Oof-Da! Canadians just as ignorant as Duhmericans

[user removed]

Thanks ecomodded, maybe one day lives will be saved from someone reading this thread.
When I read about a death that could have been avoided and the absolute tragedy of this single incident, I think of my mother when my oldest brother was in Viet Nam, praying for the safe return of her son from another day, praying that the car never appeared in front of the house with a man in uniform bringing tragic news.

One part of driving technique that we espouse on this forum is the art of conservation of momentum, which provides an additional benefit, which is the vastly reduced risk of being rear ended when you are coasting to another red light.

I used to get mad at people who would blast past me when there was a red light just a head knowing they would probably switch into my lane and force me to slow down or even stop when I could have coasted through the light when it changed to green.

Pop used to tell me "I would rather have the idiots in front of me instead of behind me."
My agressive character, at the time, just could not, tolerate having idiots anywhere near me. Now I understand his rationale and mostly agree with his logic. It's hard to not allow yourself to be more agressive, to punish others for their ludicrous driving habits by employing your own.

Pop is 93 and still drives his pearl white Eldorado. Not much and he prefers me driving. He once told me I was the only driver who made him feel comfortable enough to fall asleep riding in a car I was driving. Not even his wife of 68 years makes him feel that secure in the hands of another person. His last traffic ticket was 1955.

His last accident, not his fault-hit by a car that ran a red light, was 1973. It took me a few decades to appreciate that accomplishment and both of my parents almost died in a head on collision on route 1 in the Florida Keys when a drunk in a Cadillac swerved into their lane. The car they were driving was a 1977 (first year) Honda Accord that I bought at a salvage auction and rebuilt.

The crazy thing is I almost died on the same road within a couple hundred yards of the exact same spot, when another drunk swerved into my lane, at night, in heavy rain, and I had to swerve across HIS lane into a parking lot.

40 years ago and we all are still living. I hope the poor woman whose husband and daughter died while SHE watched it happen, can somehow survive that incident emotionally.

regards
Mech

[Frank Lee]

I just pray I never, ever end up in a situation where I am judged in court by a jury of my "peers". From what I've seen, the majority of my "peers" are pretty much hopeless.

To clarify, I was thinking mainly of the reader postings to the story at the Daily Mail and other news sites.

[Fat Charlie]

Legal requirements and the right thing to do are entirely different concepts.

How about:
1. Watch out you don't get yourself killed.
2. Don't create situations that kill people.

Generally speaking, doing the things that violate #1 will get you a ticket (if there's a cop in a bad mood with nothing to do) or dead. The biker and the Chevelle driver broke that. Now Duck Lady and GTO Wrench, on the other hand, broke rule #2. If you break rule #1 and things go bad, Over and done with, it sucks. If you break rule #2 then even a cop who isn't bored will take interest and if someone nearby is breaking rule #1 then it'll go a lot worse for all concerned and what would have ordinarily have gotten you a ticket will now land you in jail.

[nemo]

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

Legal requirements and the right thing to do are entirely different concepts.

+1

As are justice and the legal system.

[ecomodded]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

I had a similar situation. I was being tailgated by a woman in a 1966 Chevelle. The car in front of me, a silver 68 GTO convertible stopped very quickly and left his rear end sticking out in the left lane of a 4 lane divided highway. Knowing I was clear in the right lane (situational awareness), I swerved over and the Chevelle slammed into the rear end of the GTO, spinning it around two complete revolutions, the impact was like an explosion.

The Chevelle slid into the grass median in the middle of the 4 lane highway. I turned at the next left into a Ford tractor dealership and told them to call the cops and an ambulance. I knew there were serious injuries. The rescue squad found the Chevelle drivers 18 month old baby up under the dash of the car.

The GTO driver was a mechanic who had just finished a brake job on the GTO and was "testing" the brakes (very poor choice of places to test). The GTO's owner was in the car with him. Although it was 40 years ago I can still close my eyes and see that wreck.

Long before child safety seats or even 911, the woman in the Chevelle ate the steering wheel.

So who was at fault?

regards
Mech

Scary Stuff


I had a car full of old folks stop on the hiway for an illegal left turn , Only I was not paying attention while approaching it, till the last few feet when I spotted them and spun the steering wheel violently to the right then whipped it back so I did a super fast zig zig missing the car by no more then 5 ft , @ 70 mph. I Pulled over and asked to be replaced as the driver It was my driving that nearly caused it and I knew it , despite that the other driver was making the illegal turn -

This was my other near collision at hwy speeds.
I knew my error was playing a Big part in what just about happened ,the old folks were like sitting ducks ( pardon the pun)

[fbov]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

I had a similar situation. I was being tailgated by a woman in a 1966 Chevelle. ...

I saw a similar situation. A car was stopped in the middle lane. The driver of a van saw it, and swerved to miss it. The car behind him never had a chance at 88 feet/second.

I was bringing my wife and newborn son home from the hospital.

You can't look too far ahead or be too aware of your surroundings. Conversely, you never stop in a moving traffic lane, never.

HAve fun,
Frank

[basjoos]

If I have a tailgater, I will deliberately do something similar to this with road debris. If I see a box or other tall debris on the road ahead of me while someone is tailgating me, I will wait until the last moment to dodge around it and give them the opportunity to plow into it. Hopefully they would learn not to tailgate from this experience.

[user removed]

I was riding with a friend who had just bought a brand new 1969 340 Duster (always loved that car) He was driving (first time he drove a brand new car) down the road with the sun behind him and the glare off the bumper of the car in front of us blinded him and he could not see the brake lights.

The car had stopped for a left hand turn.

I screamed STOP!!!!! He missed the car by maybe a foot. He pulled over and told me to drive him back to the dealership and thanked me profusely. His foot was shaking so bad he could not keep the gas pedal steady.

April 26th 2014.

Adidasguy Patrick Lajko - Passed away Apr 26th 2014

Unbelievably nice person, always helpful and very knowledgeable about the Suzuki GS500E, always wore all of his gear for protection. Sad to see such a fantastic and helpful person taken so stupidly.

RIP Addidasguy.

regards
Mech

[Cobb]

I had a empty gallon milk jug or water bottle come into my path with a truck behind me. All I could see was the top part of the grill in my rear view mirror. I wasnt in a position to move suddenly and ran it over as it tumbled towards me. I heard it crumple up under my car and watch it pop out and up hitting the drivers side of the windshield of the truck behind me. I almost pee-ed in my pants laughing soo hard from it. The guy left 4 car spaces between him and me til he took his exit.

Originally Posted by basjoos

If I have a tailgater, I will deliberately do something similar to this with road debris. If I see a box or other tall debris on the road ahead of me while someone is tailgating me, I will wait until the last moment to dodge around it and give them the opportunity to plow into it. Hopefully they would learn not to tailgate from this experience.

[user removed]

The problem I have with intentionally creating a scary situation with a tailgater is their reaction could get someone killed who had nothing to do with the tailgater other than just being around the wrong idiot at the wrong time. I generally give people behind me a chance to see the object or obstruction when I swerve (if possible). Their passengers should not pay with their lives due to their wrong choice of drivers.

regards
Mech