Why are drivers so stupid?
January 13th, 2008You’ve heard this story a million times. Same story, different place and time. Now, it’s Florida - over 50 cars pile up, and four people are dead. Why? Because drivers are stupid.
It was foggy. Well, when it’s foggy, don’t drive faster than you can see, and keep a safe distance between you and the next car. Common sense, right? That’s the thing, common sense goes out the window once people get behind the wheel.
I’ve seen these wrecks many times. I’ve seen the burned cars, the dead, broken bodies, and all the other junk associated with massive wrecks. People are too impatient to slow down and keep a safe distance, and all the cars end up crashing into each other.
The big problem we have in this country is we allow just about any jackass to get a license. This morning, some dumb woman with a suburban assault vehicle took a simple three point turn into a nine point turn. No exaggeration. The rest of us in the parking lot had to sit there and wait for her dumb ass to keep backing up, going forward, backing up, going forward…
She was driving a big, black Mountaineer, a vehicle she really needs for driving over those GIGANTIC mountains you’ll find in the suburbs.
If I’m going to die before the age of 90, it won’t be of cancer or heart disease. It will be because some dumb ass isn’t paying attention to the road and/or driving conditions. I already know it.
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In other news, the Packers host the Giants in the NFC Championship game. The Packers toyed with the Seahawks this weekend, giving them two quick touchdowns in less than five minutes, before scoring six touchdowns without punting or turning the ball over once.
Exciting time to be a Packers fan. I had the stomach flu yesterday and threw up twice before watching the game on my buddy’s giant T.V. Note to anyone who will get the stomach flu - always keep Ginger Ale on hand. It was the only thing I was able to hold down yesterday, and made what would have been a horrible day tolerable.
it’s not only people in suburban assault vehicles. yesterday i watched a woman in a car the size of a geo metro struggle to parallel park in a space that would easily accommodate my minivan. i was being patient waiting behind her as the traffic whizzed by on the other side ofme. she finallygave up in embarassment and left, at which point i pulled in and parked perfectly in about 5 seconds.
of course i was nearly killed 3 times on the way home by a bunch of idiot NY/NJ drivers who were sure they owned the road.
Lime - New York/New Jersey drivers are the worst in the country. Statistically, they’re supposedly #2 after Boston (according to AAA).
Good thing that lady was driving a Geo Metro though. She can’t do much damage to anyone except for a pedestrian or a bicyclist in that thing.
Anyone who can’t parallel park a Geo Metro though should lose their license on the spot.
My dear spouse is constantly criticizing my driving. I remind him that I have never had a ticket or an accident. He is quick to tell me that I’ve probably CAUSED plenty of accidents and then goes on to ridicule my drivers education teacher from upteen years ago. Hum, heavenly bliss of matrimony.
Its nice to see the business but glad to know I will never to go tot he stadium to watch the game. No way. I if I want to go to the bathroom I will just get up and go being at home and not have to wait in line. And seeing is better on TV than being a hundred feet or more up in the air.. To be honest I dont think I could sit on the top bleachers. I am afraid of heights as it is.
Granny - Isn’t marriage great?
Well, if you never have been in an accident, your record says something.
Tweety - You’re actually better off watching the game on tv. Being at the game, you can’t see everything as well. Or so I’d imagine. I’ve seen other football games, but not the Packers yet. I go mainly for the feeling of being there and how crazy the fans get.
Throw in a cell phone with the person driving an SAV and all sort of hell can result. While parked outside my son’s school one time one of the upper class soccer mom pulled up in her monster SAV and took ten minutes to get the thing half-way parked and talking on the phone at the same time. Now did she pick up a whole load of kiddies with her vehicle? No, just one little fellow and she left her vehicle, got her son, and drove off never taking her phone away from her ear.
I actually have a little bit of anxiety about being on the road (okay, a lot of anxiety) — I’m absolutely terrified that some idiot on a cell phone or driving to fast on MT’s slick-as-hell roads is going to take me out. I know that Monte Carlo odds are a fallacy, but when I see a wreck on the side of the road I have to tell myself that it decreases the odds of me being in an accident. True? No. But between that and Omega-3’s, it’s all I’ve got.
Hope you are feeling much better today!
Fog identifies the idiot drives - it always amazes me!
I have a driving confession - I can’t park for toffee - except for parking bays - I’m OK with a parking bay
Common sense? How about mathematical sense? It takes me less than a minute longer to drive the 2 miles from my house to town if I drive 35mph, rather than 50mph. When it’s icy, I drive 35mph.
I usually pass 2 or 3 cars who have lost control and are in the ditch. Landing in the ditch is a real time-saver, isn’t it?
I think a lot of men are prevented against women drivers but accidents happen with men drivers. i often feel some kind of agressiveness when I’m at the wheel, I don’t like that.
Kitem - Men and women differ by age group. Unmarried men under the age of 25 are the worst drivers out there, but married men in their 40s are actually by miles driven safer than even married women in their 40s. I’ll have to look at the statistical breakdown again. Don’t quote me on that.
Tshsmom - Well, landing in the ditch always gets everyone else a good laugh. 9 out of 10 times, the one who landed in the ditch (assuming it wasn’t caused by someone else) landed there by being a jackass.
Miladysa - You want to learn how to park in a hurry? Move to San Francisco. You’ll learn to parallel park uphill in the rain with a guy behind you beeping. San Francisco will either teach you to drive fast or make you hate driving so much you’ll take public transportation everywhere. Heck, I’m a good driver and I take public transportation everywhere because driving drives me nuts.
Courtney - I can’t blame anyone for having anxiety on the road. It’s just a statistical fact that if you don’t smoke and don’t have a drinking problem, if you’re going to die prematurely, chances are it will be in an automobile accident. Yet another reason I’d rather walk or take BART (San Francisco’s public train).
Beach - Some of those people ought to have their cell phones stapled to their heads. it’s not just driving, it’s the complete disregard that there are people in the world besides the people on the other end of the cell phone.
I’ve seen these people with kids telling their kids a million times to shut up because they’re on the cell phone. And they wonder why their kid grows up to be a drug addict.
I have been tempted many times to take pictures of the street where I park, because people park like “dickheads.” That’s my special term for it. I’ve lived here for 15 years plus my 4 years in SF, so I can parallel park like nobody’s business. And if I leave a close parking spot, and the other two cars don’t leave, I’ll know I can get that spot back because nobody who lives in my buildings can parallel park to save their lives. And we have at least 2-3 Geo Metros and other similarly small cars. And some of these people have lived here for YEARS and they still can’t park. Pathetic. And they all think they need a half of a car length on either side of their cars to get out. Idiots.
Kathleen - Anyone who can’t park a Geo Metro should immediately lose their license. Or at least be forced to drive a Geo Metro for the rest of their lives.
Take pictures of the dickheads. We could get dickheadparkers.com and publish those pictures.