When I'm on the road I just pretend I'm at Walmart, where people:
- stop for no reason.
- use their phones and just stand in the middle of the isle.
- park their carts in the middle of the isle.
- bring 7 family members to pickup a package of cookies.
- wait for kids to get up off the floor.
...
When I'm on the road I just pretend I'm at Walmart, where people:
- stop for no reason.
- use their phones and just stand in the middle of the isle.
- park their carts in the middle if the isle.
- bring 7 family members to pickup a package of cookies.
- wait for kids to get up off the floor.
...
When I'm on the road I just pretend I'm at Walmart, where people:
- stop for no reason.
- use their phones and just stand in the middle of the isle.
- park their carts in the middle if the isle.
- bring 7 family members to pickup a package of cookies.
- wait for kids to get up off the floor.
...
Funny, if you ever watch how people walk through a mall it explains a lot about how they drive.
Yesterday, driving down a single lane road, doing the speed limit (60) with no traffic behind me. See a van from a karate club in their parking lot approach the exit, stop, clearly see's mee coming but instead of waiting the 3 seconds until I was safely past they simply pull out in front of me. Knowing they would do this I was actually prepared but still had to mash the brakes. This seems to be so common now. The "you'll slow down for me" attitude..
Funny, if you ever watch how people walk through a mall it explains a lot about how they drive.
Yesterday, driving down a single lane road, doing the speed limit (60) with no traffic behind me. See a van from a karate club in their parking lot approach the exit, stop, clearly see's mee coming but instead of waiting the 3 seconds until I was safely past they simply pull out in front of me. Knowing they would do this I was actually prepared but still had to mash the brakes. This seems to be so common now. The "you'll slow down for me" attitude..
And 90% of the time, asshats that do that are making the next turn. I sometimes wish I drove a bigger vehicle. It seems that the only way they might learn is a collection of at-fault crashes driving up their insurance rates. Zero courtesy given to others. Me me me.
It happened a few times to me on the weekend. My favorite was a pickup pulling a boat that cut me off pulling out (nobody behind me, hard braking required), drove at 20 under the speed limit for 1 km (no passing zone), then made a left at the next road. F that guy. Prick.
The way to fix it is better overall management. With more or better enforcement and education of drivers at the beginning. I see this as a workplace setting. When a company allows gossip and other bad behaviours to run rampant it becomes a toxic environment. Same thing is happening on our roads, it has become toxic because nothing is being done, and people left to their own device turn into chitheads.
Funny, if you ever watch how people walk through a mall it explains a lot about how they drive.
Yesterday, driving down a single lane road, doing the speed limit (60) with no traffic behind me. See a van from a karate club in their parking lot approach the exit, stop, clearly see's mee coming but instead of waiting the 3 seconds until I was safely past they simply pull out in front of me. Knowing they would do this I was actually prepared but still had to mash the brakes. This seems to be so common now. The "you'll slow down for me" attitude..
Try downtown in the rat tunnels and walk towards Union Station during morning rush hour.
From what I've heard that's like driving in some parts of the world, you just take your space with authority & hope others avoid hitting you.
I've been to Europe and have some first generation European friends, and I think the better driver thing is confirmation bias.
We need to sort out what's important in driving and start enforcing it. Then figure out what's not as important.
As of now, according to the OP, riding an electric motorcycle in pedestrian areas doesn't seem to be important to the powers that be.
Should it be so? What about scooters, rollerbladers, bicycles, unicycles, those BC Quest for Tires things etc. etc.
Where can we put infrastructure to accomodate them, or do we simply ban them?
And 90% of the time, asshats that do that are making the next turn. I sometimes wish I drove a bigger vehicle. It seems that the only way they might learn is a collection of at-fault crashes driving up their insurance rates. Zero courtesy given to others. Me me me.
It happened a few times to me on the weekend. My favorite was a pickup pulling a boat that cut me off pulling out (nobody behind me, hard braking required), drove at 20 under the speed limit for 1 km (no passing zone), then made a left at the next road. F that guy. Prick.
People are far too lazy to perform shoulder checks. Mod cons like cameras are encouraging that laissez-faire attitude.
That along with the attitude of entitlement of course.
The other day I was at a red light waiting to make a left. Knowing it was a short advanced I didn't waste a lot of time making the turn. Half way through I had to brake to avoid hitting an e-scooter running the Don't Walk signal at full tilt.
Kid riding dirt bikes in Elmvale with his buddies collides with a pickup.
Today I timed another e-something running uphill on a sidewalk at 40KPH, no helmet and didn't look 16 YO.
Later I was wondering why the car in front of me wasn't moving when the light turned green. Then he started backing up and I had to blow my horn to get him to stop. He used his new found space to change lanes and I saw the problem. Then I saw why. Some lunatic / space cadet was doing a Heebee Jeebee dance in the street.
Coming home, approachng a four way stop the vehicle coming from the other direction made a left slowing down no more than if he had a green light.
I could add a few more examples every day as could most.
Do we wait until it's Mad Max time? Anarchy?
What would it take to get drivers to think about doing things right? Massive fines? More rigorous training? More enforcement? Regular retesting?
It's as if the politicians have given up and said "F*** it. It's too big for us and let the peons duke it out."
Just getting tired of seeing the posts in "Fallen Riders"
I think there are to many factors that contribute to all of this.
Some are:
Distractions (cell, radio, thinking about winning the lottery, stress from everyday life etc)
Lack of skill in operating a vehicle
Ease of getting a license (too easy to get a DL in Ontario)
In general I think people in Ontario (most likely in North America) are poor drivers. Not all but a good chunk of them.
Don't mean to be stereotypical but I think drivers in Europe are much better drivers.
At first it seems like European drivers are reckless but I think they drive with much more control and awareness of the roads and their surroundings.
I spend a few days in Paris this summer and I saw chaos on the roads but it was controlled chaos. Yes, people cut in or cut others off but it was done in a way where the traffic flowed and no accidents were witnessed. Also no one was flipping each other off or worse getting into fist fights.
Now, add a bunch of bicycles, scooters, moped, motorcycles into the mix and everyone seemed to get along just fine.
This could be the same for other parts of the works that I have not travelled to yet.
I don't think Euro drivers are better. I've driven in just about every European country, in my business it's common for staff from around the world to meet in European cities.
Try to find a European willing or capable of driving a 7 passenger minivan - nope - they always get Canadians or Americans for that.
Their traffic moves slower in cities, cars are smaller.
Try downtown in the rat tunnels and walk towards Union Station during morning rush hour.
From what I've heard that's like driving in some parts of the world, you just take your space with authority & hope others avoid hitting you.
I used to work at a building just west of Union station... there was an alley between the building and the skywalk that lead to my building's parking entrance - when the trains were dumping, the lemmings were completely oblivious; just strolling down the middle of the roadway. I was in a 1t pickup truck with a service body, and would have barely felt it if I ran one over.
Licensing in Ontario is too easy; both for passenger vehicles and for commercial... I have my DZ, hold-over from my fire department days; I keep it up, it comes in handy for work, or to pickup side jobs here and there. The number of commercial 'drivers' out there, that have no business driving blows my mind sometimes... Hell, I've had to back trucks into the dock at my warehouse, because the 'professional' driver couldn't.
Funny, if you ever watch how people walk through a mall it explains a lot about how they drive.
Yesterday, driving down a single lane road, doing the speed limit (60) with no traffic behind me. See a van from a karate club in their parking lot approach the exit, stop, clearly see's mee coming but instead of waiting the 3 seconds until I was safely past they simply pull out in front of me. Knowing they would do this I was actually prepared but still had to mash the brakes. This seems to be so common now. The "you'll slow down for me" attitude..
If they have a DZ licence the Z stands for Zombie.
Niagara on the Lake has quaint stores on both sides of the STREET. The shopazombies think it's an outdoor mall and walk from one side to the other focusing only on the fudge samples in the windows.
I don't think Euro drivers are better. I've driven in just about every European country, in my business it's common for staff from around the world to meet in European cities.
Try to find a European willing or capable of driving a 7 passenger minivan - nope - they always get Canadians or Americans for that.
Their traffic moves slower in cities, cars are smaller.
I do agree that their cars are smaller.
During my 3-4 days in Paris this summer I saw 3 pick up trucks. Both on the last day at the airport. One was a Benz and the other imported RAM 1500.
Magically everyone is able to survive and get their crap done without a pick up truck.
Seems like everyone here (well not e v e r y one ) needs a pick up truck.
For the 1-2 times a year that they actually use it to move something or haul something.
If they have a DZ licence the Z stands for Zombie.
Niagara on the Lake has quaint stores on both sides of the STREET. The shopazombies think it's an outdoor mall and walk from one side to the other focusing only on the fudge samples in the windows.
NOTL is one kind of headache - Clifton Hill (in the Falls) is a different kind - people will dead-ass stare you in the eye as they step infront of you... I had one guy step out between two parked cars, and slap the SIDE of my truck (because, I was already partway past him before he appeared)... I think he was a tad surprised when I two-footed the brakes, dropped it into park; and asked if he had something to discuss.
I do agree that their cars are smaller.
During my 3-4 days in Paris this summer I saw 3 pick up trucks. Both on the last day at the airport. One was a Benz and the other imported RAM 1500.
Magically everyone is able to survive and get their crap done without a pick up truck.
Seems like everyone here (well not e v e r y one ) needs a pick up truck.
For the 1-2 times a year that they actually use it to move something or haul something.
More than half the guys at my work commute in pickups. None of them use them for the intended purpose and would be mortified if the paint in the bed was scratched.
Then they complain about gas prices.
People are stupid everywhere, not just North America.
Benefits I've seen in Europe are primarily the roundabouts. Impact speeds are lower, and there's minimal of the T-bone hits as well as head on from left turners. That's a massive plus right there.
Highway speeds are higher, but the lane discipline is much better there. 140kph zone and I was driving 140-160-180-200-220 before I started being one of the faster cars, and my wife made me slow down when she realized the speed we were doing.
Smaller cars = smaller kinetic energy = less injury.
I read somewhere that the GMC Sierra (or whatever their big truck is) is the most fatal vehicle on the road...but for the other drivers, not their own passengers.
As for idiotic tourists / lane crossers...try Algonquin Park during the fall colour peak...idiots, idiots everywhere.
I have done a lot of driving in Europe.... but Paris as an example:
At first it seems very aggressive. What I found is if you drive a little more aggressive then the other drivers there they just let you go. Person that moves first or is in front is usually given the right of way. If you drive timid looking for gaps good luck. As for the quality of drivers, I saw very few cars without dents.... but to be fair it also much closer quarters than here. Once I figured the "system" I had very few issues driving there, super easy.
The concept of long highway drives escapes most of them. We drove from Madrid to Paris in one hop and all our friends their thought we were totally nuts.
Highway discipline was way better than Ontario. But I did see one odd incident, the paved shoulder on a A highways tends to end before the guardrails. Guy in front of me drifted onto the shoulder and then his tire dropped on the gap. Drove a good 100 feet plus grinding along the guardrail until he could get out. Didn't stop during or after, just kept going!
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