rant: almost got into an accident with a SUV

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DietDrThunder

Platinum Member
Apr 6, 2001
2,262
326
126
It sounds to me that you have the potential to become one of those ROAD RAGE types. Yes, I agree she is a bad driver, but then again, so are you. If you were a smart and safe driver, you'd have slowed down and got completely away from her. Instead, you felt like you needed to teach her a lesson. You just decided to stay near her and "Box her in". If an accident would have occurred when you stated "so right when im about to pass her she suddenly jerks her car toward my lane to cut me off...but there is no way she couldve cut me off as i was right next to rear seats. i brake, swerve and lay on the horn..stuuupid b!tch panicks and jerks her car back into her lane at 80mph!", it would have been your fault just as much as hers. I'm not saying you would be liable for the crash, but you'd be a major contributing factor to the crash. You were watching her hands, and you were expecting something to happen. I rank your driving in the same STUPID DRIVER category as the woman in the SUV. From what I've read from your stated account of what happened, you don't think traffic safety laws even apply to you. You are driving 75 mph, depending on the stretch of 287 you were driving on, that speed is anywhere between 10 and 15 mph over the posted limit. Also, in most states, driving in the left had lane is prohibited unless you are passing another vehicle, or you have a left lane exit. Look, I know other drivers can be frustrating. I see these drivers all the time. Most of them that I see driving like this are in those little rice rockets. I used to be just like you in my driving habits, but then I grew up. You need to grow up too.
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
Originally posted by: Aharami
Originally posted by: murphy55d
bad drivers are bad drivers no matter what kind of vehicle they are in.

yes true. but a bad driver in a mini would probably cause less damage than a bad driver in a H2
And be less likely to get into an accident. Case in point: This week three girls on the way to Florida (?) crashed in their SUV in Birmingham. Two got severely injured (seatbelts snapped) and the driver died. She normally drove a civic, but she was in a Ford Expedition for the journey. She got into a lane to pass a truck and was frightened by a driver who honked at her. She swerved back into her original lane but over-did it and rolled the vehicle.
So what do you suggest, a driving test for those looking to purchase an SUV?
I propose an immediate revocation of all driving licenses, and to get it back one has to pass a far more stringent driving test.

 

PingSpike

Lifer
Feb 25, 2004
21,729
559
126
Originally posted by: Jzero
Bad driver or not, it sounds like you were sitting right in her blind spot....

And that is relevant how? You check your blindspot before you change lanes.
 

So you hate SUVs because in a hypothetical crash at 80 mph that didn't actually happen, your car would have been severely damaged? Hate to inform you, but any crash at 80 mph won't be pretty.
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
Originally posted by: PingSpike
Originally posted by: Jzero
Bad driver or not, it sounds like you were sitting right in her blind spot....

And that is relevant how? You check your blindspot before you change lanes dumba$$.
Not if you drive around these here parts you don't :)

 

PingSpike

Lifer
Feb 25, 2004
21,729
559
126
Even so...sometimes its just best to let things go. Like you said...did you really want to get into an accident?

There's bad drivers in every vehicle...but the SUV ones do scare me a lot more than some dude in a festiva. Of course big truck drivers will do some crazy crap sometimes do.
 

Jzero

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
18,834
1
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Originally posted by: PingSpike
Originally posted by: Jzero
Bad driver or not, it sounds like you were sitting right in her blind spot....

And that is relevant how? You check your blindspot before you change lanes dumba$$.

Because if you have half a brain as a driver you avoid putting yourself into potentially dangerous positions.

You avoid cruising in people's blind spots becuase some people DON'T check their blind spots, believe it or not.
You don't trust turn signals.
You don't tailgate.
You give way to moron psychopaths because you just want to get them AWAY from you.
You assume that the jackass in front of you is going to stop at the yield sign, so you plan accordingly.
You assume that the jackass making the left is going to blow the stop sign, so you plan accordingly.
Etc.

It's called defensive driving. You might have heard of it. It doesn't matter how good of a driver you think you are - you are at the mercy of everyone else on the road. It is foolish to assume that anyone knows how to drive at all.
 

PingSpike

Lifer
Feb 25, 2004
21,729
559
126
Originally posted by: Jzero
Originally posted by: PingSpike
Originally posted by: Jzero
Bad driver or not, it sounds like you were sitting right in her blind spot....

And that is relevant how? You check your blindspot before you change lanes dumba$$.

Because if you have half a brain as a driver you avoid putting yourself into potentially dangerous positions.

You avoid cruising in people's blind spots becuase some people DON'T check their blind spots, believe it or not.
You don't trust turn signals.
You don't tailgate.
You give way to moron psychopaths because you just want to get them AWAY from you.
You assume that the jackass in front of you is going to stop at the yield sign, so you plan accordingly.
You assume that the jackass making the left is going to blow the stop sign, so you plan accordingly.
Etc.

It's called defensive driving. You might have heard of it. It doesn't matter how good of a driver you think you are - you are at the mercy of everyone else on the road. It is foolish to assume that anyone knows how to drive at all.

All good points, and upon further reflection it probably would have been a good idea to let her get in from of him....then let her get some distance. That certainly doesn't condone her actions and lack of driving ability.
 

Aharami

Lifer
Aug 31, 2001
21,294
148
106
Originally posted by: Cepak
It sounds to me that you have the potential to become one of those ROAD RAGE types. Yes, I agree she is a bad driver, but then again, so are you. If you were a smart and safe driver, you'd have slowed down and got completely away from her. Instead, you felt like you needed to teach her a lesson. You just decided to stay near her and "Box her in". If an accident would have occurred when you stated "so right when im about to pass her she suddenly jerks her car toward my lane to cut me off...but there is no way she couldve cut me off as i was right next to rear seats. i brake, swerve and lay on the horn..stuuupid b!tch panicks and jerks her car back into her lane at 80mph!", it would have been your fault just as much as hers. I'm not saying you would be liable for the crash, but you'd be a major contributing factor to the crash. You were watching her hands, and you were expecting something to happen. I rank your driving in the same STUPID DRIVER category as the woman in the SUV. From what I've read from your stated account of what happened, you don't think traffic safety laws even apply to you. You are driving 75 mph, depending on the stretch of 287 you were driving on, that speed is anywhere between 10 and 15 mph over the posted limit. Also, in most states, driving in the left had lane is prohibited unless you are passing another vehicle, or you have a left lane exit. Look, I know other drivers can be frustrating. I see these drivers all the time. Most of them that I see driving like this are in those little rice rockets. I used to be just like you in my driving habits, but then I grew up. You need to grow up too.

so im a stupid driver for looking out for my welfare...for not wanting to get behind such an awful driver??
rolleye.gif

yes i could have backed off, but not in this situation because its bumper to bumper trafffic and there was a line of cars behind me and any sort of significant slowdown ripples thru and causes a traffic jam in the back. why should others have to suffer a unnecessary slowdown just so she can speed and continue to cut others off?

and i didnt decide to "Box her in"...if i had, i wouldve stayed by her side for a lot longer...the whole thing happend in less than a minute.

edit: and yes, i did teach her a lesson. after i honked, she was driving more cautiosly than before...or atleast it looked like it in my rear view

From what I've read from your stated account of what happened, you don't think traffic safety laws even apply to you. You are driving 75 mph, depending on the stretch of 287 you were driving on, that speed is anywhere between 10 and 15 mph over the posted limit. Also, in most states, driving in the left had lane is prohibited unless you are passing another vehicle, or you have a left lane exit.

smoke a little too much this morning? i said it was bumper to bumper traffic at 75mph+. doesnt that imply that all the other cars were going at 75mph too? yes im going to follow the law and go at 65 and end up causing a slowdown in traffic.
and i wasnt in the left lane when this happend. i was in the middle lane. but you would have known that had you read my original post clearly
 

Jzero

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
18,834
1
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All good points, and upon further reflection it probably would have been a good idea to let her get in from of him....then let her get some distance. That certainly doesn't condone her actions and lack of driving ability.

Absolutely. I didn't mean it to say that what she was doing was OK, but more to illustrate that Aharami should really have just backed off and let her go. Had he not been where he was, there would have been no such incursion.

You can't change the way these idiots drive. Trying to teach them a lesson just infuriates them more. Your best bet is to try to protect yourself from them and hope when their number comes up, it isn't you they are smashing into :)
 

Aharami

Lifer
Aug 31, 2001
21,294
148
106
Originally posted by: Jzero
All good points, and upon further reflection it probably would have been a good idea to let her get in from of him....then let her get some distance. That certainly doesn't condone her actions and lack of driving ability.

Absolutely. I didn't mean it to say that what she was doing was OK, but more to illustrate that Aharami should really have just backed off and let her go. Had he not been where he was, there would have been no such incursion.

You can't change the way these idiots drive. Trying to teach them a lesson just infuriates them more. Your best bet is to try to protect yourself from them and hope when their number comes up, it isn't you they are smashing into :)

thats exactly why i decided to let her go behind me. theere was a truck (i think) behind me and it couldnt have accelerated as fast so she could easily have gotten behind me if she wanted. but she had to get in front

yes, i could've handled the situation better by letting her go. but had somebody not done anything, she wouldve kept on driving as if she owns that road (maybe she does...who knows). atleast after i honked, she calmed down a little bit. everybody needs a reality check once in a while. i had to honk at her and let her know "hey look...u cant drive like that in such traffic"
 

samgau

Platinum Member
Oct 11, 1999
2,403
0
0
By the time the gas price hit the $3 mark, I'm sure quite a few SUV and Big Truck owners will start thinking about getting a more economical vehicle.... Many countries have gas prices so high that a small economical vehicle is the only way to afford driving one...
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
Originally posted by: samgau
By the time the gas price hit the $3 mark, I'm sure quite a few SUV and Big Truck owners will start thinking about getting a more economical vehicle.... Many countries have gas prices so high that a small economical vehicle is the only way to afford driving one...
Nah, if that's the case we'll just attack the middle east for impinging on our god given rights to have cheap gas :)

But, thread off topic alert!

 

Aharami

Lifer
Aug 31, 2001
21,294
148
106
IMO, with more power comes more responsibility. and SUV drivers have more power (size and weight of car..as well as more powerful engines)...more chances of causing severe damage with that extra power. so i think SUV drivers have to be more responsible and cant drive like they are driving a mini cooper S
 

Jzero

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
18,834
1
0
Originally posted by: Aharami

thats exactly why i decided to let her go behind me. theere was a truck (i think) behind me and it couldnt have accelerated as fast so she could easily have gotten behind me if she wanted. but she had to get in front
A key point: She had to get in front. So just let her. If you aren't following too closely, it doens't matter if she brakes suddenly.

yes, i could've handled the situation better by letting her go. but had somebody not done anything, she wouldve kept on driving as if she owns that road (maybe she does...who knows). atleast after i honked, she calmed down a little bit. everybody needs a reality check once in a while. i had to honk at her and let her know "hey look...u cant drive like that in such traffic"

She will go back to her old ways tomorrow. You didn't teach her a thing. In many cases, honking your horn just infuriates people. They take it as a personal affront to their honor. I have no idea why.

 

Aharami

Lifer
Aug 31, 2001
21,294
148
106
Originally posted by: Skoorb
Originally posted by: samgau
By the time the gas price hit the $3 mark, I'm sure quite a few SUV and Big Truck owners will start thinking about getting a more economical vehicle.... Many countries have gas prices so high that a small economical vehicle is the only way to afford driving one...
Nah, if that's the case we'll just attack the middle east for impinging on our god given rights to have cheap gas :)

But, thread off topic alert!

haha. that is clearly evident from your old thread about gas prices
 

Aharami

Lifer
Aug 31, 2001
21,294
148
106
Originally posted by: Jzero
In many cases, honking your horn just infuriates people. They take it as a personal affront to their honor. I have no idea why.

:D
 

Thraxen

Diamond Member
Dec 3, 2001
4,683
1
81
If you aren't following too closely, it doens't matter if she brakes suddenly.

Not true. Maybe you are paying attention, but that doesn't mean the person behind you is. He said this was bumper to bumper traffic. Leaving a large gap only results in the gap getting filled by someone changing lanes in front of you. That rule definitely doesn't work at all times.
 

Bryophyte

Lifer
Apr 25, 2001
13,430
13
81
What I want to know is, when did it become fashionable to call a bumper a "bumber"? I've been seeing people spell it this way a few times lately, and it tells me that people don't have trouble spelling, but trouble with pronunciation.
 

DietDrThunder

Platinum Member
Apr 6, 2001
2,262
326
126
Like I said, Stupid driver. You'd use excuse after excuse to justify your driving. Like you really care about the ripple effect, I don't think so. I drive in this same kind of traffic every day. I'll admit, I do catch myself driving with the flow at times. And yes I did read and comprehend your complete story. Do you remember the story you told pot head?

anyways so all 3 lanes are blocked..im in the leftmost lane.

Just because everyone else is doing it, i.e. driving 75 mph, doesn't make it anymore safe or anymore right to do. What you'll also find out when you grow up is that you can't change others, you can only change yourself.

 

AsianriceX

Golden Member
Dec 30, 2001
1,318
1
0
Originally posted by: Aharami
Originally posted by: Jzero
In many cases, honking your horn just infuriates people. They take it as a personal affront to their honor. I have no idea why.

:D

It's a shame that my Altima's horn sounds so incredibly wimpy. I'm almost embarrased to honk at anyone that does something stupid.

I wish I had a different device that would make a boxing glove attached to a spring fly out and hit the offending driver in his face. Now THAT would be awesome.

:beer::D
 

zixxer

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2001
7,326
0
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Originally posted by: Aharami
Originally posted by: K1052
I would be more worried about the cars behind you. A wreck at 75 mph on a very busy highway would turn nasty in any event.

yes very true. yesterday a truck hit a deer and there was blood and deer parts all over the road. 100 feet down the road only half the deer was laying dead on the side of the road

What?? Half of a deer?........ DEAD?? I woulda thought he'd be alive..
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
Originally posted by: AsianriceX
Originally posted by: Aharami
Originally posted by: Jzero
In many cases, honking your horn just infuriates people. They take it as a personal affront to their honor. I have no idea why.

:D

It's a shame that my Altima's horn sounds so incredibly wimpy. I'm almost embarrased to honk at anyone that does something stupid.

I wish I had a different device that would make a boxing glove attached to a spring fly out and hit the offending driver in his face. Now THAT would be awesome.

:beer::D
That problem was solved in my sentra with a "highway blaster" horn which I bought from autozone. I now have two horns and the sentra has a surprisingly loud bark for such a little car :)

 

DietDrThunder

Platinum Member
Apr 6, 2001
2,262
326
126
Leaving a large gap only results in the gap getting filled by someone changing lanes in front of you

Not true, it does work all of the time. So what if someone fills the gap. Slow and give yourself some space from this driver as well. You'll find that driving this way will only add about 3 to 5 minutes to your commute. I challenge you to try it and test the results for yourself. The main problem is that no one allots themselves enough time for their commute. People hit the snooze on their alarms several times, guess wrong on how long it will actually take them to get to work, etc. etc. Then they try to make up the time during the commute. Let me tell you from experience that it just doesn't work.
 

CChaos

Golden Member
Mar 4, 2003
1,586
0
0
Let me get the straight. You see a person driving erratically. You think the person is dangerous. A short time later, you suspect this person is going to cut you off so you deliberately speed up to stop it from happening. After all of this, you're convinced that the problem is the person's gender and type of automobile. My interpretation would be a bit different. It sounds to me like the problem is just two self-important a$$holes crossed paths.