OT Can anyone help me understand the psychology of, stupid idiot drivers? Options

[wbergtho]

Driving home the other day on a road trip, in my 914, I notice up ahead...on the other side of Interstate 94 (around Eau Claire, WI) an accident with a large number of ambulances and cop cars...lights flashing...the whole bit. WHY DO PEOPLE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ACCIDENT (SEPARATED BY A 100 FEET OF MEDIAN) HAVE TO SLOW DOWN TO 25MPH?!! Sure, I get curious too...but I don't slow down at all...I take a quick look and keep driving...MY SPEED UNEFFECTED! The idiots ahead of me were stacked up like they were on a checker board so I unleashed a quick burst of 500 HP V-8 anger as I slalomed through the barricade of morons. Of course, one of the dumshits hit his horn as I flew past him. It's an Alice in Wonderland world now isn't it? The left lane is now the slowest lane...people speed up when you try to pass...etc etc (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

[Twystd1]

Simple answer for you...

Shoot em all.....

Twystd1

[wbergtho]

It's a good thing I don't keep a gun in the car...

[guiltless]

Ok. So imagine that, but with 6 lanes in each direction. All of which are moving 25mph. None of which have enough space to make any change that will cause positive gain.

12 fuching lanes, all of them stopped by two or 3 cars.

And then, the whole freeway slows to 25mph. You expect to see an accident. Nope. The freeway turned. Thats it. People freak out because they have to turn their steering wheel.

I swear. OC has the worst drivers period. It's what you get when you place a bunch of rich wives in big cars and don't teach them how to drive.

[So.Cal.914]

It's been like that sence the beginning of time, Fred Flintstone asked the same

question. The only thing I can come up with is they are looking into one

possable future for themselves. A car accident is a bazarre event and if you

have not been in one you just can't relate. I don't want to look because it brings

back the past, which belongs in the past.

[sj914]

People just like to see unfortunate accidents and slowing down to watch with hopes of seeing human body parts. People are sick fuch's and should get into an accident of their own, see if they like it getting their clothes cut open with thousands of on looking rubber neckers watching them as they get worked on by EMS and FD.

[Brew]

From a purely scientific point of view...

The first person in line lets off the throttle, the second person taps their brakes, the third person needs more brake, and so on and so forth. It's exponential. Which is the very reason I absolutely cannot tolerate right lane passers!!!! Or left lane crawlers!

[wbergtho]

People are sick fuch's and should get into an accident of their own,

Remil,

I like how you think. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

[sj914]

Your post reminds me of the last accident I was stuck in traffic for. It was on the freeway exit lane and traffic slowed down and not because of the accident or the fire trucks, it was because people were taking turns at staring at an over turned car. When I finally reached the accident site, the guy in front of me did a full stop and stared for a good 10 seconds, 10 seconds that I will never get back because some idiot wanted to see something that was non of their business.

Frankly people that do that are disrespectfull of other peoples privacy and incompasionate of their fellow human beings.

[wbergtho]

the guy in front of me did a full stop and stared for a good 10 seconds, 10 seconds that I will never get back because some idiot wanted to see something that was non of their business.

Frankly people that do that are disrespectfull of other peoples privacy and incompasionate of their fellow human beings.

That's exactly how I feel about the matter! People should drive their cars and concentrate on that alone. Instead, they behave as if they are still on the couch @ home fuching around...eating, shaving, talking on the phone, staring at other people's mistfortunes, generally just being stupid, slow and oblivious to the rest of the world. I'll bet German drivers have their heads pulled out of their asses better than we Americans.

[jimtab]

the guy in front of me did a full stop and stared for a good 10 seconds, 10 seconds that I will never get back because some idiot wanted to see something that was non of their business.

Frankly people that do that are disrespectfull of other peoples privacy and incompasionate of their fellow human beings.

That's exactly how I feel about the matter! People should drive their cars and concentrate on that alone. Instead, they behave as if they are still on the couch @ home fuching around...eating, shaving, talking on the phone, staring at other people's mistfortunes, generally just being stupid, slow and oblivious to the rest of the world. I'll bet German drivers have their heads pulled out of their asses better than we Americans.

I don't know if it's true in the rest of Europe but in France when the police get to an accident one of the pd sets up screens so the accident can't be seen from the other lanes....seems like a pretty damn good idea to me... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dead horse.gif) oh, and no matter where you are....that is where the worst drivers are....who gives a shit about how bad it is somewhere else...when you're in the middle of it you'd just like to be a proctologist....they only deal with one asshole at a time.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[wbergtho]

I guess I shouldn't bitch too loudly about stupid drivers and traffic jams around where I live (WI). The CA people see this stuff on the grandest of all scales...

[wbergtho]

in France when the police get to an accident one of the pd sets up screens so the accident can't be seen from the other lanes

That seems to be a good idea to me as well...but shouldn't all drivers know better than to cause a "gawker" slowdown? What is so hard about taking a quick glance (w/out lifting your foot off the fucking throttle) and go about your business...or better yet...don't look at all....keep going.

[cooltimes]

A car has a flat on the Interstate at 7:30 a.m. and traffic will stop completely by 8:00 am as gawker's got to "nose" it all. Long after the spare is mounted and the car move out into traffic, on it's way again, people will be inching along and stopping every few feet probably for at least another 30 minutes. They finally reach the point where all are still stopping and the gawkers see nothing so they lean out the window and ask a hothead like me what is going on.
I rant easy. I get the bird more than anyone in America as I tell the gawkers how the cow ate the cabbage.
The best moment is when you get to work late and the management pricks looking for ways to feel self important, dock a 1/2 day from your earned time off with pay for being late.
The concrete barriers in the middle of the interstates is a blessing in disguise. Rubberneckers can't see the other side and traffic moves at a good flow until a hub cap flys off a wheel ahead and here it goes again.

MikeCool

[jsteele22]

I can't say I really disagree with the original post, but for a different point of view ...

Sometimes I think its good for people to take a look at the reality of a car wreck. It's about the only time in American life when we come face to face with death or disaster. The rest of our life is mostly geared towards reinforcing our belief that life is safe, predicatable, and somehow guaranteed to work out for the best - bad things only happen to people on TV. So, given that people are gonna look anyway, at least I like to think that thee's some benefit that comes from it, possibly outweighing the anoyance of being delayed.


As for bad drivers, you're all wrong. The worst drivers are right here in Colorado Springs. People actually become confused and stressed out when they have to go through an intersection. If an actual turn is involved, its common to slow down to 5-10 MPH. And everyone is so "nice" that they'll come to a stop and let another car go, even when they have the right of way - its not just a right, its a responsibility. Man, sometimes i really miss living where there are genuine rude drivers (e.g., Philly), where someone would be sure to lay on the horn and shout obscenities. I never realized how useful those folks were til I moved here....

So to sum up, I guess I like assholes and car wrecks. 'nuf said.

[ptravnic]

While we're on the topic, nyc is no picnic. I budget an hour in and an hour out. Gridlock is a way of life here - be thankful it only happens in your neck of the woods when there is an accident. Ever had to endure trying to get across town on a parade day! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/alfred.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ar15.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sawzall-smiley.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/spank.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/stromberg.gif)

[bd1308]

I think its something in the water causing everybody to act like complete mindless zombies.

[70Sixter]

Most of my bad-old-days commuting was in Washington DC and Tokyo. The traffic moved so slowly in rush hours that about the only chance of death was from starving.

I may burn in hell for it, but in DC I actually used to say that the fools who caused the tie-ups SHOULD die.

The "other lane" rubberneckers were in this category as they could almost stop traffic on I-95.

[Dr. Roger]

i was racing a biathalon (bike leg) up bonnie dune road up the west side of the santa cruz mountains and a bunch of bikers were racing past bunches of bicyclists. a motorcyclist and his passenger overtook a group of bicyclists and had to make a hard right but went wide and went head on into a car. he died instantly and she was not injured.

by the time we caught up with the drama the highway was flooded with his blood and she was just standing there speechless. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

everyone stopped.

seeing a human body splattered in the middle of the road changed my life.

have you ever stood on the side of the road with drivers speeding past you at 65MPH while talking on the phone? it's downright dangerous.

i think people should slow the hell down while driving past an accident on the highway.

a screen might reduce the slow-down a bit but having 3000lb cars speeding past you 5 feet away doesn't reduce the risk of the victims.

[mudfoot76]

I absolutely cannot tolerate right lane passers!!!! Or left lane crawlers!

Another post summed it up beautifully - idiot drivers are everywhere. But your particular quote touches the bane of my existance around Indy. Here, the left lane crawlers seem to expect that you must pass them on the right, and will only slow down more if I blink my passing lights at them (or else give me one-fingered salutes)....

The problem compounds when you get on-ramps. Our DOT only allows about 30 feet of merging lane for some reason, so onto a two lane highway it is fun to try and merge. Posted 70mph limit, left lane car is only going 60, semi-truck in the right lane doing 75-80, and I have 30 feet to get at speed and merge (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)