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Bickering about bicycles, now with occasional tips about motorised vehicles

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calenlass:
Ok, Americans, lots of you drive cars, yes? What I would like to talk about is driving well. Do you really know what you are doing with that 3000lb killing machine? I would really like for you to stop and think about it for a minute. Are you afraid of the other drivers around you? Do you sort of zone out and let auto-pilot get you from point A to point B? Do you yell at everyone else on the road and try to get back at them when they do a maneuver that is offensive?

I think a lot of people have forgotten a lot of things since their assessments at 16, and that is pretty bad. I also think that a lot of people forget that there are other people rushing to work, just trying to drag themselves home, or whatever, just like them all around them on the road. There are a lot of other people you need to watch out for! Here are some of the things I think just about everyone I ever see around Atlanta doing that are wrong, bad, or even potentially dangerous. Do you remember all of these? Do you do them?

Roundabouts, Rotaries, Traffic Circles: These are pretty sparse on this side of the pond, so I think lack of exposure leads people to just bumble through them. Did you know that their entire purpose is to keep the traffic in the circle moving? This means that if traffic outside the exit you want to take is stopped and backing up into the circle, you should probably not enter the roundabout until the way is clear. Do not stop in the roundabout. Remember that there are other people trying to get through the rotary too! When you approach a roundabout, stop before entering and check to make sure you will not cut someone off. When exiting the roundabout, use your blinker to indicate your exit.

The Far Left Lane: You might be surprised to know that the leftmost lane on the interstate is not, in fact, the "fast lane". It is true that traffic speed is supposed to increase by increments with each lane you add on the left (although if you are surprised by that, we need to talk). However, moving into the leftmost lane and cruising there, especially so that you don't have to worry about all those other drivers passing you, will only lead to you getting passed on the right, which is actually more dangerous! The left lane is for passing. And for all you guys who decide that you are going 15 over the speed limit and that is damn well fast enough so that guy trying to pass you can just suck a dick? You are making the problem worse. I promise that no one will ever ever hold you responsible if that guy gets himself a speeding ticket. Stopping him is not your responsibility, so don't.

The Far Right Lane: Slow traffic goes in the right lane. People entering and merging, or exiting go in the right lane. If you are neither, move over. Your riding that guy's ass to let him know just how slow you think he is going is not going to make him go faster; in fact, it might make him nervous, and thus inclined to go slower!

Turning Left through an intersection: Use your blinker. Turn into the leftmost lane. I don't know about most states, but here, if the cops are itchin' for it, they can and will pull you over for turning into the wrong lane. Don't be a douchebag by blocking those guys turning right! You'll all get there, I promise.

Changing Lanes in Intersections: I am guessing most states have laws like this on the books somewhere, so this probably applies in some aspects to everyone. In the state of Georgia, it is illegal to change lanes within 100 ft of an intersection. It causes accidents. Don't do it.

Turn signals: No one uses these enough. Do people think they are just for fun? Do people just not want anyone else on the road to know what they are thinking? The average human brain reacts to events with a 1.5 second processing delay. Think about how much time that is when you are driving, and think about how much most people space out when they drive. Using your blinker/indicator/turn signal gives other drivers enough time to react and save yourself a fender-bender.


Driving is dangerous: my dad was killed in a car crash, and I was almost killed by a drunk driver once. But it can be fun too! I love driving, and it really upsets me when someone shits it all up for everyone else. It is really not that hard to be a good driver, guys! You just have to engage your brain.

Blue Kitty:
Nice little bit of advice


But man, fuck roundabouts.  They put in a few in north of my city and nobody gets how to use them. More often then not traffic is jammed an extra mile cause of those fuckers.

Dazed:
If I tried to drive in Boston the way they taught me in driver's ed at 16 I would die 28 times daily. I break several traffic laws on a daily basis, and have never been in an accident or been ticketed. In fact, being conditioned into a somewhat hilariously aggressive driver (at times) has helped me avoid several accidents.

Scandanavian War Machine:
they are jamming a bunch unnecessary roundabouts into my tiny ass town and it's fucking stupid

they're awkwardly shaped (and small!) so you can't really smoothly drive through them. one of them also shares an entrance/exit with the fucking highschool, so good luck going through there at 2:30 on a weekday!


i hate them

squawk:
For being young, I am a pretty decent, rule-abiding yet defensive and anticipatory driver. And I just want to drive more to get better! And now I just miss my fucking car. Five more months I guess

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