Exit Only!

-or- do they just not think?

Published on October 11, 2004 By BlueDev In Misc

There it is. Looming up ahead. Huge, impending, green. With a little yellow brother sitting there.

Exit Only.

Arrows accompany the signs, clearly pointing out which way the exit is. Lines on the road tell you clearly which lane they are in. Everything is set up to clearly let the driver know that their lane will soon leave the freeway. They are given at least a half of a mile warning. And unless they are completely blind, they can usually see the lane veering off of the freeway.

Yet they still insist on being idiots.

Driving home today, an old boat is over in the far left lane. The fact that they are in an exit only lane is no secret. I know it, the car on the other side of me knows it, and the person driving in that lane has had plenty of time to see it. So why in the world do they feel the need to swerve across two lanes at the very last second? What prevented them from having the presence of mind to actually move out of the far left lane just a few seconds earlier? You know, back when they had enough room to not come within inches of those of us who actually knew what we were doing?

There should be a test. Not just a test of the rules of the road, not just the driving test you take so infrequently. No, there needs to be a test to see if you have enough common sense and presence of mind to actually be allowed to sit behind a deadly weapon, to be allowed on the road. Days like today really inspire misanthropic feelings, and bad, stupid, and just plain incompetent drivers don't help.

Get a brain, morans.

Comments (Page 1)

Dusk411

on Oct 11, 2004

For me, I do not feel safe crossing two lanes at once (from the first and second lane, via intersection and to the first lane). It's risky. I like the center lanes. I feel safer there.

Today, there was a guy on the expressway driving at 10 mph---and the lane I was in was actually moving! Honking didn't help. Finally, had to go over the shoulder to get past him.

The ironic aspect is it's hard to get a driver's license if you're over the age of 18. You have to do paralell parking, stop parking, reverse parking and not to mention expressway driving. The rules are done in reverse. It's aggravating.

mignuna

on Oct 12, 2004

The ironic aspect is it's hard to get a driver's license if you're over the age of 18. You have to do paralell parking, stop parking, reverse parking and not to mention expressway driving.

bluedev & dusk, that's interesting to an australian, as our system is different. the (computerised) knowledge test is exhaustive to get a learners' permit, and you must drive accompanied by a licenced driver of at least 3 years every time you drive. after a full driving test (as you describe above) you get a provisional licence that is speed-limited to 80klm/hr for 2 years regardless of the signposted speed on the road. you also have to display a 2 green provisional plates on your car (front and rear) until you get a full licence after 2 years (if you don't commit any traffic offences in the meantime).

how does your system differ for older drivers ?. that hardly seems fair !

vanessa/mig XX

Ravenblack

on Oct 12, 2004

Terrible. I've seen that happen here lots of times. It sucks that you could die because of someone else's stupidity.

BlueDev

on Oct 12, 2004

For me, I do not feel safe crossing two lanes at once (from the first and second lane, via intersection and to the first lane). It's risky. I like the center lanes. I feel safer there.

For me, I always like to stay in the left hand lane (the fast one). Not only do I like to go a little faster than the right lane, but I also like to know there are cars on only one side of me. I am not a big fan of the center lane.

The ironic aspect is it's hard to get a driver's license if you're over the age of 18. You have to do parallel parking, stop parking, reverse parking and not to mention expressway driving. The rules are done in reverse. It's aggravating.

Really? Since all I have had to do since I got my license back when I was 16 is take the written tests, well, it just isn't much of a task to get your license renewed. Silly too, because I think there are many drivers whose skills deteriorate as they become more comfortable and confident. Scary too, because that is when they get reckless.

BlueDev

on Oct 12, 2004

how does your system differ for older drivers ?. that hardly seems fair !

To be honest mig, I don't really know. I know that when you first get your license it wasn't too tough for me. Of course, I think a bit has changed in the 12 years since I first started driving, but all I had to do was spend 20 hours with an adult using my learner's permit, then once I passed the tests I was good to go. My parents felt pretty comfortable with me driving though, because they didn't make me spend more time with them. They are making my sister drive with them a lot more than they ever made me drive with them.

Ravenblack--Yeah, it does suck. It really pisses me off when you can tell they just aren't paying attention and that is why they almost hit you. Grrr.

chiprj

on Oct 12, 2004

I've always felt that some sort of physical barrier instead of solid white lines would fix the problem of people swerving at the last moment. Tire spikes would work well. Or in this day of high tech, just put a sensor on the road. If someone crosses the sensor, a preplaced digital camera takes a snapshot. Ticket in the mail within a week.

As for the licensing system... Well, my license has been expired for over 10 years. I lived in West Virginia for a few months before I joined the military and WVA licenses don't expire for active duty service members until 6 months after they get out of the military. The only possible motivation I've ever had to get a new license is the picture. I was 19 in my license pic and at the time, WVA made minors take profile pics. It's easier to tell at a glance for alcohal purchases. Well, at 19, I had some serious 80's hair band hair going on! And I was having a bad hair day that day! Terrible pic, but it's always good for a laugh at a party.

Silver_and_Jade_Tears

on Oct 12, 2004

I received my liscense two and a half years ago. Here in my state, we had to have 30 hours of driving with an adult, ten of which had to be in the dark.

We too had to do parallel parking, freeway (expressway) driving, simulated driving, two point turn, three point turn, all of the stops possible, and many other things that we were graded on. I have been in two auto wrecks, neither of which was my fault, nor was I given a ticket. Both of the causes of the wrecks were males, both were 20, a little irony?

Here in my state, we have comparitively bad drivers. I don't think that all of the bad drivers in this area are raised in my state, as we have a Hill Air Force Base, and thousands of people are moved there.

I don't understand why people buy cars without turn signals. I wonder where they get these cars...they should get their money back; they bought a broken car...

BlueDev

on Oct 12, 2004

as we have a Hill Air Force Base,

Where do you live Silver and Jade? Just curious.

on Oct 12, 2004

Sunday, someone did just that to me.

His huge truck missed my Camry car by just inches. I got pissed off and was laughing at same time. Laughing because guy had a sticker that was just so ironic it's wrong.

"Not in MY town"

Surrre...

Silver_and_Jade_Tears

on Oct 12, 2004

Where do you live Silver and Jade? Just curious.

I live in Utah...don't get started on the mormon stuff because I'm not one of them...nor am I a polygamist, or a ultraconservative or any such stuff...

Silver_and_Jade_Tears

on Oct 12, 2004

His huge truck missed my Camry car by just inches

Yeah...a truck is what caused my last wreck, which happened back in June...totalled my '91 Camry...best car I've had...but then I've only had two...

shadesofgrey

on Oct 12, 2004

BlueDev--were we driving on the same road--I was going to start making citizen arrests yesterday (possession of a deadly weapon) for those idoits that couldn't seem to figure out how to move their vehicle in a responsible fashion.

chiprj

on Oct 12, 2004

I forgot to mention earlier, but this is exactly the type of incident that makes me wish I had some sort of mind reading/controlling/influencing power. I'd mentally suggest to this idiot that he pull over and think about what he did until a police officer arrived (I'd also suggest calling the police to get one on the scene all the sooner). Once the police officer arrived, the idiot would have to confess his transgression to the police officer and ask for a ticket for reckless driving, at the least!

BlueDev

on Oct 12, 2004

I live in Utah...don't get started on the mormon stuff because I'm not one of them...nor am I a polygamist, or a ultraconservative or any such stuff...

Don't worry about it Silver and Jade. I asked because, well, I grew up and lived most of my life in Utah. The second you said "Hill Air Force Base" I just knew. Do you live right there in Clearfield? I grew up in Bountiful, graduated from Viewmont, did my undergraduate work at Utah State up in Logan. I couldn't even begin to count the number of times I have driven past Hill Field.

Oh, and I am Mormon, though most certainly not a polygamist!

BlueDev

on Oct 12, 2004

I got pissed off and was laughing at same time.

XX--I think I would have felt better had I been able to laugh. Sadly enough, I was just mad. Really mad. It was just the icing on the cake of an all together crappy day.

Shadesofgrey--No kidding. I don't get what makes people think that just because they have a government issued piece of plastic that they can through out all common sense!

Chiprj--Wonderful idea. If you ever figure this out I would love to know the secret. I cannot begin to count the number of times I wish I was a police officer so I could pull over the incompetents I seem to attract while I am driving.

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