Commuting Hell

Ohmess

I wanna DRIVE!
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Following up on my recently published Roundel article on the travails of regularly commuting into a major US city, what is the weirdest thing you have seen another driver doing behind the wheel of a car whilst driving:

This morning, I saw a woman in an SUV in Washington, DC on Constitution Avenue between the Washington Monument and White House simultaneously talking on her cell phone and plucking her eyebrows with a tweezers.
 
How about the Wall Street Journal spread over the steering wheel while driving. Seen in Princeton, NJ quite a few years ago. Now it would be an ipad.
 
How about reading a novel? I thought the guy was reading a map originally. Was behind him for about 30 mins on an interstate. This was in the early 90s.
 
I am sure we have all seen makeup, hair and nails. Small stuff in comparison to the scary scenes.
Looking forward to more nitwit stories.
 
Yesterday on the way home the guy behind me in an Isuzu Rodeo was looking at his phone over and over (you keep an eye on them since they're behind you). He looked down and swerved off the road over the curb onto the sidewalk, then casually drove back into the lane. Then, like most people who drive like that, started looking at his phone again like nothing happened. There was a lady walking on the sidewalk about 50 yards in front of where he went off! After that happened you could tell she didn't want to walk down the street anymore...

Seeing things like that really pisses me off.
 
Last week in Portsmouth NH. Some gal in a Camry looking at her phone sailed right through a red light.... She was very lucky and totally oblivious
 
When I was on a school bus trip in 1982, we looked out the window in time to see a guy getting oral gratification from his girlfriend. Both looked up at the bus and smiled, she went back to work as they sped off in their new white Corvette.

I was hit by a guy texting that totalled or 2004 BMW X3 with 200,097 miles. I was able to walk away unhurt. Cops gave him a ticket for causing the accident, he was abot 50 years old.

I see distracted drivers on phones all the time, some are cops looking at laptops on the passenger seat! Distracted driving is a ticketable offense in Maine. :confused:
 
A driver playing a guitar, Southern State Parkway, Long Island.

We passed him on his left but did not have the presence of mind to ask for a specific song through the window.
 
Funny thread.

How many small dogs/pets or even birds have you seen hanging out the driver side window?!
Most likely with the driver on cell/txting too?

I try to get away from these types asap.
 
A driver playing a guitar, Southern State Parkway, Long Island.

We passed him on his left but did not have the presence of mind to ask for a specific song through the window.

LOL, that reminds me of the time on the way to the beach in San Jose/Santa Cruz. Bumper to bumper traffic over the hill and a guy playing his electric guitar with a little amp. Sounded pretty awesome and we only moving about 2mph. Beach crowd...
 
880 fwy in cali young Asian woman wearing arms length gloves and a piece of fabric over her head including her eyes. Having light skin before the wedding is all so important.
 
880 fwy in cali young Asian woman wearing arms length gloves and a piece of fabric over her head including her eyes. Having light skin before the wedding is all so important.

OK, I was too cheap to send my bride a limo....
Will not happen again.
 
I completely forgot my favorite. About 5 years ago in SF took a cab from SFO to the city. The driver played the clarinet while driving. Told me he was a jazz musician and that was the only time he got to practice. Frankly, he was pretty good for a guy who must've been devoting at least 2% of his attention to driving.
 
I completely forgot my favorite. About 5 years ago in SF took a cab from SFO to the city. The driver played the clarinet while driving. Told me he was a jazz musician and that was the only time he got to practice. Frankly, he was pretty good for a guy who must've been devoting at least 2% of his attention to driving.

Geez, you jogged another memory loose... Last month I almost t-boned an Uber driver because he was staring at his phone and turned left in front of me. I happened to be in my son's M3 and stopped about two feet from his passenger door, if I was in my truck it would've been a different story. He never looked up and never knew he almost got slammed!

BTW, I know he's an Uber driver because I followed him into the train station and told him he's an idiot! Sort of...

Dan
 
another near miss

Last May heading to IMS Saturday for evening festivities with team, two blocks from downtown hotel w/ 3 other guys in the car approaching an intersection showing green. Driver on my right approaching on side street with a hand on her phone looking down going 40mph going to get there the same time I am. Only option is to speed up and swerve a lane width left. I gave us a 50/50 chance. She never tapped anything. I don't think she even knew it happened. My two buddies on the right side of the car figured they were toast. Luckily we were able to proceed on to enjoy the evening.
It is happening more and more frequently. Serious stuff, driving that is, or it least it should be.
 
Forty years ago in downtown Pgh. My two year old 1600. Bride to be in back her mom next to me. Going through a very green light I broadsided a police car. He had come around a bus on the corner - we could not see each other. Claimed he had siren and lights on. Two witnesses, bless their honest souls, said under oath he didn't.

When he gave us some lip, Karen(soon to be wife) smacked him in the belly. Threatened to arrest her. I knew she was the one for me. As the old song says, "After all these years, still the one."
Lots of cops showed up including the rolling arsenal filled with every imaginable weapon.
I know, because they left the panel doors wide open in the back and they were ALL focused on us.

My insurance company took the city to court. We won.
 
Approx 1995.
On I70 , Denver, morning rush hour traffic.
I was passed by a small car with the driver reading pages of hand written notes. At 70 mph I slowed down a little and thought she was incredibly stupid.
As traffic slowed down to go under the airport runway, she didn't. Smacked the car in front of her very, very hard.
Wonder if she made it for the test?

I had dodged another one.

I recently quit riding my motorcycle, after 50 years of riding. It scares me to ride with the rest of the people looking at their phones. To many close calls to remember.
Sold my bike, and gave the buyer my riding coat too.

I truly don't scare easily. I also fly hang gliders for fun, 40 years and counting!
 
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