shaken up. He blew the right front tire and demolished the front bumper. There was other visible damage and maybe more that he discovered later. After I found out he was not injured, I told him that although I didn't know him, I still cared about him and that he should be more patient and careful and not to do that again. It happened in a few seconds. And what I want to tell all of you is that the risks that we take every day seem like a necessary part of life, but they are RISKS.

Slow down. Be patient. I care about you.


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## Master slacker (Jun 8, 2009)

I won't have to worry about doing what that dude did. My daily driver can't get out of its own way.


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## Supe (Jun 9, 2009)

Definitely important to exercise caution. I'm on site today, and the roads coming up to the job site twist and turn through rural areas. Trucks leaving the site are constantly FLYING around the turns, with some narrow lanes in both directions. Definitely some near-misses on what seems to be a routine basis.


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## roadwreck (Jun 9, 2009)

I don't want to sound callous, but I hope that driver got a bit of a scare and that makes him a more cautious and contentious driver in the future. With the way he was driving he could have easily hurt or killed someone, he is lucky to escape with just a little damage to his own vehicle.

To many times I see people driving recklessly in the interest of saving a few seconds. This morning on my commute to work I saw two different people make multiple bone-head maneuvers that could have caused multi-car wrecks had anything unexpected happened. One of these guys was tailgating people so closely I thought he was going to start pushing the cars in front of him. This is in Atlanta traffic during rush hour, there is no room for error. The stupid thing is for all his lane changing and accelerating to get ahead he repeatedly ended up behind me and I was driving in the slow lane driving the speed limit. Driving like a maniac was getting him nowhere fast.


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## Capt Worley PE (Jun 9, 2009)

roadwreck said:


> I don't want to sound callous, but I hope that driver got a bit of a scare and that makes him a more cautious and contentious driver in the future. With the way he was driving he could have easily hurt or killed someone, he is lucky to escape with just a little damage to his own vehicle.


100% agree. I absolutely hate hearing of accidents where someone driving safetly gets nailed by some bonehead acting the fool.


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## TouchDown (Jun 9, 2009)

> The stupid thing is for all his lane changing and accelerating to get ahead he repeatedly ended up behind me and I was driving in the slow lane driving the speed limit. Driving like a maniac was getting him nowhere fast.


I see this all the time. All the impatience usually leads to very little and putting yourself and others at risk... The other day, my wife looked at me and said... "comon grandpa - I gotta go pee, speed it up!!!"

I'm not usually in a hurry.

Similar situation, but more bonehead than agressive. A few years ago, I was following a person who was talking on the cell phone while driving on an interstate at 70MPH (one of my pet peeves). We started going around a corner and her car started to gradually run off the road. She was 3/4 into the paved shoulder when we came upon a person changing a driver's rear tire on their SUV on the shoulder. About 100' (WAY too close for me), I think she realized what was approaching and YANKED the car back onto the road, narrowly missing this person changing the tire.

I know hands free can help, but inattentiveness can be just as dangerous as agressive driving. Be careful out there. Thanks Mary!


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## Wolverine (Jun 9, 2009)

roadwreck said:


> One of these guys was tailgating people so closely I thought he was going to start pushing the cars in front of him. This is in Atlanta traffic during rush hour, there is no room for error. The stupid thing is for all his lane changing and accelerating to get ahead he repeatedly ended up behind me and I was driving in the slow lane driving the speed limit. Driving like a maniac was getting him nowhere fast.


Hey, did you see me waving at you? That was me.
(j/k) I will put Atlanta's Automotive Morons up against the best in the world. Thing is, stupidity is contagious - that's why everybody here drives that way. &lt;guilty&gt;

_"I'm not a bad driver, I'm a conformist"_


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## Kephart P.E. (Jun 9, 2009)

Precisely the reason I need a truck with 400 hp. 

Seriously, good to see the dude was O.K., when you see something like that it can hang with you for a bit, I don't think most of us realize how close we are to danger in our cars.


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## OSUguy98 (Jun 9, 2009)

D. Kephart said:


> ...I don't think most of us realize how close we are to danger in our cars.


Very true... The bigger the vehicle, the safer we feel and sometimes (arguably most) the more stupid we become... I know there's a psychological experiment there somewhere.....

Over my ~15 years of driving, I've seen some morons... I've seen a handful of accidents happen (most of which were the little fender benders at low speed intersections)... But I've seen an idiot fly by me at 90+ and freak out because he topped a hill and there was a cop walking in the median (a car had blown a tire and went into the median, he was picking up pieces of the tire) and then spin his Trans AM around a few times... he's lucky he didn't go into the median, he surely would've killed the cop....

But then again... you don't want me to get started on the cops that speed down the interstate in the left-most lane at 90+ without lights or a valid reason... DVINNY, I know you know what I'm talking about there... I'm sure you've been passed many a time between Fairmont and Bridgeport but a state trooper doing 90+....


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## MA_PE (Jun 9, 2009)

we can also blame technology for the speds that people travel at today. Improvements in engine efficiency, suspension and handling make todays cars drive much smoother at high speeds than they did years ago. Even econoboxes cruise smotthly at 80+ mph, so people (especially young people) tend to cruise there.



> you don't want me to get started on the cops that speed down the interstate in the left-most lane at 90+ without lights or a valid reason


I have historically been one of those that would complain about police officers/state troopers flagrant disregard for speed limits. As I get older I have a tolerance for it. They're out there doing a job. These guys don't just put the "pedal to the metal" for no reason all the time, and they don't owe John Q. Public any explanations if they do. I wouldn't like someone scrutinizing my every move at work and passing judgement, so I'm not going to do it to them.

Of course, they have a duty to not endanger the public and quite frankly I believe that every time I've seen a cop whiz by, it was pretty safe to do so.


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## Chucktown PE (Jun 9, 2009)

MA_PE said:


> we can also blame technology for the speds that people travel at today. Improvements in engine efficiency, suspension and handling make todays cars drive much smoother at high speeds than they did years ago. Even econoboxes cruise smotthly at 80+ mph, so people (especially young people) tend to cruise there.



Cars are probably slower and more uncomfortable in Europe


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## MA_PE (Jun 9, 2009)

Chucktown PE said:


> Cars are probably slower and more uncomfortable in Europe


we know for a fact that they're much smaller. In fact I believe they generally seat one person, have only two big wheels, and are powered by the driver doing some sort of pedaling action. They hold some race where they tour France every year.


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## Wolverine (Jun 9, 2009)

Chucktown PE said:


> Cars are probably slower and more uncomfortable in Europe


I'll testify to the opposite - the cars in Italy drive much faster and are pretty comfortable . . .

. . . of course, they prefer to be comfortable because they all drive like maniacs; apparently it relaxes them amid the insanity. While there, I got a lesson in just how spoiled we Americans are to have crazy things like traffic laws, stoplights, and two lane roads with actual lines on them.

The most surprising thing about Italy was how few smashed up, dinged-up, dented-up cars I saw and how many people I saw riding bikes that were not dead.


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## Capt Worley PE (Jun 9, 2009)

Chucktown PE said:


> Cars are probably slower and more uncomfortable in Europe


Yes, but that is better.


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## Chucktown PE (Jun 9, 2009)

Capt Worley PE said:


> Yes, but that is better.



That goes without saying.


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## Capt Worley PE (Jun 9, 2009)

I have a firm grasp of the obvious.


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## Dleg (Jun 9, 2009)

Wolverine said:


> I'll testify to the opposite - the cars in Italy drive much faster and are pretty comfortable . . .
> . . . of course, they prefer to be comfortable because they all drive like maniacs; apparently it relaxes them amid the insanity. While there, I got a lesson in just how spoiled we Americans are to have crazy things like traffic laws, stoplights, and two lane roads with actual lines on them.
> 
> The most surprising thing about Italy was how few smashed up, dinged-up, dented-up cars I saw and how many people I saw riding bikes that were not dead.


You know, a while back some old, somewhat senile guy I know wrote a letter to the editor here observing that traffic seemed to flow better whent he power was out and the traffic signals were out of order. i thought he was nuts. But then, last year when we had daily rotating power outages for 4 months, I observed precisely the same thing. And this was with no police giving hand signals; no nothing. Just a free-for-all at every intersection. yet, there was signifcantly less traffic back-up at every intersection (virtually zero, in fact), and there were no accidents that I am aware of.

Maybe traffic engineering is unimportant, at least up to a certain level of congestion?


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## Supe (Jun 10, 2009)

Dleg said:


> You know, a while back some old, somewhat senile guy I know wrote a letter to the editor here observing that traffic seemed to flow better whent he power was out and the traffic signals were out of order. i thought he was nuts. But then, last year when we had daily rotating power outages for 4 months, I observed precisely the same thing. And this was with no police giving hand signals; no nothing. Just a free-for-all at every intersection. yet, there was signifcantly less traffic back-up at every intersection (virtually zero, in fact), and there were no accidents that I am aware of.
> Maybe traffic engineering is unimportant, at least up to a certain level of congestion?



You know, I'll tip my hat off to Houston drivers in a similar fashion. We were without lights for a while after Ike, no traffic cops, but everybody actually took turns alternating at intersections like they were supposed to, and there was no real slowdown. Back in CT, it would look more like a demolition derby.


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## MA_PE (Jun 10, 2009)

I was working in MN a few years back and they were going to "try" operating the highway system without the metering lights at the on ramps. The local news made such a BFD over it like they were expecting total chaos.

Being from MA I had never encountered these lights before and I'm thinking this is a pretty stupid idea to start with.


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## Supe (Jun 10, 2009)

MA_PE said:


> I was working in MN a few years back and they were going to "try" operating the highway system without the metering lights at the on ramps. The local news made such a BFD over it like they were expecting total chaos.
> Being from MA I had never encountered these lights before and I'm thinking this is a pretty stupid idea to start with.


What the hell's a metering light?


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## Capt Worley PE (Jun 10, 2009)

I think it is those stoplights on end of the merge ramps. I saw them on CHiPs when I was a kid and thought they were pretty stupid.


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## MA_PE (Jun 10, 2009)

Supe said:


> What the hell's a metering light?






Capt Worley PE said:


> I think it is those stoplights on end of the merge ramps. I saw them on CHiPs when I was a kid and thought they were pretty stupid.


Exactly. There is a stop light at the end of the highway on-ramp. Here's a Wiki description Ramp metering signals

I think it's a pretty stupid concept myself.

Oh, and the world did not end when they shut them off in MN.


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## ALBin517 (Jun 10, 2009)

Mary :) said:


> He blew the right front tire and demolished the front bumper. There was other visible damage and maybe more that he discovered later.



Yeah, I bet he later discovered he'd ruined a perfectly good pair of pants.


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## Capt Worley PE (Jun 10, 2009)

MA_PE said:


> Exactly. There is a stop light at the end of the highway on-ramp. Here's a Wiki description Ramp metering signals


HAHAHA Now I can retort to all those times my Dad said, "CHiPs?!?! You won't learn anything from that show!"


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## Supe (Jun 10, 2009)

The concept of stalling traffic everywhere else to attempt to ease highway traffic sounds a bit off to me. If you tried that in Houston, there would be cars lined up well past the ramp entrance, blocking traffic everywhere else to boot.


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## Chucktown PE (Jun 10, 2009)

The Georgia DOT spent millions of dollars to install those things in metro ATL and to my knowledge they have not turned any of them on. Your tax dollars at work.


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## roadwreck (Jun 10, 2009)

Chucktown PE said:


> The Georgia DOT spent millions of dollars to install those things in metro ATL and to my knowledge they have not turned any of them on. Your tax dollars at work.


They are on, most of the ones I see are at least. They only come on during peak hours and it never ceases to amaze me how few people seem to understand how they are supposed to proceed through them or just choose to ignore them entirely. You hear people bitching about how the make it hard to "get up to speed" after being stopped halfway down the ramp, but in most cases the interstate isn't moving that quickly anyway, so there isn't much need for excessive acceleration. I contend that the ramp meters wouldn't be necessary if people knew how to merge into traffic to begin with, but these days everyone seems to have the 'me first' mentality so they all drive as far as they can on the uncontested ramp and then cut people off when they merge over at the last second causing a chain reaction where everyone has to slam on their brakes. Thus we all get slowed down b/c some selfish prick wants to get 3 cars further ahead.


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## MA_PE (Jun 10, 2009)

^ yes folks we have another winner.

What ever happened to the unwritten "zipper" code where one car goes from each side? No one wants to let anybody in these days.


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## Capt Worley PE (Jun 10, 2009)

roadwreck said:


> ...so there isn't much need for excessive acceleration.


Blasphemer!


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## snickerd3 (Jun 10, 2009)

Dleg said:


> You know, a while back some old, somewhat senile guy I know wrote a letter to the editor here observing that traffic seemed to flow better whent he power was out and the traffic signals were out of order. i thought he was nuts. But then, last year when we had daily rotating power outages for 4 months, I observed precisely the same thing. And this was with no police giving hand signals; no nothing. Just a free-for-all at every intersection. yet, there was signifcantly less traffic back-up at every intersection (virtually zero, in fact), and there were no accidents that I am aware of.
> Maybe traffic engineering is unimportant, at least up to a certain level of congestion?


so area specific. Some places that holds true and others not. Where I grew up when the street lights went out, total chaos ensued. It becomes a four way stop people!!! Traffic backs ups, and accidents/near accidents occur all the time. Like after the first snowfall fo the season people forgot how to drive.


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## roadwreck (Jun 10, 2009)

snickerd3 said:


> so area specific. Some places that holds true and others not. Where I grew up when the street lights went out, total chaos ensued. It becomes a four way stop people!!! Traffic backs ups, and accidents/near accidents occur all the time. Like after the first snowfall fo the season people forgot how to drive.


THIS IS VERY AREA SPECIFIC!!! Around here when the lights go out it becomes a free-for-all. Most people here must not have to pass a driving test b/c if the light is out it's a good as a green light in all directions. You are taking your life into your own hands driving in a power outage.


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## DVINNY (Jun 12, 2009)

D. Kephart said:


> Precisely the reason I need a truck with 400 hp.


I resemble this remark


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## Guest (Jun 15, 2009)

Mary :) said:


> I was on a two-lane road yesterday and saw an impatient guy nearly roll his Explorer. He was behind a big truck and I was behind him. He tried to pass the truck - got into the other lane, but there was a vehicle coming at him head-on in the other lane. Instead of pulling back in behind the truck, he went off the other side of the road, hit a ditch, went flying and hit hard.


This is a pretty standard move in Florida where I came from ....



Mary :) said:


> It happened in a few seconds. And what I want to tell all of you is that the risks that we take every day seem like a necessary part of life, but they are RISKS.


There are so many things that we do that are risky behavior that CAN be avoided. I have stopped tinkering with radio stations, environmental controls, iPod, blackberry, etc. while driving - all things that can divert your attention for those few seconds that can lead to a bad situation. I have MINIMIZED the time I may spend on a cell phone while driving - haven't given up on it entirely, though I don't dial while driving. 



MA_PE said:


> Even econoboxes cruise smotthly at 80+ mph, so people (especially young people) tend to cruise there.


My crappy Kia can hardly sustain 70MPH much less 80!!! 

JR


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## Flyer_PE (Jun 15, 2009)

The only way I talk on a cell phone while driving is using a headset. If I don't have the headset with me, there's nothing that can't wait 'til I'm stopped somewhere.


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## Guest (Jun 15, 2009)

^^^ I have been tinkering with hands-free sets but my hearing loss + background noise makes it problematic to hear. What do you use for hands-free?

JR


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## MA_PE (Jun 15, 2009)

not exactly "hands-free" but I always use speaker phone when/if I need to talk ont he cell in the car.


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## Flyer_PE (Jun 15, 2009)

I'm using a Plantronics Voyager 520. The volume works pretty well for me so long as there's not much background noise. (I have to close the windows in the truck or the sun roof in the MR2 when I'm using it.)

There are aftermarket stereo systems available that will work with a bluetooth enabled phone. I haven't done any research into how well they work though.


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## Supe (Jun 15, 2009)

Plantronics Explorer 220 for me. Haven't had any issues with it to date, and it was priced right (i.e free).


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## snickerd3 (Jun 15, 2009)

my hubby likes the Jabra bluetooth headsets. I just use a cheap corded headset, when I remember I have it.


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## Flyer_PE (Jun 15, 2009)

^ I was using a cheap corded type until I picked up a phone without a standard headset connection. That kind of forced the change to bluetooth and another battery to keep charged.


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## snickerd3 (Jun 15, 2009)

Flyer_PE said:


> ^ I was using a cheap corded type until I picked up a phone without a standard headset connection. That kind of forced the change to bluetooth and another battery to keep charged.


mine doesn't have a std headset connection either, the phone came with a 3in adapter cord to use convert the mini usb to std headset plug


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## Dleg (Jun 15, 2009)

MA_PE said:


> ^ yes folks we have another winner.
> What ever happened to the unwritten "zipper" code where one car goes from each side? No one wants to let anybody in these days.


It's the general degradation of civilized behavior??? I don't know. People are just more selfish and rude these days, so it seems (that's probably what every generation thinks)



snickerd3 said:


> so area specific. Some places that holds true and others not. Where I grew up when the street lights went out, total chaos ensued. It becomes a four way stop people!!! Traffic backs ups, and accidents/near accidents occur all the time. Like after the first snowfall fo the season people forgot how to drive.


On the contrary, that's exactly what happened here - no one knows the "rule" that it reverts to a 4-way stop. People would just run through the signal until they noticed a few cars piling up in the other direction,a dn then they would stop and give the other side a turn. It seemed chaotic, but it also seemed to work very well.


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