learning to cuss like a sailor without the 6 year obligation...
Apr 08 '00 (Updated Apr 22 '00)
just imagine my chagrin when they actually came up with a documentable reason for idiotitis on the road. "road rage". whatever fancy-shmancy psychotherapist came up with that term must be making some bucks.
now you can not pay attention and blame it on ADD, in fact, now you can drive like an idiot, threaten private citizens and they'll blame it on that all too common affliction known as road rage. funny, i sometimes suffer from "pedestrian madness". yet i know of no known study or documented research on the subject.
why can't they just say it, the number one reason that people get into these traffic troubles is because they're idiots. the second reason being that most people are ignorant when it comes to courtesy on the road. yeah, you may have 3,000lbs of sexy-sexy carbon fiber, mandrel bent steel and polished chrome at your finger tips but you're still an idiot. oh, sorry, you're ignorant. i will try and enlighten you in the meantime. if the fact of the matter is that you're an idiot...sorry bub, can't be helped. well, here's a little list of things to remember on your drive out from palookaville...
anyway, what to do when you get behind the wheel:
- remember, what you can't see will most definitely kill you. when you initially get into a car for the first time, make sure you check your mirrors! those two mirrors on the outside are there to help you see if there's anyone in the lanes parallel to you. that mirror inside...no, it's not there so you can look at yourself, it's there to check what's behind you. also, when you get into a car for the first time, pay attention to where the blind spots are and the quickest way to see around them. for instance, the VW passat has a huge blind spot near the 10-11 o'clock area, the easiest way to see around it is to lean back/forward a little.
- the most basic rule, your parents told you this a thousand times, it'd do you good to remember it. before you get into the street, look left and look right. do not assume the way is clear just because it's 2 a.m. and it doesn't seem as though anyone's around. you don't want to run over a pedestrian because you forgot to check the corner before you make a turn and you definitely don't want to get side-swiped by a car after you neglected to check your left and right before heading into the street.
- always double check, do a head check, before you make a lane change, sure, your sideview mirror will probably give you a clear view as to what's behind and to your right or left, but it wont give you a perspective as to if there's a car directly beside you.
- do you know how your car responds in high pressure situations? if you need to get outta the way of a speeding truck do you know if you can do it? find an empty road or parking lot where you can get a feel as to how quickly your car accelerates. you may think it's all fun and games, but it's better to acquaint yourself with the quickness of the acceleration of your car than to find out later that it takes a 1/2 second longer than you thought it would.
- while you're at it, how much oversteer and understeer does your car have? do you know how much to pull to the left or right in case of an emergency? better to find out the handling of your car while you can, don't wait till an emergency. don't rely on the brakes in every situation, sometimes it's imperative that you swerve out of the way of an oncoming situation rather than to slam on the brakes and skid into the back of someone's car.
- do you know where your hazard light switch is? if you don't, familiarize yourself with it, this is the easiest way of signaling to other drivers that there is a problem with your car if something goes wrong with it.
- while you're searching for that hazard switch, you see that lever on the left side of your steering wheel? it's attached to what you can refer to as the steering column, well, it's used to light up those signal lights on your car. y'know, the one that blinks to let the other people know in which direction you're going. USE IT. i know you think you have the uncanny ability to telephatically inform people as to which direction you're going in, but believe me, you don't. give the guy in the other lane some indication that you're about to cut him off. blink before you change lanes, and none of this half-way into the lane before you signal BS either.
- pay attention to what's going on on the road. keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon the wheel...if you've got a dash mounted cd-changer change the discs before you start moving. if you have a cell phone get a hands-free kit. make sure you're aware as to the way traffic is moving around you and keep a mental note of the cars on the side of you. basically you want to have a mental picture of everything within a car length and a half from you in all directions.
- on the subject of the radio/cd player, make sure you're not playing your radio so loud as to cause deafness in other drivers around you. it's for your own safety that you have the volume at a moderate level so you can hear what's going on around you, whether it be your own vehicle or a siren comin' in your direction.
- left lane means go. if you're in the left lane, make sure you're steppin' on the accelerator, if not, get into the middle or right lane. why is traffic like that? the right lane is nearest high/freeway exits, typically people slow down as they exit, therefor the right lane is the slowest paced lane.
- if someone is high-lighting, using their high-beams intermittently to flash you, they are NOT saying hello. they're signaling that you're travelling too slowly in the fast lane OR they're going to pass you so watch out. whatever the case, make sure you pay attention to your road speed and watch what they do. if they immediately signal after they flash you, stay in your lane. if they do not signal, check your speedometer. if you're going at a less than brisk speed, signal that you're making a lane change and get outta the way.
- if something does happen while you're driving, run out of gas, flat tire, or what have you, hit the hazards switch and get over to an emergency/shoulder lane as quickly as possible! most of all, do not panic. if you panic you will more than likely make the wrong decision. again, turn your hazards on and get over to the shoulder! if you flip your hazards on that immediately signals that there is a problem with your car and those around you should slow down (hah, in a perfect world).
- if you see a person swerving or driving erratically in front of you, wait for the proper opportunity to get in front of them and get there. the last place you want a drunk driver to be is in front of you, you have less of a chance for reacting correctly and if something DOES happen you want to be as far away from it as possible.
as always, just remember to be defensive when you're driving. make sure you're not tired and that you're alert when you drive. you may think you're not one of those bad drivers, but if you're not paying attention to what's going on around you, then you ARE one of those bad drivers.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
wantico
|
|
Location: ha-Y-e
Reviews written: 53
Trusted by: 17 members
About Me:
it's 2004...where have i been?
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.