another speeder gets what he deserves

I think there's a balance between my right to occupy the road as I see fit (within the rules and SPIRIT of the law, of course), and another driver's right to drive faster than me if (s)he wants to...

We all have to share the road, after all.

And, yes, I would agree that speed limits are excellent revenue sources.

That said, two wrongs don't make a right. I don't think that we have the right to determine what's in the best interests of another person...whether or not we feel violated by their behaviour or not. It's simply not for us to decide.

So, as long as it's safe, I'd suggest geting out of the speeder's way. Apparently, they have a need to fulfill their deathwish on time!

Seriously, I have confidence that the Universe's own ways of balancing all of this stuff out are far more effective than anything of which we're capable.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mystery Squid @ Jan 18 2007, 03:53 PM) [snapback]377412[/snapback]</div>

Winner, least surprising post of the day.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Michgal007 @ Jan 18 2007, 11:10 AM) [snapback]377178[/snapback]</div>

If you dont want to go faster, and you dont want to pull over, and you dont mind people ridin' yer ar$$, dont worry about 'em. B) Its highly unlikely they will RAM you from behind :angry: , so in theory, all you have to worry about is whats in front of you. I, personally, would go faster or pull over. I dont know what this guys deal is. :blink: Maybe his wifes in labor , maybe hes a super agent/Jack Bauer type and he has to stop a nuclear bomb from going off . If a guy is driving dangerous, making him mad is not going to make the situation less dangerous.........Wouldnt it be cool if we could just flow? You know, slow people saying "hey, Im slow. Excuse me, let me get out of the way." and fast people saying "hey, Im fast excuse me for being rude, but Im in a hurry. maybe some day Ill be able to get out of the way for you" Instead, most people just go through life sticking sticks in peoples spokes. Makes for a pretty f'd up world.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Michgal007 @ Jan 18 2007, 08:10 AM) [snapback]377178[/snapback]</div>

I pull over and let them by. It isn't my job to regulate the flow of traffic. I've been rear ended and it aint fun I'm here to tell you. If I'm doing the speed limit and someone wants by, I let them by. If I'm going 110 and someone wants by, I let them by. What ever happened to courtesy?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ Jan 18 2007, 05:05 PM) [snapback]377450[/snapback]</div>

I would like to add my 2 cents,I used to be an over the road truck driver and most states have signs posted that state"slower traffic must stay to the right" they don't say anything about anyone going the speed limit doesn't have to move to the right side,when someone comes up behind you that makes you the slower driver no mater what the seed limit is,and you could be ticketed for this for not moving over to the right.





I have 2 04s with option #9,costal door locks,bumper protecters

 

With the iced roads in Texas and Oklahoma, nature is not giving these guys a break. Always a few in the Dallas area that know you can't go 60 or 70 on iced roads but they tell them selves "it won't happen to me", then they have the "Oh crap" moment when they slide or flip.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(grizzly1 @ Jan 18 2007, 05:44 PM) [snapback]377477[/snapback]</div>

DING DING DING DING. We have a winner! Best undeniable fact!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mystery Squid @ Jan 18 2007, 03:53 PM) [snapback]377412[/snapback]</div>

I infer a sense of residual pride your 'accomplishments' which, frankly, is a little disturbing. I trust that purchasing a Prius wasn't the only corrective action you've taken to curtail this behaviour?

Seriously, I really don't think it's becoming to your credibility to mention things like this...even if only to prove a point.

It's actually a bit scary to me that you'd take something like this so seriously. Why did you feel the need to escalate the conflagration? It must have really mattered to you...but I can't understand why. You know that it had nothing to do with you personally, right?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(grizzly1 @ Jan 18 2007, 05:44 PM) [snapback]377477[/snapback]</div>

I agree with you 100% on the slower traffic keep right. The question that came up though, was that you are on a single lane road going 5 MPH over the speed limit and there's no place to pass for a few miles and there is a restless driver behind you. Then what do you do? I usually just keep going the speed I am, unless they are tailgating and creating an unsafe situation. You'd really pull over?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Beryl Octet @ Jan 18 2007, 05:56 PM) [snapback]377486[/snapback]</div>

Does "no place to pass" mean "no place to pull over"? I thought they were two different things. If he cant pass, and you cant pull over you have no choice. Drive.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(fathale @ Jan 18 2007, 06:04 PM) [snapback]377492[/snapback]</div>

Sure, if you got no choice, you got no choice.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Jan 18 2007, 07:52 PM) [snapback]377484[/snapback]</div>

heh, no, it pretty much was... What you read about, was only a fraction of the hooliganism that actually went on, the speed contests, and then the speed contests that went wrong. Quite simply, I got pretty tired of it, tired of racing other punk asses (many of which who were FAR more reckless than I), and in addition, far more importantly, it dawned on me that if I didn't end it, either myself, or worse yet, someone else was going to end up a closed coffin funeral.

...and on top of that, there's another dimension to this: not so much pride, but to let other people know, just how dangerous it is out there. You folks only hear about this sort of thing when people get killed, or arrested, and I would say that represents, maybe 20% of this type of behavior, essentially, only the crap people get caught doing... Unless you've owned and operated performance vehicles from the time you were a teenager, you don't have the sort of perspective on what actually goes on out there.

...or don't take my word for it, ask a seasoned cop..

Credibility to others is something I generally place little weight upon.

Actually it does. All of the actions were retalitory in nature, in response to an intentional manuever designed to either obstruct, or put me in a dangerous situation (tapping on brake lights translates into: "HA HA, what are you gonna do? HIT ME, HA HA, LOOK AT ME, I MADE YOU SLOW DOWN, HA HA" ...and I don't think you would understand unless you coupled an aggressive personality with a performance vehicle (and by the way you write, I highly doubt you're anywhere near an aggressive personality, no offense, just an observation).

Or maybe I can put it like this: When you're out there, there is no law. Seriously, law enforcement is merely an abstract deterrent unless it's actually being physically enforced. When I'm out on the road (and I'm sure some will get sickened with this one), it's ME being put at risk by all the other numbskull drivers, I'm the judge, jury, and executioner, until 1. my bullets run out (not really, but I just HAD to write that! ), and 2. until otherwise enforced by the local po-po. I trust my livelyhood to no one other than myself, put it intentionally at risk because you don't like what I'm doing for whatever reason, be prepared to go down...

...well, at least it WAS like that... I sold off all my hooligan toys and bought the Prius, I just eventually go sick of all the BS out there, and just wanted to drive worry free and attract no attention. The one good thing I can say after all that is, I've got a sixth sense when crap like that starts to go on around me, and I get away from it...


h34r:

PS, and I will offer these pieces of VALUABLE advice:

check your rearview mirrors more than you usually do, and 2. do not assume you're safe if your going in the opposite direction and there's large median...

most hooligans come up from behind, spot them before they spot you... as for number 2, some pregnant woman in a Subaru got killed by a car that flipped over the median...two kids were racing on the other side, had she spotted them first, well, things might have turned out differently... the roads are MUCH more dangerous than you think...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Jan 18 2007, 11:10 AM) [snapback]377426[/snapback]</div>

Well chances are your encounter will probably lead to you being injured and maybe left in a wheelchair for the rest of your life so you will have Squid pushing you around so be prepared to be riding up the butt of the guy in the wheel chair in front of you. But that will be fine since you (and your lawyer) were right.

Guys who tailgate have already looked at you and don't see a threat. If things get nasty they will be more ready than you and a "My God, what do you want?! I was doing the speed limit!! might be the last thing you ever say. (At least until the wires come out of your jaw, if your lucky.)

You guys that don't want to ever pull over need a few life threatening jolts of adrenaline to understand the risk you are taking.

Ask Squid if he ever tailgated a truck full of guys with a couple of rifles hanging in the back window.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(koa @ Jan 19 2007, 12:14 AM) [snapback]377560[/snapback]</div>

There's a fine line between ballsy and stupid...

...that, would be stupid...

h34r:

edit:

actually, come to think of it, the only time I ever actually tailgated anyone was when I was new to driving, and had the NERVE to expect people be courteous and move over given a slight "suggestion". It didn't take too long to realize that forcing (or attempting to) someone to change what their doing under varying forms of duress is flat out dangerous for everyone in the immediate area... When I used to "work" traffic, or be involved in races, I'd go out of my way to NOT give any vehicles any indication they would have to move. From that perspective, everyone else staying put is precisely what you want...

Tailgaters are flat out morons and a-holes who don't know how to drive, really, don't mess with them and get out of the way, I can't emphasize this enough, it just isn't worth it...

 

All these bad-asses on the Prius chat board, who'd a thunk it?

 

I'm with the "let them by" crowd, for one or both of a couple very simple reasons. First, if the driver is simply in a hurry, why bug him, besides, the cop ahead will be more interested in his 20 over the limit than my 3 to 5. Second, if he's some kind of A-hole (like a younger Squid ), I'd rather he be in front of me where I can keep an eye on him.

Two lane roads are annother issue, in this situation, have a heart, drive a reasonable speed, if there is noone in front of you and a line-up behind you, you are probably going too slow and look for a place to pull over. Since two lane roads are usually in rural areas, there is likely to be field approaches nearby.

As for tapping the brakes, DUMB IDEA, there was an incident a few years ago nearby. Couple people driving on I35W south of Minneapolis, tapped their brakes at a tailgater, set off a road rage incident ending in a double fatality (brake tapper and passenger I believe). Sure the road rager is now on ice, but still two dead.

 

I got lazy and stopped reading the post halfway through. Anyways, this one time I saw a guy cutoff a cop, and the cop swerves and nearly runs into me. I was at a light waiting to turn left. Anyways, the cop pulled the guy over and was all yelling at him and everything. It was funny.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(burritos @ Jan 18 2007, 12:38 PM) [snapback]377258[/snapback]</div>

Yep...back in the olden days when I was a kid, there was a term "dead right", meaning absolutely right. Now there is a sign on most 4 land highways that says "slower traffic keep right". Dead right has started taking on a new meaning with road rage.

I'd rather "keep right" than be "dead right" on the road. I'm always in the right lane when there is more than one lane going in my direction unless I am passing someone...even at the speed limit. There is no real reason to be in the left lane if traffic is going faster than you are unless you are going to turn left soon.

And, yes, I have pulled off the road when I am going the speed limit or slightly above and holding up traffic. There is a safe way to pull off the road in most cases. You are not a sissy if you don't want to be tailgated or worse. The speed limit is a minimum speed for me, but I am content to maintain the speed limit in most cases...in the right lane when I can.

cheers,

Larry

 

One thing that has not been mentioned is risk of flat tires.

Most of the "shoulders" around here have a ton of crap laying on them and in most cases there is no way in hell I am going to drive onto the shoulder and risk a flat or have all the crap flying up and hitting the side of my car while my wheels are turned to re-enter the freeway just because someone wants to go faster than me. If there is a passing lane or anything similar then of course I'll move over but I'm not about to pull off onto the shoulder and take risks.

I'm not sure of the exact cause of this accident but I'm going to take a wild guess that the Toyota Corolla was trying to pass someone in an unsafe manner and lost control. That is how it was stated on the radio anyway. It stopped I80 traffic for half the day. 3 died in the fiery crash after the Corolla jumped across the freeway and hit an Expedition which subsequently burst into flames. A few other cars were involved as well.

Three die in fiery collision on Interstate 80 in Vacaville