"Hypermiling Prius" rant

Fail !!!

 

Yes Art, you fail. If you fail to get out of the way, you are impeding traffic and being a jerk. Just because you don't expect others to move over for you as you approach does not make it ok for you to not do so.

I have a lot of "remedies" up my sleeve. And no, I don't have plates.

 

I think all they need is a proper paid course, and a stage 2 paid private session (session length would depend on one's mark in the course; the higher, the shorter the private session would last.) IMO a session should be that period of time when a young person has a permit (but with a scheduled session twice a week, 9 months is not necessary.. maybe 2 months max is adequate.)
At any rate, I think the paid course should involve the actual manuvering of a vehicle, the manual transmission, and various other techniques (much like they do in European countries.) After the paid course, you test your abilities with practice and guidance from an instructor... This entire process would be costly for Americans, but in England my daughter paid nearly 40.00GBP per session with the instructor (which is basically 95.00USD per hour.) Only then will people understand that driving is not a right, but a luxury, especially when public transit is available. But the bigger issue is that the amount of cars on the road will be hard to change, in america.. In America the public transit is below what standards of a nation with such wealth, should be... So maybe its better for the lobbyist to continue forcing citizens to buy fuel. . .

"Rights" are funny... . Real freedom is when there are no need for rights or silly amendments (especially when they get defied everyday)
Nothing is a "right" in my view - the only things we as people MUST do is get an education, pay taxes, and die... At the same time, what gives the authorities the right to claim what a privilege is and what a privilege isn't . . Most of the authorities are involved in special interest activity anyway.. do they have the "right" to do that, or is it a privilege? I do not think you are talking about liberals, i think you are just talking about uneducated individuals who use their government to protect them, when their government actually could care less.

 

I agree with this. For me its not ego driven at all.. shouldnt matter what car one drives, but one should not have to change their pace just because someone else has other plans, or is not paying attention to the road..

I am not into the reporting idea.. If they are being bad, leave them... it is not as if the police force appreciate your work, is it...

 

Your logic is faulty. If you are being respectful and considerate of others, sure, you should not have to modify your actions at all. But when you are holding up other people, just to impose your views on them of what is an appropriate speed, you are being a jerk and you need to be punted out of the way. Nobody's telling you to change your speed, just get the **** out of the way.

Reinforced bumpers...I am beginning to really like the sound of that.

 

+1

 

In Virginia and a few other states YOU would be breaking the law by not moving over for faster traffic, regardless of the speed you are going. Slower Traffic Keep Right- IT'S THE LAW!

 

I like to downshift my 7 liter Z06 w race exhaust right in their window

 

If you guys only been to Autobahn, some of the driver here in US will get killed over there.

 

As long as you can admit that it is based on something that you haven't been able to verify, I can buy that.

If anyone else can provide the information Daudi referenced, I am still interested.

 

Not sure how its faulty logic.
What i am saying is, if the "slower driver" is doing the speed limit (atleast) then I have no reason to make any adjustments, because that driver is only following the law and being safe, doing what is best for him/herself.
Mind you, I am not the one holding anyone up, i am usually the one being HELD up...
The annoyance is when you get absent minded drivers who are off pace (off the general traffic's pace) and slow down traffic, for no apparent reason. All the while, I am being considerate because I always give the benefit of the doubt (more than i should.)
Its always those type of drivers who stop abruptly and its usually them who never know where they are going, and drive like they walk. Those should indeed be punted out of the way as you say - we agree
The reason I agreed with the other poster is because, as he said, if someone is doing the speed limit minding thier business, not causing adjustment to the collective pace of the traffic, then just ignore them and either over-take, or stay behind them until they turn off teh road or switch lanes... Im not sure what is faulty about that.

 

What difference does the verification make, when it is indeed a fact that getting a license is easy in America?
That alone is enough back up, to justify their bad drivers and accident rate. . . That is solid reference because one of my daughters was getting her license when we still lived in the states full time - ive seen the process and the procedure. It does not matter anyway, the world will still go round... With or without good, or bad American drivers.

 

Never been to mainland China, but your description sounds exactly as if you were describing drivers in Jakarta, right down to the entire family on a motorbike, some even with thin plastic "helmets" that look as though they were bought in a toy store.

 

Why do Prius drivers keep both hands on the wheel like grandma? Is that much concentration required at your blazing 26 mph?

I like to block them in when they're trying to merge. Screw 'em--drive quickly or walk. Sick of this new-age-namby-pamby-driving-to-bingo-ecoterrorist-hybrid-smugness horsesh*t.

And your cars are ugly.

 

It is faulty logic to say that it is OK to remain in the fast lane and expect other cars to drive around. "Undertaking" is dangerous! - just imagine another vehicle transitioning (correctly) from the slowest lane to the middle lane on a three lane road - at the same time you're forced to transition from the fast lane to the middle lane. BANG.

Passing should be done in *only* one direction - from slow to fast lane. Expecting others to put themselves in danger because of your idiocy/obstinacy is the epitome of selfish behavior.

Doesn't matter if you're under, at, or over the limit. If there's a vehicle behind you who wants to go faster, get the heck out of the fast lane! Oh yeah, indicate (signal) first - even more dangerous to assume the car behind knows you intend to move.

 

Exactly.

Reinforced bumpers...mmm!

 

Regardless of the speed limit, if every car on the road/Highway are doing 100 or so MPH, then you should too, (Go with the flow)

otherwise if you choose to stay with the speed limit you can/will cause fatal accident.

 

Man, the topic of this thread is pretty much the biggest source of frustration in my life! I mean, every day here in Houston I encounter these dipsh!ts who DON'T LOOK IN THEIR MIRRORS!!!! Glued up close to the steering wheel, and just clueless as to their surroundings. This is NOT proper driving, IMO, and these people should NOT have licenses. Don't even get me started on older drivers (mid '70s and up). These people are rolling roadhazards!!!

My motto is this: I don't block anybody's progress, and I ask that nobody block mine.

Jeez, just typing this at 11:30 at night gets my blood boiling! It's nice to know that I'm not the only one frustrated by retarded drivers. Some of my friends think I'm a hothead in traffic, but of course these friends of mine are the ones blocking everybody in the left lane!!!

OK, rant off...!

Greg

 

The difference is subjective verses objective evidence. YOU think that getting a license in USA is easy. However, there are people who would argue that point. Simply stating something is a fact does not make it so. I could say that starting a successful business is easy as a matter of fact. However, does that indeed make it a fact? No it doesn't.

I could say, "Daudi is on idiot." Does that make you an idiot? Obviously not. However, using your logic the fact I said it was so makes it so regardless of verification. For all I know you could be a member of Mensa (and for all I can tell you are reasonably intelligent).

I guess the point I am trying to make (and am doing a very poor job of) is that objective criteria are the only form of truly showing something is so. Subjective criteria can be argued and debated forever. That is why verification based on hard data matters. Simply saying something is so in no way makes it fact, rather it makes it one persons opinion. That opinion will remain an opinion, never crossing into the realm of fact until it can be verified using objective criteria.

Anyhow, I think I have done enough to hijack this thread, so if you choose to respond the last word is yours my friend.

 

It is not subjective at all. There are many many objective things about getting a license in Europe that would lead anyone to reasonably conclude that getting a license there is much harder. From the stringency of the driving test to the skills you need to master to the written testing thoroughness to the mandatory training to the probationary period to the number of laws and safety considerations you need to show awareness of. In California, it's 30 questions, of which you need to get 21 correct, and a drive around a block with a parallel parking exercise at the end. Most other states are similar. Some are far more lax...I know you only need to answer 16 simple questions in one state!

Similar differences in standards for renewing a license, too, so the "continuing ed" aspect has just as much disparity.

 

Fair enough,

Experience is the best verification btw.

Getting an American license, i KNOW it is much easier because when my daughter (yrs ago) was 17, she achieved her permit by only scanning through the book for 15 minutes, the day of. When it came to the driving test, she told me that she had done much harder manuvers throughout the 6 or 9 months of having the permit. In fact I remember taking her to the dmv for the test... We were out of there in about 35 minutes, license in her pocket book and everything. 35 minutes? It took her longer to do her homework on most occations! You tell me if that is enough 'verification' friend...

Subjective is when I think a blue ferrari is nicer than a red one... As you know subjective banter is driven by emotions and feelings.. I dont feel that an American license is easier to attain, i already know it is.. its not a matter of preference for me, it is just a matter of fact. Its not my opinion that an American license is easier to achieve because I didnt get my license in America, so my opinion would not even be valid... I am speaking about facts - the hardest licenses (from what I know) to acquire are the German and Korean ones. That is besides the point - the point is, America dont ask much of their prospective drivers when it comes to assessment. And that my friend, is not subjective.. you can ask any American with a license and he/she will tell you that the American license is a "bad joke", and many already want to make it more challenging just to diminish accident rates. . .

Even if it were a subjective matter, there are MORE who agree, even Americans.