If You Are Doing Nothing Wrong You Have PLENTY to Fear

[Cobb]

I seriously doubt anyone got a ticket for this unless it was determined after the fact it was the cause of an accident or admitted to during questioning, but no other driving violations existed.

Im sure the rule originated from a few noob commercial truckers coasting down a hill and discover how fast 80 thousand pounds can go and how difficult it can be to get it back in gear. Rules are just a cause/effect reaction with little research into how effective it would be.

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

If my engine is off do I still fall under Virginia's definition of coasting, or will they ticket me for being parked in the right lane at 60 mph?

[user removed]

Actually the Va no coasting law was passed in the 1930s. Plymouth came out with a car with freewheeling around 1935, a one way clutch that could not be engaged or disengaged unless the car was stopped. After a few drivers, unaware of the nasty downhill portions of several routes through the mountains, like US 50 and I think 33, ran off the mountain and some were killed the law was passed making the use of the freewheeling capability illegal.

Modern brakes are much better and probably could prevent the same thing from happening, but I almost got killed in a head on when the oncoming Subaru flew into my lane, barely going over the gaurd rail himself and dropping off an 800 foot, very steep cliff.

Few cops know about the law anymore and I have not heard of it being enforced any time in recent years.

regards
Mech

[Rishar]

Originally Posted by Xist

I do not recommend coasting downhill in a wheelbarrow or wagon.

When I was a kid, a friend pushed me into a wall while I rode in a grocery cart. I recommend against riding in those, too.

I laughed way too hard at this haha.

[Rishar]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

I'm always honest with police or others in official positions. When they decide to cross "the line" I have had great success in face to face direct communication with the judge. A trooper stopped me I95 south of Dc for 80 in a 65 zone. When he walked up to the window (it was dark) he told me he had clocked me at 80. I said "that sounds about right, did you see the idiot that passed me on the right and then pulled over two car lengths in front of me. He said "yes". I told him I was just trying to get away from anyone who drove so stupidly. He gave me a warning instead of a ticket, but shadowed me for 45 miles before passing me and waving on the beltway around east Richmond.

Had a cop tell me if I am sitting at an intersection and see someone getting ready to plow into my arse, the law requires me to sit there and get hit, a potentially deadly situation.

No law requires me to accept a situation where I could be injured or killed.

I would have no problem convincing the judge of that fact.

regards
Mech

I agree completely with you. I'm the same way with those in official...and usually unofficial positions. But I have also seen where some people have gotten the raw end of the deal of being an honest person. My uncle has had quite a few of those situations.

Though...I had one day a cop pulled me over and told me he clocked me doing 66 in a 55. This is back when I had a little 2.0 4cyl in a 94 sunbird with 200k miles on it. On top of everything else, it was uphill (very steep hill) and I was doing some tests at maintaining 45 to see how it affected mileage. Not being entirely happy with the accusation...I asked him which tree he clocked because there's no way I was doing 66. Wasn't the smartest thing I could have said >.>. He gave me a ticket, took it to an unofficial hearing, judge let it go.

As for sitting and being hit or moving out of the way...depends on how much I still owed on the car and if there was heavy cross traffic. Might just let them hit me and have the insurance pay the car off.

[Xist]

Originally Posted by Xist

When I was a kid, a friend pushed me into a wall while I rode in a grocery cart. I recommend against riding in those, too.

Originally Posted by Rishar

I laughed way too hard at this haha.

To be honest, I believe that I sustained at least one TBI in my childhood. At least a couple of times I have talked to Army doctors about the time in Basic that a female Soldier hit me in the forehead with the buttstock of her rifle. They ask if I lost consciousness, I said "No," and they said that I did not suffer a TBI.

That is invalid.

I just finished a second Bachelor's and did so poorly that I am trying to transfer to another school in-state to retake the classes, graduate with a higher GPA, actually get into grad school, and have a chance at graduating and paying off my student loans.

There is something seriously wrong with my memory.

Originally Posted by Rishar

But I have also seen where some people have gotten the raw end of the deal of being an honest person.

Can confirm, incorrigible nice guy here, people always take advantage of me.

As for what I would do if someone was going to rear-end me, that really depends on whether I have enough time for the gerbil in my head to get the wheel up to speed; I would think that it depends on the situation. I just might suddenly turn right. If I get cited for not signaling properly, I should be able to fight it.

What do you do if you are about to be hit hard from the rear, but you would be hit by oncoming traffic if you enter the intersection?

As for whether the car is paid off or not, I would be more interested in who or what is in my car. At the moment, I have thirty cans of green beans and a fair amount of tools in the back of my car. If I am rear-ended, any of that could kill me, or worse, get me expelled from Hogwart's.

If I have family in the car, I will try to protect them. If my boss was making me drive him somewhere, I will obey the law, and apply for his position.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Simonas

It is quite sad that the US is going the way of Western Europe. I'm not saying that everything in Western Europe is bad. What is bad is that W. Europe seems to be following E. Europe.

I suppose that the reason Russia and the US are not able to get along is partially because they are too similar.

Not surprising, that is what happens when a nation decides it doesn't need God. Once again, religion and politics go together for me.

Eastern Europe still is plagued by some of the effects of the dark Perestroika times, but what surprises me is how many fools still endorse Communism. And I gotta agree with you about the extremist Atheists having an important role on this problem with their anti-religion (mostly anti-Christian and anti-Jewish) whining.

[Simonas]

Ever heard of super patriotic Americans?

Now you understand why there are many who still like the "good old days" of communism. They were taught that way. They have selective memories--forget what was bad, remember the good. The communist system did have some good points, like the "fact" that everyone was supposedly "equal". That meant redistributing the poverty. They also were usually not as materialistic as westerners, or they just didn't show it as much.

Every system has good and bad points. Nothing will be perfect until heaven.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Simonas

The communist system did have some good points, like the "fact" that everyone was equal. That meant redistributing the poverty. They also were usually not as materialistic as westerners, or they just didn't show it as much.

It's more a matter of family values, including religious values, than political systems, and nowadays the socialists are using the materialism and entitlement mentality to approach to some lazy fools who still get caught by their "revolutionary" speech, and I see it currently in Brazil and some neighboring countries such as Venezuela. I can't really see any advantage in the left wing anyway...

[mcrews]

Originally Posted by Simonas

Ever heard of super patriotic Americans?

l. That meant redistributing the poverty. They also were usually not as materialistic as westerners, or they just didn't show it as much.

Every system has good and bad points. Nothing will be perfect until heaven.

What!!!!
You can't be materialistic if you are in poverty !
Communism creates "non-materialism".

[Simonas]

According to my definition, materialism is wanting to have lots of posessions, even if you don't need them.

People in the communist countries want conveniences that are not necessary. They don't really have access to get them though.

So, not people in communists countries are materialists at heart even though they cannot actually have what they want.

Well, that's my definition, I'm not sure of what others have to say...