No, I mean everything. Traffic signals, stop signs, other cars, pedestrians... all of that.
But, to be serious, I actually don't know of a great way to reduce stress when driving. When I feel myself getting really worked up, I just move over to the right lane, slow down, and try my best to chill. And then I put on groovy music. That's the key right there, the groove.
littlek wrote: Now I name Medford THE WORST! It's like a big parking lot to all who live there. They cut through 10-car parking lots at 30 MPH to avoid redlights.
I've driven extensively in every MA dump: Lynn, New Bedford, and now Medfa'.
I think you may be right. Lynn is pretty bad as well. I have a little "hunch" there's many unregistered and non-citizens driving around, but Medford SUCKS. People fly right out of side streets, and they just suck. Noticed a lot of people lately not realizing when there's multiple lanes, and just drive down the middle.
Oooooh, I see.
I listen to something absorbing. If NPR isn't cutting it, I put on a cd I know all the words to. And I sing. With the windows UP. I also try telling myself that I shouldn't care what the idiots are doing.
NickFun wrote:Slappy Doo Hoo wrote:
You know how some people hit their brakes to get someone off their ass? What's even better is when you drive a stick. Downshift 2 gears at once pretty hard, they'll get right the hell off you.
I tried this once with a 250 pound steroid-abuser on my ass. He managed to drive up beside me and threatened to kill me and my girlfriend. Then he chased us around the highway for a while before I lost him.
I got chased by a car full of juiceheads one day on the NJ turnpike. My buddy was sh!tting himself in the passenger seat.
I flipped them off for trying to cut me off. They weren't too happy.
I am from the home of complete chaos, Lincoln and Washington...
Still, as an f'in older person here, I'll say that more people behind the wheel I at least momentarily disabled than you'd prefer to guess. Many people are just out there coping, people of varied ages. I know seniors are at least sometimes idiots, and teens are, if not generally, sometimes. Then in between - why do we think others are humming along in tune?
Summary - tailgating is stupid.
Slappy - Somerville has the road lay-out which makes the least sense. But, yeah, Mefa drivers bite!
I swear the streets of Somerville re-arrange themselves when you aren't looking.
They've moved Davis Sq. at least five times.
Re: How close do you drive to the car in front of you?
roger wrote:Chai Tea wrote:I do the system where, when driving over 45 I maintain 3 to 4 alligators between me and the car in front.
Say, aren't you the lady that had a co-worker wandering around your office looking for a misplaced giraffe? Next time you're in the area, we could do lunch, ya know?
I never had a problem with tailgateing in Oklahoma - except when I'd tossed out the last brick on a prior tailgater.
No silly, I mean saying to yourself....one alligator, two alligator, three alligator.....
Works well with mississippi or one slappy doo hoo, two slappy doo hoo...
I agree. Mefah sucks. But soe does Sommerville and North Cambridge and most other towns in Massachusetts.
I get it now, it's like one cappucino, two cappuccini, three cappuccini, four cappuccini...
The worst street in the world is this long street in Cambridge, MA that suddenly turns on-way "do not enter" when you enter Sommerville. You must turn around in someones driveway and drive a mile back to Mass Ave.
I don't know the difference between Somerville and Medford. I technically live in Medford, if I go left up one house, I'm in Somerville. If I go right out of my house, in about 1/4 mile I'm in Somerville. I don't even know where the hell Medford is, and I live there.
It's easy.
Go to Winchester.
Head south on 38.
Listen for a dull thud.
That's the sound of property values falling.
You are now in Medford.
OUCH!
Winchester....Medford....all the same. Except for the part about Winchester being full of million dollar homes.
Ya been on a rotary where someone decided to go the wrong way? That was Fresh Pond, a few months ago. Ai yi yi.
Actually, I was in the car with someone who did that - not to long ago - on the rotary on rte 16 in (yep, mefa, or maybe it arlington). He was having severely low blood sugar (a diabetic). Other drivers were very accommodating.
Wee small hours
New Year's
Revere Beach Parkway
Something funny about an oncoming car.
He's on the same side of the median as I am.
Holy crap!
I pulled over as far onto the shoulder as I could.
He zoomed on by.
...and before you ask, I was on the right side...
Re: How close do you drive to the car in front of you?
Chai Tea wrote:
Where do you fall in this spectrum?
What are your thoughts when the person behind you is doing 60+ mph with 1 car length between you?
(me, I'm wondering what this person is trying to prove)
We now have at least two generations of people out there who think the left lane of a highway is just one more lane for them to drive slow in and at least one generation which believes that tailgating is the normal way to drive. It's getting harder...
This topic reminds me of an officer pulling over the comedian Steven Wright. The officer - "Do you know the speed limit here is 60 miles an hour." Steven replies "That's all right officer, I won't be out that long."
Having driven extensively in mexico on several occasions, I eventually came to the conclusion that the law on passing another car must read:
"In order to pass a car, the car you wan't to pass must be going slower than you."
No comment about oncoming vehicles or curves, blind spots
or anything else.
I was tought a minimium of two seconds distance on secondary roads and three seconds distance during highway travel. This is assumuing good weather conditions. I was also told to increase the distance if being tailgated. This allows you to slow down more gradually if something happens in front of you preventing a rear end collision.
In stop and go traffic, I was tought to leave enough room between you and the car in front of you to be able to get your car out of traffic if necassary. You should be able to see a couple of feet of pavement between you and the car in front of you.
I don't always follow this advice but I do remember it. I was required to take a company sponsered defensive driving course several years back. It was required for anyone that had to drive a company owned vehicle.
That being said, the company I used to work for, notice the past tense, also insisted that "all accidents are preventable".
If anyone else out there worked for this company, you will probably recognize the brainwa....I mean slogan.
