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Old 09-10-2010, 07:44 PM   #31 (permalink)
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I lived in Indianapolis for six months recently. The most different thing I noticed from Michigan (besides all the slow speed limits) were that drivers tended to use left and right turn only lanes as through lanes. I can only remember seeing this once while growing up, but I saw it every couple weeks in Indy.

Now I'm in South Carolina, and there are a lot of TIMID drivers. people who slow down at the end of an entrance ramp instead of merging. people who slow down for exits a mile before the exit, creating a backup.

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Old 09-10-2010, 08:35 PM   #32 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SlideWRX View Post
I lived in Indianapolis for six months recently. The most different thing I noticed from Michigan (besides all the slow speed limits) were that drivers tended to use left and right turn only lanes as through lanes. I can only remember seeing this once while growing up, but I saw it every couple weeks in Indy.

Now I'm in South Carolina, and there are a lot of TIMID drivers. people who slow down at the end of an entrance ramp instead of merging. people who slow down for exits a mile before the exit, creating a backup.
Timidity or indecision is usually an indication of inexperienced or elderly (read: sight impaired) drivers. Unfortunately poor driving skills can be hazardous. Let's hope they stay out of harm's way.
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Old 09-10-2010, 11:45 PM   #33 (permalink)
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Enjoyed reading all this. I have driven in Scotland, a lot of it in a left hand drive vehicle. That was 25 years or so ago. No electronic distractions back then but still the same distracted drivers. Driving in England had the same problems.

I was a passenger in a rental van driven by an Ohio driver in Japan in the late 80s. His lack of decision making skills and desire to not see any other cars made changing lanes quite comical. He would put on the signal but never pull over if given room. He also would not pull up when vehicles in front moved up during traffic light changes.

Signal your intentions and move. The people in that lane are not going to stop for you but will leave room. Maybe not enough room for you but enough. Most of them don't want to hit you and will give you room. There are still a few blockers out there that go out of their way to prevent you from moving. Call their bluff, they don't want that BMW dented.

In my opinon, at least in my area, things are getting better on the interstates. Things are getting a little better on the "surface streets" but it is still best to look carefully both ways when that light turns green.

I do wish people here could figure out four way stops and traffic circles. For that matter what a stop sign really means.
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Old 09-11-2010, 05:13 PM   #34 (permalink)
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It is more difficult to catch up with traffic and merge than it is to slow down and merge. My trick when I change lanes is to pace the car to the left of me, then slow down until I see his taillights as he is overtaking me. There is always at least twenty feet from his rear to the front of the next car in that lane. When I see that he has passed me, I signal a lane change and move in.

This is easier on lane changes than it is on entrance ramps.
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Old 09-12-2010, 01:37 AM   #35 (permalink)
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On long entrance ramps, I typically get up to about 5 - 10mph faster than I need to be going to merge in, while accelerating fairly quickly. Then, I can coast down to speed (adjusting rate of coast-down to line up with a gap), slide right in, and pick up a nice cruise. Or, on short ramps, I'll just find a gap I want and punch it to get there.
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Old 09-13-2010, 11:26 AM   #36 (permalink)
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well where do i start,

people from ohio that come to a curvy two lane wv road, they must do half the speed limit and slam the brakes on at every turn.

seems that most people around here drive like everywhere else, they don't know how a stop sign works, ( first to stop has the right of way) so they will stop and wave three people by.

and in a 55 mph section with no passing zone the max speed they do is 45mph, but if there is a passing zone the 45 mph moving car must speed up to 65, then as soon as it is over slam on the rakes back to 45 mph. but if ur a coal minor there is no speed limit it is all wot.

there is a turn ahead, posted speedlimit is 55mph the sign to warn u about the bend says 50mph, so let slow to 30 mph to go around it.

signals are not need and hell some times both brake lights are blown out too. or if the signal is used u must put it on .5-.75 miles ahead of time to warn people( state law says 200 feet)

the left lane on a four lane ( two lanes each way ) is for out of staters to drive slow and look around. also for grandpa to to cruise at 10-15 under the posted limit.

when ur entering a two lane road( one each way) u must , i mean must wait till the approaching car/truck is about 20 feet away then pull out and never reach 1/2 of the posted limit.

if ur diving a cruiser bike, u must pulse and glide at 20 mph intervals. no matter what.

also ur on the four lane u exit is 2 miles ahead pass veryone on the road and cut them off to pull off.
i have had a car to follow me down the highway for about 15 miles, while i was following a rig, then the car went to pass got his/her rear bumper by my front and signaled , he/she wanted me to yeild to them. so they could cut in front of me to pull off, when there was no other cars on the road. i didnt let them over and they slowed and blew the horn at me. as the exited there highway, i returned with a one finger salute.


my self i use signals, i like to drive the posted speed limit or at least 5 mph around it, i have been known to pass on a solid line, if it is clear, if the car is goin 15 or more mph under the posted limit, but only where they are no building or houses. that is my bad habit, i dont speed to much and very rarely.
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Old 09-13-2010, 08:46 PM   #37 (permalink)
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On unpaved roads in Missouri, the motorists kill the turtles rather than dodge them.
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Old 09-13-2010, 10:24 PM   #38 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by taredog View Post
There are still a few blockers out there that go out of their way to prevent you from moving. Call their bluff, they don't want that BMW dented.
I had this happen to me but it was a brand new Jaguar that flew up on my ass and then honked at me like I was in the wrong. He was lucky that he did not do that exactly 1 week later as in the exact same place my transmission dropped first and third gear I would have locked the breaks so hard that his engine would have been in my trunk and his insurance would have given me a down payment on a new car.
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Old 09-14-2010, 11:01 AM   #39 (permalink)
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I always feel badly for drivers of large vehicles that wish to get out of the passing lane, but are unable to do so because of the stream of small vehicles passing them illegally on the outside. Frequently these large vehicles will have their turn signals on for minutes at a time, and no one pays any mind. I see this frequently in both Kansas and Missouri.

In general, however, driving in the US is pretty great. Try driving in Nairobi, Kenya. It's not really a large city, but it was a rare day that I could cross it without seeing a large truck or bus UPSIDE DOWN. No street signs, no working traffic signals, no police cars, enormous pedestrian population, animal herds walking down the street, flash flooding, low grade diesel and high altitude, and at night every single vehicle on the road uses their high beams at all times. And you don't even want to imagine the road surface condition. I find it hard to get upset with my fellow drivers in America after that kind of driving.
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Old 09-14-2010, 11:46 AM   #40 (permalink)
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I drive highways A LOT to see family in KC, SW Missouri, and Tulsa, OK. It's usually bearable. Since I've picked up hypermiling, I've had a few more tailgaters but not many...they're usually the compensating-for-something monster pickups that could go around me at anytime but somehow hesitate to lane over and pass.

On another note, people tend to slow down quite a bit before taking an exit ramp. I sometimes do this to maximize fuel economy IF traffic behind me is minimal. But last week, a whole stream of cars slowed down to take an exit. I was in the left lane at speed. One of the trucks in the middle of the string realizes that they're not turning and just hop into the left lane. No turn signal, no apparent look over the shoulder or a glimpse in the mirror.

I had to slam on the brakes and honk to notify them of the near-hit. The driver didn't seem to notice and lingered in the left lane for another quarter mile before slowly weaving back into the right lane (no turn signal). I pass without hesitation to avoid any more danger. Although...I did "show" her how to lane over by crossing back and forth a couple times while signaling.

As far as St Louis driving goes, I've gotten used to it, and hypermiling in the city at off-peak hours is doable. The biggest issue so far is drivers not allowing you to lane over when necessary.

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