http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4535829Oh my.
20score (740 posts) Tue Nov-25-08 08:15 PM
Original message
I’m Convinced Bad Drivers In The City, Makes People Assholes
Living and driving in LA for years and seeing one asshole driver per mile, or more, (yeah, I’m guessing and there’s nothing scientific to back this up) on the 405 has convinced me that constantly coming across bad drivers makes people ruder in their daily lives. Every day, bar none, there are people cutting others off, changing lanes without a turn signal and tailgating, always tailgating. It adds to whatever stress a person has in his/her life and starts to make that person less trusting. You have to wonder, ‘these people have to park and get out sometime; do I work or interact with these assholes?’ Of course you do! They’re everywhere! So, it affects the way we think about others. But, what to do?
Traveling to smaller cities and small towns I, - and all that are honest – will find more courteous drivers. They will merge correctly, let someone in or out when feasible, and most importantly, not drive three inches from your ass while doing 70 mph. Obviously, it’s because people are more anonymous driving in the city than in less crowded places. That and the fact that bad drivers beget bad drivers. After the 400th time turning on your turn signal and having the person in the next lane pull up so you can’t change lanes, it starts to make you want to forego the turn signal next time. (For the record, even after twenty some years here, I still drive politely.) So again, what to do?
Well, how about giving tickets to people who actually deserve them? The tailgaters and just plain strokes who make life that much worse for everybody on the road? Or, we could dump that moronic, sadistic War on Drugs and start a new War on Asshole Drivers? I’m all for that, but open to suggestions.
(This is only partially tongue-in-cheek; these drivers really do piss me off.)
The rudest drivers I've ever encountered were in Baltimore and Boston--I was appalled that in Boston, drivers don't even make way for ambulances and fire-trucks, and in fact sometimes seem to obstruct them on purpose.
Assholes.
By the way, casual amateur psychiatric observation of the skumbag primitive, the "IanDB1" primitive, betrays that he's a really hot-tempered sort of driver.
Among other Great Flaws in the character of the skumbag primitive.
Believing_Is_Art (250 posts) Tue Nov-25-08 08:21 PM
Response to Original message
3. Oddly I didn't mind LA driving
Maybe it was because I expected it, but driving in LA didn't upset me. I put myself in the mindset to think of it like a video game and not concentrate on making good time. Now I'm living in small town Illinois. The drivers here are TERRIBLE. I get significantly more pissed off here than I ever did in LA.
rasputin5 (56 posts) Tue Nov-25-08 08:24 PM
Response to Reply #3
7. I hear you. I've driven in 50+ countries and every U.S. state, I think
(I can't recall driving in Vermont)...bad drivers aren't restricted to any locality. Jamaica at night is pretty close to maximum terror.
proud patriot (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-25-08 08:23 PM
Response to Original message
5. I think Californians are great people as long as they are not behind the wheel of a car . I say this as a Californian Native .
marmar (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-25-08 08:28 PM
Response to Original message
10. Actually, other than the rush hour that never ends, I don't find driving in LA that bad when I visit
....... the "80 mph mininmum OR ELSE!" drivers here in the Detroit area and the Masshole drivers in and around Boston I've found to be much bigger jerks.
See? franksolich isn't the only one who noticed.
NNN0LHI (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-25-08 09:20 PM
Response to Original message
17. Public canings would alleviate this problem in a jiffy. You, betcha
Just kidding.
No, actually, the grouchy old primitive has an excellent idea; I'm all for it.
eridani (1000+ posts) Wed Nov-26-08 07:29 AM
Response to Original message
23. It's the anonymity that is the problem
If you live in a small town, you don't flip someone off when they cut you off because that person is very likely to be grading your kid's test, wiring your house, digging your well, filling your cavity, or maybe even sitting on the zoning board from which you have just requested a variance.
