I've decided to finally learn to drive

[Frisky Feline]

even worse than drivers in DC metro, including MD and NoVA?

I drove in DC metro and they are really bad, but not know if it is worse than NYC.

in my time, 16 yrs ago, i think nyc is worse than DC. NYC drivers keep stubborn by driving into other lanes when the cars get too close allthe time. they even honk a lot a lot than DC. DC is just stupid traffic and slow. but i am told that i think i agree with whoever thinks is NYC drivers are better than DC drivers because DC drivers often get clumsy than NYC drivers.

 

[Jane B.]

I thought people of Ohio drives 20 mph below speed limit. :P



Maybe it's not a good idea for you to drive in California where we all are very aggressive driver and drives 20 mph above speed limit. I had a friend from Conn. came down here for visit and he was so nervous when I was driving around Los Angeles area. lol

From what I read California has really changed in some ways since the only trip I made out there in the mid 1970's. At that time coming from Southern Illinois (60-80 miles east of St. Louis) to the L.A. area what really impressed me was the signage on the freeways. As you passed one exit there would be a sign with the name and number for the next one! That did not (and does not) exist around St. Louis. So, if you looked at a map before going into an unfamiliar area as my cousin did in taking us to tourist attractions you did not need to get lost. Also, at that time, if you signaled there was no problem with changing lanes. That had me wanting to drive.

When I told an aunt about that reaction she said that the worse signage they had encountered in the country was right around the river where several interstates meet at St. Louis. Her husband had been career military and even after retirement they traveled a lot because of the friends they had made during his years of active service.

When I told a neighbor here about that he was amazed as I lived (and live) in a town of about 15-20 thousand. He said Jane that area you are talking about is 8 lanes in each direction.

 

[LoveBlue]

4. Never, ever, ever tailgate, period. It's just asking for an accident. A good rule of thumb is if you can read the license plate of the car in front of you you're too close. On the highway for each 10mph you're going allow a car length space. For example if you're going 70mph allow 7 car lengths between you and the car in front of you. While that might seem like a lot remember that it's not just the braking capability it's your brain capability that takes time. What if the car in front all of sudden slammed its brakes? It takes about a second or so for you to notice the red brake lights and the sudden slowing motion for your brain to register and then you have a half second for you to apply

It's easier to remember the 2 (or is 3 now) second rule than how many car lengths. Pick out a stationary object up ahead. When the car in front of you passes it start counting 1-1000, 2-10000, etc till you reach the object. If its less than 2 (or 3) then you're too close.

 

[Jane B.]

I let my son drive today. He's 12. You're never too young or too old to learn.

I learned when I was 10. Comes with the territory of living on a farm.

I couldn't give you an age. I didn't live on a farm but a small town with very rural roads close by. My dad sold cars and as part of the deal often taught family members of customers to drive. He had me steering sitting on his lap before I could reach the pedals.

Also, because of his job I learned driving everything from brand new Cadillac demonstrators to very old used cars of different makes and models. His personal demonstrators were Oldsmobile 88s that we got to use as the family car. One new one each year, a number of years two because someone wanted to buy the one he was driving and few years three different ones.

With that background I still feel comfortable in driving any car that is in safe condition. But I have done almost no city driving and have not desire to in the closest one which is St. Louis.

 

[dereksbicycles]

Wow, interesting!!! My first time driving outside Illinois was driving in Rolla, MO back in 1995. I drove my Grandpa's white 1989 Grand Wagoneer.

I also went to my Uncle's farm many times as a kid. I got to drive Grandpa's brown 1979 Cherokee 4 door. At first, I had to sit on my Grandpa's lap. Then when I got older, I got to do steering and pedals.

 

[Foxrac]

4. Never, ever, ever tailgate, period. It's just asking for an accident. A good rule of thumb is if you can read the license plate of the car in front of you you're too close. On the highway for each 10mph you're going allow a car length space. For example if you're going 70mph allow 7 car lengths between you and the car in front of you. While that might seem like a lot remember that it's not just the braking capability it's your brain capability that takes time. What if the car in front all of sudden slammed its brakes? It takes about a second or so for you to notice the red brake lights and the sudden slowing motion for your brain to register and then you have a half second for you to apply brakes.

And that's it, good luck!

For me, my vision is 20/20 with corrective lens (contact lenses) so I'm able to read a tag number/letter without getting too close.

 

[green427]

Jiro is right - NJ drivers are probably the biggest assholes I've encountered in my 30 years of driving. The speed limit on the GSP/I-95N is 65MPH, so I set my cruise at 75, but that is not fast enough, and all the morons are tailing me, so I speed up to keep up with the flow, and look down, it is about 80-85. Even the toll booth attendants are uptight, one guy threw a hissy fit when I asked him a simple question.

DC drivers are all dumbshits. The whole area is overcrowded, so every road is slow, and the drivers are so dumb, they don't know how to improve efficiency. Combine that with a lot of immigrants with no driving skills, and you have one big clusterfuck of a city.

Oh yeah, when POTUS or any other VIP has a route planned, we all have to stop and wait for him/her to come and go, holding up traffic everywhere.

NYC drivers are exactly like Jiro described. I would rather deal with NYC drivers who at least know how to move, instead of the dumbshits in the DC area.

I lived in metro Boston for a few years, learned how to drive up there, they are like Jersey drivers, using your turn signal is a no-no.

I lost my temper while driving in Ohio & Indiana. Drivers over there are suffering from Tortoise Nervosa. They drive, walk, and talk like turtles.....

 

[metalangel]

When asked why he waited so long to learn, he replied, "It's New York, the train goes everywhere and you don't need a car." I'd go for it. Learning to drive is like learning to swim, it's a basic life skill everyone should have.

I live right next to a subway station in Toronto and public transit is great... until you try to buy furniture or a case of beer or more than four bags of groceries. Delivery? Apartments often want you to book a service elevator and their booking time will often be much less than the delivery window for your new couch...

It's easier to remember the 2 (or is 3 now) second rule than how many car lengths. Pick out a stationary object up ahead. When the car in front of you passes it start counting 1-1000, 2-10000, etc till you reach the object. If its less than 2 (or 3) then you're too close.

Only a tool breaks the two second rule! Leave even more space than that! You can see further ahead and if the car in front slows you might just have to lift off the gas and coast a bit of your speed off, no need to brake.

3. On a highway, go with the crowd even if it means speeding. It might seem like I'm advocating illegal and dangerous behavior but I've found it safer if you go the same speed of everyone else. If you're the only one going 65 while everyone's going 80 you'll have a lot of people flying toward your rear and then they get angry and swerve around you.

Be careful. The cop can't pull over everyone, do you want to risk being the one he picks? Do they have photo radar where you live? They don't even need to pull you over with that.

 

[A Nihilist]

It's easier to remember the 2 (or is 3 now) second rule than how many car lengths. .

How hard is it to divide by 10? E.g. 50mph = 5 car lengths, 60mph = 6 car lengths.

And the problem with the stationary object trick is what if there are no stationary objects such as nighttime? And what if you're following way too close to start with and you're doing the math counting down seconds? I don't know about you but I don't want to have count down seconds, it's much faster to guestimate the distance between you and the car in front.

 

[LoveBlue]

How hard is it to divide by 10? E.g. 50mph = 5 car lengths, 60mph = 6 car lengths.

And the problem with the stationary object trick is what if there are no stationary objects such as nighttime? And what if you're following way too close to start with and you're doing the math counting down seconds? I don't know about you but I don't want to have count down seconds, it's much faster to guestimate the distance between you and the car in front.

Some of us are spatially challenged and have trouble visualizing one car length much less 5 car lengths.
And I'd think calculating car lengths & visualizing it would take as much, if not more, time as counting seconds.
I was just offering another way to determine if you're following too close, not saying your way was wrong.

 

[Jiro]

Some of us are spatially challenged and have trouble visualizing one car length much less 5 car lengths.
And I'd think calculating car lengths & visualizing it would take as much, if not more, time as counting seconds.
I was just offering another way to determine if you're following too close, not saying your way was wrong.

simplest way to do this is this - "if you can read, you're following too close."

 

[JMH]

Hehe... This thread went off course.

 

[metalangel]

simplest way to do this is this - "if you can read, you're following too close."

*BANG*

"WTF didn't you see my bumper sticker?"
"Yeah, I was trying to get close enough to read what it said!"

 

[DeafTim]

Nah, here it's all stop and go stop and go. Too much traffic to be dangerous. I'm more scared of country roads where it's so dark at night.

I've been scared to learn because I used to have panic attacks in stressful situations and I was always scared I'd have one driving a car. But I'm on an ant-anxiety drug now and it helps very much. So I'm getting braver to do more things.

Yeah, at $4 a gallon, I could never afford a Hummer, but if gas prices ever miraculously go down to, say, $1 a gallon, I'll be saving my money to buy that baby!

Buy that baby!

I've been in NYC and almost got ran over by a taxi on foot. :roll: I dont like to drive at night on country roads for one particular reason..Deer! There is one road I like to drive at night b/c of train tracks..I never see deer b.c of it...or deer dead on road by tracks.I mean it helps to keep me safer. I always wait until next day to drive on country roads when it's night time.

It's great that your drug is helpin you out in many ways.

 

[Mimsy]

Buy that baby!

I've been in NYC and almost got ran over by a taxi on foot. :roll: I dont like to drive at night on country roads for one particular reason..Deer! There is one road I like to drive at night b/c of train tracks..I never see deer b.c of it...or deer dead on road by tracks.I mean it helps to keep me safer. I always wait until next day to drive on country roads when it's night time.

It's great that your drug is helpin you out in many ways.

LOL sorry to laugh and I'm glad your foot didn't get run over, but that happens ALL THE TIME here!! Well, maybe mostly people just claiming to have had their foot run over to sue the city. It's never very dark here at night, and I've seen cars with no headlights on at night because I suppose the driver doesnt realize he didn't put them on because of the street lights everywhere.

Forget about deer on dark country roads, what about alien abductions?? LOL I've seen those youtube videos of strange creatures walking down lonely roads. Yikes!~

 

[Foxrac]

Buy that baby!

I've been in NYC and almost got ran over by a taxi on foot. :roll: I dont like to drive at night on country roads for one particular reason..Deer! There is one road I like to drive at night b/c of train tracks..I never see deer b.c of it...or deer dead on road by tracks.I mean it helps to keep me safer. I always wait until next day to drive on country roads when it's night time.

It's great that your drug is helpin you out in many ways.

Deer? YOU TOO CHICKEN.

Night driver on rural highway is fun as hell with truck.

 

[Mimsy]

Deer? YOU TOO CHICKEN.

Night driver on rural highway is fun as hell with truck.

Be careful not to run over any little animals in the dark with your big truck!

 

[ladysolitary85]

I'm in your boat, still trying to learn to drive but plan on getting a car in the spring.

 

[Mimsy]

I'm in your boat, still trying to learn to drive but plan on getting a car in the spring.

At least you'll have a car. I'll have to beg my parents to use their car. It's not that cars are expensive, but the insurance is omg expensive for me to have a car of my own, especially with me being under 25 in NYS.

 

[tuatara]

what about alien abductions??

My brother-in-law has a bumper sticker that says "Wear your seat belt. It makes it harder for the aliens to suck you out of your car."