Getting the Bird at on ramps.

[Arragonis]

Originally Posted by jtbo

I don't use clutch either...

The 'average' driver is unfortunately that muppet in front of you checking their iPhone instead of setting off on a green light, the one that must be at the head of every queue and is of course a driving god driving the best supercar in the world...

...or whatever had the most toys for the budget when they chose their SAAB, BMW, Audi, Lexus, Mercedes salesman special saloon.

None of us here are driving gods, but I bet the average ecomodder takes more notice of what is happening around them than the average of the population...

Originally Posted by euromodder

That's only half the rule.

The missing part says your 2 second gap will get halved within the next 2 seconds

Yeah, and when you were fighting to the front of the queue it mattered. Fighting the numbers instead - who cares who goes in front ? In my old guise that X-5 in front was an annoying roadblock, now its someone stupid enough to finance the fuel to move a house who is also punching a house shaped hole in the air that I can sit in - without tailgating obviously.

They win by being in front and I win spending less on fuel...

[jtbo]

Originally Posted by Arragonis

Yeah, and when you were fighting to the front of the queue it mattered. Fighting the numbers instead - who cares who goes in front ? In my old guise that X-5 in front was an annoying roadblock, now its someone stupid enough to finance the fuel to move a house who is also punching a house shaped hole in the air that I can sit in - without tailgating obviously.

They win by being in front and I win spending less on fuel...

You too? I guess we have something in common, for that

My tested reaction time was bit above 0.6 seconds when tested in advanced driving class, but it is mostly because paying attention and estimating other drivers at front and back, so there really is not much of surprises coming on road, I'm sure it is same for others who pay attention on their driving, like average driver on ecomodder, we all are trying to beat our best FE numbers, which requires lot more active driving than that average bored commuter does.

[California98Civic]

I suggest collecting bird sightings and submitting them:
The Field Guide to the North American Bird: Blank, Adam; Blank, Lauren - AbeBooks - 9781580085748: Country Books and Things

[Arragonis]

Originally Posted by jtbo

You too? I guess we have something in common, for that

My tested reaction time was bit above 0.6 seconds when tested in advanced driving class, but it is mostly because paying attention and estimating other drivers at front and back, so there really is not much of surprises coming on road, I'm sure it is same for others who pay attention on their driving, like average driver on ecomodder, we all are trying to beat our best FE numbers, which requires lot more active driving than that average bored commuter does.

Yep. I'm afraid I am no driving god so I have to make compensations.

Although I did get 'Driver of the Day' at Knockhill on my 40th birthday track day

(and no, I didn't just buy the trophy - although you can...)

[Christ]

As a professional driver, typically in charge of 4-8 peoples lives at a time, not including my own, I feel like I HAVE TO BE a better than average driver. More alert than the guy near me, etc.

I'm apparently the only driver in the company that feels this way, as the rest tend to done down the road with traffic, making the same stupid mistakes as the guy right in front of them... As a bonus, I average 16ish mippigs in a '08 GMC 2500 Savanna, sometimes up to 17. Multiply that by an average of 5 people, and I'm getting the best mileage on the highway, eh?

Our other drivers can't best 15, many falling under 14.

[jtbo]

Originally Posted by Christ

As a professional driver, typically in charge of 4-8 peoples lives at a time, not including my own, I feel like I HAVE TO BE a better than average driver. More alert than the guy near me, etc.

My job includes quite bit of driving, so I feel like that too, if only sake of my own life, but as I spend so much time on road, it is more likely to get into situation where life can be in danger so I feel that I'm making difference to odds by being as much aware what is happening around me as possible.

Quite often I get sensation of knowing before other driver what he will do next, their signaling comes lot later than I know they are about to signal, that is ability to read telltale signs of others, which comes when you drive more, it helps also to get better fuel economy and also to cheat odds a bit. However if I continue to drive as much to retirement age, it is more than likely that I will have bad accident, that is by numbers, maybe that too can be cheated with being very alert, at least I hope so.

I have driven only about 2 million km from 1995, but I think that there is not much surprises on roads anymore, not even those bad mergers seem to surprise me anymore, hopefully it is not just that I'm becoming blind to my surroundings...

[piers.singer]

Personally, riding a motorcycle has made me a much safer and relaxed driver, if only for the reasons that mine is ruddy slow and the mirrors are useless. I'd like to think that I'm a better driver than yon average motorist, but being a self-deprecating Englishman, I'll never state it as fact.

As for merging, I'm always on the look-out for these signs:

Whilst everyone is roaring by on the left, trying to battle their way through the traffic to the front of the queue, I'm poodling along in the right lane, knowing that I don't have to merge

[fidalgoman]

You probably have guessed by others comments that learning to get along in traffic and not pissing people off is better than an accident involving you no matter how right legally you may be and how wrong the other driver may be. Like the commercial said “He was right, DEAD right”.

[Arragonis]

Sadly its not hard to be above the average skills of drivers it seems either side of the Atlantic...

Originally Posted by piers.singer

Personally, riding a motorcycle has made me a much safer and relaxed driver, if only for the reasons that mine is ruddy slow and the mirrors are useless. I'd like to think that I'm a better driver than yon average motorist, but being a self-deprecating Englishman, I'll never state it as fact.

As for merging, I'm always on the look-out for these signs:

Whilst everyone is roaring by on the left, trying to battle their way through the traffic to the front of the queue, I'm poodling along in the right lane, knowing that I don't have to merge

By coincidence I had to explain to A-junior why the bike in front of us tonight could not just set off as soon as the light turned - just before the taxi ran the red light going across our path.

And yes, the bike rider did express his opinion of the taxi with a bird...

[user removed]

Today I was ridng down a 3 lane (each way) section of Jefferson Ave. I had to go left at the next light.

A BMW M5 SUV pulled out from the right side of the road and went across 5 lanes to get in the inner left turn lane of two available. We pulled to the left turn lanes beside each other and he honked his horn and rolled down the passengers window to apologise to me for cutting me off.

I told him he did not even come close to me as I was expecting him to make that manoeuver since most people went left at that light to get to the Interstate, but apology accepted and appreciated although unnecessary. He told me he rode bikes and felt bad since he couldn't see me when he came across 5 lanes.

I told him I expected his move and it was fine.

regards
Mech