Be Careful
- Thread starter thrasherbb
- Start date
Everyone sucks at driving anymore. Driving I-70 in the snow is something else. You've got the dumbasses going 75, the out of staters going 20, and then the trucks getting stuck in all three lanes because none of them use chains anymore.
Hell, the real thing doesn't even taste good to me. Fatties drinking "diet" anything is just a mental thing to make themselves feel better about pounding down a 2,000 calorie snack.
Speaking of 2,000 calorie snacks, have you had deep-fried oreos?
agree. I quit soda for about a decade starting in my mid 20s, by the time I came back around to drinking it again, it all tastes like a chemistry experiment.
I do make an occasional exception for a root beer, especially from the small players. For whatever reason, it doesn't disgust me. There's actually a local soda company that has what might be the best root beer I've ever had.
But even with root beer, it's MAYBE one a week. I can't believe the people (including my 20 year old past self) that can consume a quart of that crap every day.
As someone either rapidly approaching, or already-there, "grumpy old man" status, I don't think the behaviors noted above can be correlated with age. These days, people of all ages, races, creeds, etc. do not know how to drive properly.
For instance, to get home from work, I have to merge onto a section of interstate highway with a 75mph speed limit, and due to construction, there's not much distance to make the merge (but there is plenty of distance to accelerate up to 75mph prior to the merge). The vast majority of the driving population is significantly below 75mph when the time to merge appears, and many of them panic when they realize that they must merge RIGHT NOW. At that point, they either merge anyway, or they slam on the brakes and come to a stop at the end of the ramp. Either way, it's a scary situation to be near. When I get to that ramp, I'm always looking way ahead for someone not up to speed, and if I see them, I'm then rapidly switching between watching ahead and behind to make sure I can stop and not get rear-ended.
Point is - it ain't just us old folks doing stupid stuff! I don't think they really teach driving skills anymore.
Might have worked 60 years ago, but modern cars have been legislated into a level of safety that won't allow for that problem to self-solve.
Most people I know (I’m 17) don’t even want to or like to drive, and I think that’s the problem… people don’t have anywhere to go, they sit at home on their phones all day and don’t have the desire to get out and do something else.
I only have a couple friends that I can depend on that actually want to get outside and go do something somewhere. I’ve got one singlular friend who actually enjoys driving. The rest aren’t fans at all.
If I’m at home by myself, im doing homework, otherwise, im somewhere else doing something active. From what my parents tell me, it’s completely different from how things used to be.
I’m thankful that I learned to drive early - and on a manual transmission. I just feel so much more free knowing I can go do anything practically anywhere that I want to near me. I don’t have to depend on my parents to get me there.
I just feel like the problem is more rooted in the fact that people don’t want or feel the need to drive as much anymore
My kids were taught driving skills and book knowledge in their recent driving schools. I picked up some good stuff from them to add to my driving. I think what happens is people don't follow what they learned. They get into a groove of just following their driving patterns and depending on the intuition that develops as you encounter situations. Drivers in other countries are very different but are doing the same. For example, in Mexico everyone is bumper to bumper and fender to fender and nobody obeys lane rules or speed limits, but somehow everyone adjusts. It can be scary for Americans. Europe driving is considered a pleasure. In general they don't eat and drive or text and drive because who wants to do that when you get to drive. Driving is fun. I like that concept. Americans are too busy and must be doing five things at the same time or they are bored. Maybe that's too generalized or a bit off, but my sense.
Most people I know (I’m 17) don’t even want to or like to drive, and I think that’s the problem… people don’t have anywhere to go, they sit at home on their phones all day and don’t have the desire to get out and do something else.
I only have a couple friends that I can depend on that actually want to get outside and go do something somewhere. I’ve got one singlular friend who actually enjoys driving. The rest aren’t fans at all.
If I’m at home by myself, im doing homework, otherwise, im somewhere else doing something active. From what my parents tell me, it’s completely different from how things used to be.
I’m thankful that I learned to drive early - and on a manual transmission. I just feel so much more free knowing I can go do anything practically anywhere that I want to near me. I don’t have to depend on my parents to get me there.
I just feel like the problem is more rooted in the fact that people don’t want or feel the need to drive as much anymore
My 17 year old twin sons are very similar to what you describe. They don't want to drive because of gas prices. I am gradually warming them up to the idea of driving for fun. Besides, gas was $1 in my high school days and I made $4.25/hr at my job (minimum wage). Gas is $4 now and they make $15/hr at their jobs (minimum wage), so there is really no proportional difference in gas prices, and it never slowed me down.
Mexico city had us leaning to the side repeatedly thinking we were going to get hit. Light turns red, plug the intersection.
Did they learn how to navigate a roundabout? Still see people that are clueless about them and they've been here in quantity for a decade or more.
I love driving. Obviously, having a tj makes it way more fun too, I bought a tj because I liked driving and knew it would make that a million times more fun. Yesterday I went for a drive around my area for probably 45 min because I was bored and wanted to get out and do something. I’m totally happy to just drive and listen to my music. Gas prices do feel high, and are discouraging, but as you said, working will cover that. I’m happy to have found a job that pays very well, at least for someone my age, and it’s something that I enjoy too.
In my time, wheels represented freedom. My first bicycle expanded my world by 5-10 miles. Being able to drive, and when my parents allowed me to use a car (I didn’t have a car until I graduated college and could afford one), expanded my world by 100 miles, and owning a car finally expanded my world by 1000+ miles. I can’t understand today’s youth and their disdain for driving…
I bought my first car at 17 and had my own apartment. I didn't like to follow other people's rules. Still don't. 
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I was that way as well - not so much about gas prices per se, but the overall cost of the thing. All my friends worked jobs to be able to afford a car, insurance, gas, etc, etc, to be able to get to work. Never made sense to me, there was a perfectly good school bus that got me to and from school, I could ride with mom to get to and from my summer job as it was on her way to her work anyway. That enabled me to buy tools and electronic test equipment that I still have (and use) to this day. This was in the late 70s. Didn't own a car (truck) until I graduated from College as I then needed one.
Tell me about it. The onramps here are wonderful - half mile or longer, yet these FOOLS want to merge onto a 70 MPH freeway doing 50 - if I'm lucky. Sometimes its been as slow as 35! And I'm always on the lookout for fucktards who want to slam on their brakes in these, and many other, situations. I won't stop unless I have absolutely NO other alternative, I'll accelerate and evade if I can.
Another one are people who will line up in a lane on the freeway, hitting their brakes for whatever reason - sometimes legitimately, oftentimes not. That seldom happens to me, the instant I see brake lites in my lane, BOOM! I'm in another lane ASAFP - often instantaneously. Keeping good SA helps a lot, I'm not on the fucking phone or otherwise distracted - instant lane changes saved my life at least twice that I can think of. But you can't do "instant" or "very quick" lane changes if your SA is lacking - I make it a point to ALWAYS know if the lane(s) next to me are clear or not at all times. Of course, I've been called "Hyper Vigilant" by some on this very forum because I'm paying attention to what the hell I'm doing, not fiddling with a goddamned smartphone.
My first career out of college was with a company who made health and safety a priority. It was annoying at the time, but looking back it really was a benefit. They made everyone who came on board take a defensive driving course and it had to be renewed every year. They also installed GPS devices in all company vehicles that monitored speed, harsh braking, harsh cornering, whether the first move when the vehicle was turned on was forward or reverse, time spent in reverse and idle time. Working there for 8 years really made me a better driver and pay attention to a lot of things that most don't think about.
What behaviors were they trying to catch with that data? To me, minimal reversing indicates that they're skilled at avoiding cramped areas and finding good places to park but I wouldn't assume everybody thinks that way.
I am really hoping someone at some point did a drag race in reverse...
Or do what I did in high school and go through drive thru's in reverse
I know of large farm operations that disable reverse on tractors pulling grain carts and such in order to reduce accidents.
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