The Random Comic Strip

The Random Comic Strip

Words to live by...

"How beautiful it is to do nothing, and to rest afterward."

[Spanish Proverb]

Ius luxuriae publice datum est

(The right to looseness has been officially given)

"Everyone carries a part of society on his shoulders," wrote Ludwig von Mises, "no one is relieved of his share of responsibility by others. And no one can find a safe way for himself if society is sweeping towards destruction. Therefore everyone, in his own interest, must thrust himself vigorously into the intellectual battle."

Apparently, the crossword puzzle that disappeared from the blog, came back.


Wednesday, February 8, 2012

It's Wednesday and time for a traffic rant


What kind of driver are you? Courteous? Cautious? Assertive (or aggressive)? Wimpy?

There are a lot of other categories I could mention or ask about, some of them are probably unfit for a family friendly blog. You know who I mean... And I am sure none of my readers fall into those categories.

I don't drive nearly as much as I did when I was a "wage slave" or when I was a teenager. I only put about 200 miles a month on my car now instead of the 250 a week I racked up before retirement. I fill up less than once a month. Well, when I am not on a trip across country or up to Biloxi.

Still, I see a lot of drivers on the road and, therefore, a lot of driving mistakes. In the winter here, our citizenry doubles (or more). Traffic doubles and slows way down. Which turns out to be a Good Thing because it means most accidents occur at lower speeds.

My main beef is about what I call "intersection creepers". There are two types... the first is the guy at the traffic light who creeps forward while waiting for the light to change until half his car is past the line and is sticking out into the intersection. There are intersections where crossing traffic must swerve a little to avoid him but he isn't generally a problem until the light changes. At some point about 30 seconds before the light changes, his attention span has been exceeded and he is now busy changing stations on his radio, enmeshed in a cell phone conversation, or picking his nose and is not aware the light has changed. And so he sits... as you wait (patiently, I'm sure) until he notices the cars next to him have moved out. At this point, he will dash forward to catch up (and pass) his road mates.

His "cousin" is the "corner creeper". This is the driver who is going to turn left from the stop sign at the intersection where you are intending to turn left. You, of course, have the right of way since you have no stop sign. But he has nosed his car well past the stop sign and also started that left turn a tad prematurely. He is now crowding the lane you want to turn onto. Instead of the 90 degree turn you expected, it's more like a 110 degree turn.

I can't be positive but I think he's the same guy who turns left before he reaches the intersection that you are approaching causing you to stop well short to avoid him as he travels through the oncoming (your) lane. Why the "corner creeper" and this guy never seem to meet is a mystery.

The "corner creeper" also does his dance when turning right but is not a problem unless he is turning onto your lane as you travel down the highway. He often creeps out enough to make you shy of traveling in the right lane of a multi-lane highway. But he's at his worse when he completes that turn and doesn't pick up speed unless, and until, you move to the next lane to your left and start to pass him.

He will eventually become the guy hiding in your right hand blind spot; that invisible zone just off your right rear quarter. The one that is always there when it comes time to move into that lane to prepare for you right turn. His cousin is there in your left rear quarter blind spot.

Faye would like a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on the roof of her car. I just want to find and disable the idiot magnet in mine.

5 comments:

Steven Scott said...

hilarious post

i find myself weaving through traffic sometimes when in the sports car, but i try to follow the "Exotic Car Owner's Code of Conduct," and have always had strict rules about speed deltas and cutting people off and whatnot.

i've got no rear-view mirror in that car so I put extremely convex mirrors on the sides that fully cover the stock mirrors and eliminate all the blind spots and even let me see behind the car. it's actually kind of dangerous when I get in the sedan because i forget blind spots exist...maybe i should look into another set.

Douglas4517 said...

If I had that car, I would be extremely careful... not to let anyone get close enough to damage it in any way. I might be afraid to actually drive it (but I believe I could overcome that phobia).

I have no convex mirrors other than the one on the right which came with the car (Caution: objects may be closer than they appear) but I can remotely adjust them to eliminate blind spots when I think it's warranted.

Still, if I could just find and disable that idiot magnet...

Steven Scott said...

yeah...the body is fiberglass, hand-made in france, and the front and rear clams are single giant pieces that cost 10 grand apiece to replace if they even get cracked. i'm definitely hyper-aware of all the cars around me...forget blind spots, if you're in an SUV then your mirrors are too high up to even know I'm there. i try not to worry, though...i got it to enjoy driving it, not to look at, and i gotta enjoy it while i'm still young and flexible enough to fit through the door :)

we have our share of idiots here, but i don't know how it compares to a city full of super-old folk (no, you're not in that category :)

Douglas4517 said...

We just want to know if you'll be bringing it to your sister's wedding?

Steven Scott said...

lol! let's hope you're successful

and i'm considering it...it's quite a drive, i may fly...and if i have a date it's out of the question (no room to fit much)...but right now i'm leaning towards unbolting the roof and grabbing the soft top and making a road trip out of it. it's not as cool without the mohawk'd hard top, but it sure is fun to enjoy the sun