Welcome to my world! 34 years, 38 of the lower 48 states, seen most everything you can think of from a semi truck windshield. Everybody wants to get ahead of the truck, no matter if I’m doing 60 mph and they’re gonna stop and turn right in 1/4 mile. Sure, it takes me a minute to get up to speed, but if you follow me, we’ll be at least 5 mph over the posted speed, and I’ll keep the smokies off your butt. I travel about 50% state roads and 50% interstate, mostly AL an TN but sometimes GA and MS. They’re all the same anymore. People are so self involved they don’t pay attention to their driving. All kinds of distractions, doesn’t matter how many laws are passed, they are pretty much unenforceable. I witnessed an almost head on collision this afternoon, woman on a cell phone went into a trucks lane. Quick action by him swerving and her jerking her car back kept them from hitting, when I met her a second or two later she was still on the phone, and took her other hand and brushed her hair back, like, wtf? People are dangerous. I try to stay away from most of them!
I don't honk, that makes people mad, I just flash my high beams, EVERYBODY MOVES !!! Quiet nudge, but effective.. the license plate frame states 1929, altho many people ask "what year is it?" my straight faced answer is "Its a 1929, they only built them for that one year" response is " really?"
Some time in the last few years all the idiots that own and drive a car have migrated in to western Washington, mainly Seattle, Tacoma and Everett. I spent the last 11 winters in Masa, Apache Junction Arizona and was convinced most drivers there were and are idiots, but now the idiots nut cases are here. Directional lights there are an option, all posted speed limits are ignored completely as that is only meant as a suggested speed, do at least 80/85 on most interstates, an oh yeah, leave the length of VW Bug between cars. Same thing has now infected the streets and interstates here. Could go on for pages if I would, but. I drive the posted limit, follow most traffic laws and I do not race the yellow light. When being tailgated, I just go slower and slower and slower until the idiot figures it out and passes. Kinda dangerous on the interstate and it pisses off more than the one tailgating me, but so far I survived. Got ta be careful though, a lot of those are pack'n these days.
It's like a ghost town....go sports. I drive around for pleasure at nights, weekend nights and during summer. I'll leave the house close to dark (7:30ish), hit the coast and get home around midnight. Dinner and cruising can't beat it......unless I have a large enclosed shop with a lift . That's why I like winter, it's colder and it gets dark around 5:00.
Get a motorcycle, then you'll feel safer in your cars. Sent from my LG-TP450 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
For Pete's sake don't get me started on the sheer number of jerkoff scooter people....... oughta be a bounty on them
Here in San Diego, the freeways are filled with idiots. I drive in the slow lane and go about 50mph, if people are behind me and tailgate, I will waive them around or slow even more. "why" because fookem that's why. people do for the most part respect our car's and the drive, but there are plenty of times when I drive the 101 next to the beach, that regular walking pedestrians will walk out in front of me expecting me to stop on a dime. people suck, we just have to be defensive drivers.
I had a '65 C30 like that, smoked like a Japanese WWII battle ship... it was good for a quart every 10 miles, no joke. I was next to someone with an MG at a light, the top was up. FILLED that tiny car with oil smoke, they had to back up to get away from it.
I drive mostly in the evenings, having no AC the car gets hot as hell in summer. What I get constantly is people who pull out in front of me. They don't want to get stuck behind an old SLOW car... my car is old, but far from slow.
My son has a diesel truck with a number of different tunes loaded into the performance tuner. When someone tailgates him or does other obnoxious idiot stuff he just switches to the rolling coal tune and they completely disappear into a black cloud It's especially fun when someone is in a convertible or when its mild and their windows are open
Rural TN after 3:00 AM Christmas morning when the bars have closed and everybody is home sleeping it off
I have to use the 32 as a daily until I finally find something else. Since then, I have unbelievably less incidents with bad drivers, but it might also be my attitude. What might be going on in my head is that when you get countless waves, thumbs up and smiles....that seems to prevent me from only thinking about, or waiting for a bad driver. I've noticed that I no longer "expect" to run into a bad driver as I head out....instead, I normally expect to get the first friendly wave in the first 1/2 mile. If you let the very few bad drivers make you so angry, or even make you stop taking your car out as much, then their bad habits have won out over your happiness. I'll admit that I used to retaliate, but that made me actually feel even worse because I'd then stay worked up for the rest of the day...which is not a good feeling. Stress & severe anger honestly messes with our physical health in a huge way, which should be our biggest concern when faced with occasional bad drivers. If you can somehow retrain yourself to not dwell on the few bad ones, you will get far more out of the next driver that gives you a nice gesture. Maybe at some point I will get in a crash, (or even worse), but I now must refuse to dwell on that possibility.
exactly I dont understand the retaliatory part of this anymore you hate bad drivers but want to punish them by being a bad driver? its a never ending cycle that way \
I live right smack dab in the middle of the shitstain known as the San Francisco Bay Area. LA and new York City are the only places with worse traffic. with a 10 -15 minute drive in traffic I can find roads where I could drive all day on 2 lane back roads with very few cars. I find it hard to believe no one on this post but me can find enjoyable roads to travel close to home.
There are idiots on cell phones texting, eating, drinking,and for all I know trimming their toenails while driving every day of the week, Sunday is no different. I'm at that point in life I ain't gonna worry about it, that's why I have insurance. HRP
My favorite part is driving in general, getting the waive's and thumbs up along with the occasional question "What kind of car is that" even though it says Dodge on the side. hah
I get the dick heads that insist on honking at me, startles the shit out of me. I flip them the Hawaiin good luck sign. Had some guy at the gas station the other day... Q: What year is it? A: 2019 and you are in Long Island, NY
When people are tail gating me I lock up the old rear drum brakes on my pickup and they make an ungodly howl.....they back way off quick every time Sent from my SM-G965U1 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
In England they drive on the left side of the road, in Illinois, we drive on what’s left of the road. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Hello, Driving on Sundays is a touch and go situation most everywhere. But, it can be worked out by leaving early, as some other have said previously. The drive to San Diego from South Orange County takes about an hour at speed on the I-5 freeway. But, there is always the “Encinitas slow down” area that plays into everyone’s minds at all normal hours. If the “slow down area” starts it normal business, then add in an additional 15-30 minutes of driving compared to one hour. Roads and time can be adjusted to fit all problem areas. If you start on an early time, by the time you are getting closer to your destination, there is bound to be a later hour form of traffic. Leaving a 9 am on any day of the week usually works for us. Even on a Sunday, 9-12 is pretty safe and empty on the roads or freeways. Most everyone is already at their destinations, in a religious ceremony, or just sleeping in as time permits, so, the early traffic does not start until later. Leaving downtown San Diego at 10 am seems to be the best on all highways or the main freeway. Back in our minds, as we approach the Encinitas slow down area, we get ready for some craziness. Luckily for the past 7 years, that time scenario has worked out well for our road trips. We have been stuck twice, going south. (But, not going north.) Jnaki My wife has a theory that if one leaves during those religious service times, the roads are totally empty and an hour drive takes maybe 50 minutes. So the time saved is minimal and is something that has little effect on the whole vacation time spent. But, if we are going to Santa Barbara, the LA craziness is always there, unless we leave at 3 am. We have been lucky all of these years going to Santa Barbara. Nothing serious, even driving during the dreaded lunch hour, since the vacation days are set for most, there are exceptions. No driving on Sunday afternoon from any place, no driving the LA Freeways from 3 pm until 7 pm, and even the best laid plans all comes to a halt with one idiot on a cell phone wearing those obnoxious ear plugs. Add in a flashy girl driving a Mustang with one hand and the other holding a cell, then, we are all doomed.
I live in a small town about 20 minutes outside of Milwaukee -- 3 minutes to the West, it's 20 miles of 2 lane blacktops, laid out in a giant grid so you can't get lost, with crops on both sides. Very relaxing places to drive. When I go to Milwaukee, I drive a modern car. As an aside, I read that there are TWICE AS MANY cars on the road as there were in 1962. That's part of the problem. It just used to be a lot less crowded. The rest of it is distraction from small screens, and just plain bad attitudes.
Speaking of crowded roads, Florida Palm Beach and south... the worst traffic ever. I cannot fathom driving a hotrod through there. Miami, Ft. Lauderdale... horrible ever during the day. East-west traffic, bad... they have lights that are on a 5-minute cycle. I ran into a NYer that moved to Florida while on the beach in Miami and he was crowing about the L.I. Expressway... how bad it used to be. I asked him was he on drugs? He must have took a plane to the beach that day.
The roads on Long Island are terrible. The one stretch of route 27 by my house may as well be a cobblestone path. AND they will do something like replace a number of on & off ramps that were smooth as silk. Go figure...
I hear you Pats55 I have had several old cars over the past 10 to 15 years and the hardest part of owning an old car is actually driving it...the new daily drivers are so incredibly stupid fast compared to our old cars...it takes all the fun of trying to enjoy our rides any more...I rebuild them now and I might try and drive them 3 or 4 times and then I sell them...I have more fun rebuilding stuff than I actually enjoy driving them... Kinda sad actually..I really miss the Sunday drives of my youth in the 1960's and 1970's too... MikeC
I call them Super DumbAss's, That's when Two Dumbass's Breed they Produce a Super Dumbass. This is caused by all the Safety Equipment used Today. Nature is Circumvented by Natural Selection Laws .Dumbass's usually Died before they were able to Obtain a Driver's License's.
Yeah, it's a challenge, especially when you're trying to keep a line of hot rods together. The mundane drivers are absolutely clueless. We do Christmas Day and New Year's Day cruises down the coast road and they are always cutting into the line. We have to stop every few miles in a parking lot and form back up. Sometimes we have guys on vintage bikes with us and they ride herd, blocking mundanes from cutting in line, like motorcycle cops in a funeral procession.
The Jalopy Journal
