Zombie Nation

[Oban]

Fixed.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1hs546NH7A

[Paelos]

Surprisingly, for a thread about bad drivers, there's a lack of racism or stereotypes.

I think this is one of the places where racism is totally unneeded. It's some dickhead behind a wheel usually having no face or color unless you care.

It's not like standing in a government line, or bitching about crime.

[schild]

Surprisingly, for a thread about bad drivers, there's a lack of racism or stereotypes.

That's because it's too easy.

[dusematic]

Surprisingly, for a thread about bad drivers, there's a lack of racism or stereotypes.

That's because it's too easy.

lol.

[TheWalrus]

This thread makes me think an F13.net Cannonball Run race is in order.

I would take a vacation to participate. That would sweet.

[Sky]

[Rasix]

This thread makes me think an F13.net Cannonball Run race is in order.

This thread makes me wish I was in a city with decent public transportation.  My drive to work is easy and brainless (but somewhat long), especially now that the freeway expansion is nearly finished on I-10.  I'd rather read or play my PSP and leave the driving tough guy stuff to others.

[HaemishM]

I'd love decent, safe public transit around here. Mississippi drivers are complete fucking retards, 24-7 and worse when there are adverse driving conditions.

[NiX]

Walk 5 minutes to train station, get on train, fall asleep for 40 minutes, get off train, walk 20 minutes to work.

I like my commute.

[Samwise]

Walk 5 minutes to train station, get on train, fall asleep for 40 minutes, get off train, walk 20 minutes to work.

I like my commute.

I have that same commute, potentially, except that it's twice as fast and about half as expensive for me to drive.  So I drive most days even though I don't like it as much because I don't get a nap or exercise. 

[K9]

I just have a 25 minute walk through the park to my office; or a 10-min bike ride if I'm in a rush 

[Oban]

This article makes me a sad panda. The good news is that if everyone follows the rules then traffic would be optimized.  Bad news is that in our imperfect world, assholes help to improve traffic flow.

http://physicscentral.com/buzz/blog/index.cfm?postid=3414795237807494042

So, thank you anonymous asshole.

[Sky]

Even they say tailgating is dumb.

[MisterNoisy]

I just got home from Gainesville (work trip) today, and I witnessed a fatal car accident.

A few hundred feet ahead of us, a pickup towing what looked like a wood chipper started swerving around and slowing rapidly, eventually pulling off into the median (we later found out it was because of a blowout), and the car behind them swerved to avoid hitting it, ended up crossing the median into oncoming traffic and ultimately hit the trailer wheels of a semi at damn near the same speed they were doing down the interstate (60-70 mph), which sheared off or crushed the left side of the car up to the front door.

Driver was killed instantly (and that image will stay with me pretty much forever), while the passenger was concussed and had a broken wrist.

We pulled onto the shoulder, called 911, etc. and waited around to make sure the passenger was okay until the police/EMTs arrived and then to give statements.

The number of people that stopped and got out to look and then left within a minute to avoid having to wait and give a statement was kind of sad - there were 6-8 cars immediately after the accident, and it was just us and one other car afterwards.  The rest of them had buggered off, with most of them leaving before the cops/EMTs showed up.  The cops thanked us for waiting and giving statements and we were on our way.

Not sure why I'm posting it here, but I just wanted to say 'Drive safely'.  I don't think I'll ever curse at a traffic jam on the interstate again - odds are that if you're in one, someone not too far away is far worse off than you are.

[Sky]

Good for you, Mr. N. You're one of the good ones.

[IainC]

Not sure why I'm posting it here, but I just wanted to say 'Drive safely'.  I don't think I'll ever curse at a traffic jam on the interstate again - odds are that if you're in one, someone not too far away is far worse off than you are.

When driving around Colorado - mostly between the Springs and Denver or the Springs and Pueblo - we'd get stuck in slow moving traffic on the interstate quite regularly. In every. single.case it was because two cars in the opposite carriageway had had a minor ding or someone (as in, bumpers crushed but car still drivable and occupants walking around) and we were being held up just so that every other fucker could have a good gawp as they drove by. As soon as we passed the scene the traffic was back up to full speed again.

Fuckers.

But yeah, speaking as a former volunteer fireman fatal RTAs are never fun to witness. Good on you for helping out.

[dusematic]

Not sure why I'm posting it here, but I just wanted to say 'Drive safely'.  I don't think I'll ever curse at a traffic jam on the interstate again - odds are that if you're in one, someone not too far away is far worse off than you are.

When driving around Colorado - mostly between the Springs and Denver or the Springs and Pueblo - we'd get stuck in slow moving traffic on the interstate quite regularly. In every. single.case it was because two cars in the opposite carriageway had had a minor ding or someone (as in, bumpers crushed but car still drivable and occupants walking around) and we were being held up just so that every other fucker could have a good gawp as they drove by. As soon as we passed the scene the traffic was back up to full speed again.

Fuckers.

But yeah, speaking as a former volunteer fireman fatal RTAs are never fun to witness. Good on you for helping out.

Nice.  Let's keep this thread strictly about rage from now on.  Nice refocus Ian.

[Sheepherder]

But yeah, speaking as a former volunteer fireman fatal RTAs are never fun to witness.

Protip: Vicks vapour rub or similar compounds spread liberally under the nose helps with the smells of shit, blood, and cooking meat.  It also helps with decaying flesh if you have to recover a corpse.

[bhodi]

I forget which movie I learned that from.

[Der Helm]

I forget which movie I learned that from.

Silence of the lambs.

[Bunk]

Being somewhat of a Road Rager, I'm suprised I missed this thread. I fully admit to getting very annoyed by cars in the left lane pacing the cars in right, but I don't tailgate them, because that's dangerous as hell, and I don't (usually) honk at them, because that usually makes them behave worse (see Sky). I just sit in my car yelling out vulgarities.

If you are on a two lane highway in the left lane and are not going faster than the right lane - move over. It's really that easy. Purposly going slow in the fast lane in an effort to "control" fast drivers is just going to increase anger and make accidents far more likely. Leave the the Cops' jobs to the Cops.

Someone mentioned earlier in this thread that in a rear ender the guy behind always gets the blame - not always true.

I was driving over a bridge in almost stop and go traffic. The guy ahead of me starts accelerating as the traffic in front of him does, then suddenly slams his brakes. I slam on mine and actually slide in to him. I'd almost managed to stop, and just barely bumped him. So he stops, in the middle of the bridge...

He gets out, so do I. We walk around the back of his car, and we both bend down to look at his bumper. There is about a 3 inch paint smudge, which I show him I can rub off with my thumb. He walks back to his car, gets in, closes the door, rolls down his window - and then puts his hand to his neck and tells me to callt he police...

So, I walk back to my car (ignoring all the honking and fingers from the traffic on the bridge we are blocking) and advise my passenger - who is a local Volunteer Firefighter. He gets out, goes to the guy's car and immobilzes him.

Long story short - 2 cop cars, ambulance, etc. Traffic on the highway slowed to a crawl for hours. We give our statements and leave. Two months later I get a call from ICBC (government car insurance) - they denied his claim 100% and I'm completely in the clear.

Helped having a fireman in the car to give our side of the story.

[Ozzu]

Surprisingly, for a thread about bad drivers, there's a lack of racism or stereotypes.

Asians, etc.

Carry on.

[Azazel]

my passenger - who is a local Volunteer Firefighter. He gets out, goes to the guy's car and immobilzes him.

Explain please?

[gryeyes]

I'm imagining under the guise of preventing further trauma to the guys spine? But that justification isn't going to work if you have to actively fight and restrain the man causing far more movement than would normally be caused by leaving him alone. All the guy really has to say is he was trying to avoid a collision with an animal or something to justify his brake check.

[Hawkbit]

my passenger - who is a local Volunteer Firefighter. He gets out, goes to the guy's car and immobilzes him.

Explain please?

Vulcan Death Grip.

[Bunk]

Pretty much. He climbs in to the guy's car and explains that if he really is hurt, then he needs to immobilize his head - so he does - sits there holding it till the paramedics arrive. They then procede to backboard him out. All of this being a rather lengthy and uncomfortable process, which I am quite positive they stretched out, becuase everyone at the scene knew that that the guy was bullshitting his injuries.

[Khaldun]

I was on a jury once for a civil case where someone lightly rear-ended on an off-ramp was trying to claim big damages for whiplash/neck trauma. Plaintiff got some hack osteopath to testify that the injury was srs bizness and they tried (unsuccessfully) to introduce evidence about the low moral character of the rear-ender (something about his insurance status and also outstanding parking tickets). The defendant's attorney just did two things: first, cross-x the osteopath, which revealed that the guy basically has a practice exclusively built around providing legal documentation of injury to people involved in minor accidents, that he has no other patients or practice; second, submitted an affadavit confirming that the person rear-ended took off for a lengthy Class 4 whitewater rafting trip a week and a half after the accident and that the trip leaders saw no disability or restriction in his participation during that trip. Also that the insurance company for the guy rear-ended had denied his claim as there was no damage to his car. That pretty much ended the discussion once we got into the jury room.

But still, I basically try to leave enough room between me and anyone in front of me that I can stop even if they should choose to hit the brakes suddenly. I'm not saying I guarantee being able to avoid an accident if I'm doing 70 and the guy three or four carlengths ahead of me slams on his brakes spontaneously with no reason or forewarning, but that's the goal. If you're not driving with that rule in mind, in some sense, anytime you rear-end, you made a mistake even if the other guy also did something wrong or stupid.