Driving
Driving can be such a wonderful experience.
I've driven a lot.
Because of my job, I have a CDL (commercial drivers license, for driving a semi) and have driven (mostly from my home in Kansas) to, and back from, Florida, Tennessee, Colorado, Texas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Arizona, Nebraska, Kentucky, Canada, Georgia, Ohio and probably a few other places that slip my mind.
In general, they were decent trips, and mostly uneventful.
Driving my own personal vehicle, I have not logged nearly as many miles, but I have driven to and from, Missouri, Colorado, and Tennessee.
My personal favorite is Colorado.
Typically, I drive to Aspen 2-4 times a year for work, if you can call it that, and I am always amazed at its beauty.
The views from the mountain passes is amazing and I doubt I shall ever tire of them.
Oh, and the friends I have made there too, make it all the more enjoyable.
Unfortuately, that's about all the 'good stuff' I can say about driving.
People never cease to amaze me at their stupidity when driving.
When you are in a semi, you have a much better view of what is happening and can hopefully avoid any problems. It doesn't always work, but much of the time.
Driving a 'normal' vehicle, (I don't consider gas-guzzling SUVs normal) your view is much more limited.
I've seen people tailgating semis at unbelieveably close distances. They must think that when a tire blows out on a semi trailer, it is somehow magically attracted to the shoulder and won't end up through their windshield.
I've seen people squeeze in between two vehicles to take an exit, even though there was only about one-and-one-half car lengths between them.
I've seen people drive around other vehicles on the shoulder to both take an exit and just because they couldn't pass on the left.
I've seen people reading books and newspapers, putting on make-up, making out, or otherwise sexually involved (with themselves or others), and who knows what I haven't seen.
Crazy.
I will admit that some semi drivers are vindictive, and purposely do things like tailgate or slow down, but generally, they just want to get from point A to B.
I generally don't drive semis much anymore, and so I haven't been exposed to as much stupidity in the last year, and mostly drive my own vehicle.
So we now get to the crux, and original reason for the topic.
On-ramps and merging
I believe a few (well, maybe more than a few) need to re-read the drivers license manual.
For some reason, folks seem to think that since the road they were on had a speed limit of 35, the on-ramp has the same speed limit. That everyone else will just slow down or move to let them merge, and that once they actually get on the highway proper, then it's allowed to floor it until you reach 70.
No wonder there are so many accidents.
Driving 40-ish and trying to merge with cars going 30MPH faster than you is insane.
It's even worse that these people endanger others because they are forced to do the same thing while following these chowderheads onto the highways.
This is basically my only pet-peeve about driving, and while tailgating a semi generally doesn't endanger anyone but themselves, this, in my opinion, ranks up there with drunk driving.
Keep the shiny side up and the greasy side down.
Disclaimer:
Yes, tailgating (and other stupid things people do while driving) is dangrous.
I won't deny that, but your 3,000LB car rear-ending a 60,000LB semi trailer isn't (usually) going to hurt the semi driver or others on the road.
This is my opinion, and not a suggestion to do stupid crap like tailgating, drink-n-drive, speed, drive-by, sleep, or anything else while driving.
Disclaimer: 1) a renuciation of any claim to or connection with; 2) disavowal; 3) a statement made to save one's own ass
(Stolen from "Dogma" by Kevin Smith)
I've driven a lot.
Because of my job, I have a CDL (commercial drivers license, for driving a semi) and have driven (mostly from my home in Kansas) to, and back from, Florida, Tennessee, Colorado, Texas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Arizona, Nebraska, Kentucky, Canada, Georgia, Ohio and probably a few other places that slip my mind.
In general, they were decent trips, and mostly uneventful.
Driving my own personal vehicle, I have not logged nearly as many miles, but I have driven to and from, Missouri, Colorado, and Tennessee.
My personal favorite is Colorado.
Typically, I drive to Aspen 2-4 times a year for work, if you can call it that, and I am always amazed at its beauty.
The views from the mountain passes is amazing and I doubt I shall ever tire of them.
Oh, and the friends I have made there too, make it all the more enjoyable.
Unfortuately, that's about all the 'good stuff' I can say about driving.
People never cease to amaze me at their stupidity when driving.
When you are in a semi, you have a much better view of what is happening and can hopefully avoid any problems. It doesn't always work, but much of the time.
Driving a 'normal' vehicle, (I don't consider gas-guzzling SUVs normal) your view is much more limited.
I've seen people tailgating semis at unbelieveably close distances. They must think that when a tire blows out on a semi trailer, it is somehow magically attracted to the shoulder and won't end up through their windshield.
I've seen people squeeze in between two vehicles to take an exit, even though there was only about one-and-one-half car lengths between them.
I've seen people drive around other vehicles on the shoulder to both take an exit and just because they couldn't pass on the left.
I've seen people reading books and newspapers, putting on make-up, making out, or otherwise sexually involved (with themselves or others), and who knows what I haven't seen.
Crazy.
I will admit that some semi drivers are vindictive, and purposely do things like tailgate or slow down, but generally, they just want to get from point A to B.
I generally don't drive semis much anymore, and so I haven't been exposed to as much stupidity in the last year, and mostly drive my own vehicle.
So we now get to the crux, and original reason for the topic.
On-ramps and merging
I believe a few (well, maybe more than a few) need to re-read the drivers license manual.
For some reason, folks seem to think that since the road they were on had a speed limit of 35, the on-ramp has the same speed limit. That everyone else will just slow down or move to let them merge, and that once they actually get on the highway proper, then it's allowed to floor it until you reach 70.
No wonder there are so many accidents.
Driving 40-ish and trying to merge with cars going 30MPH faster than you is insane.
It's even worse that these people endanger others because they are forced to do the same thing while following these chowderheads onto the highways.
This is basically my only pet-peeve about driving, and while tailgating a semi generally doesn't endanger anyone but themselves, this, in my opinion, ranks up there with drunk driving.
Keep the shiny side up and the greasy side down.
Disclaimer:
Yes, tailgating (and other stupid things people do while driving) is dangrous.
I won't deny that, but your 3,000LB car rear-ending a 60,000LB semi trailer isn't (usually) going to hurt the semi driver or others on the road.
This is my opinion, and not a suggestion to do stupid crap like tailgating, drink-n-drive, speed, drive-by, sleep, or anything else while driving.
Disclaimer: 1) a renuciation of any claim to or connection with; 2) disavowal; 3) a statement made to save one's own ass
(Stolen from "Dogma" by Kevin Smith)
posted by urbnsol at 4:05 PM
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