Was almost the end of my Marauder?

[88LTDCV351]

What is up with drivers today?

I have several theories. One being that since the car manufacturers have not historically made much movement in gas mileage yet have given every grocery getter soccer mom, etc. more power for that same gas mileage, that humanity is becoming the worse bunch of drivers as they are in more of a hurry and have the power to back it up and are become all around a-holes. Seems to me if you make most econo cars slow again, gas mileage would go up and people would learn to just relax and take it easy like the way driving was in the slow cars of the 70s and 80s. Back then it was about getting comfortably where you needed to go and in one piece.

Why on Friday night my brother was driving my old cop car (his box Grand Marquis was having some problems with the headlights) so I let him borrow it and I was following in my Marauder. So we are about to turn left at a light. The left turn arrow turns green. My brother starts to turn and I begin to follow. Suddenly, this big truck or SUV comes barrelling past right in front of me (he/she ran the red light) and I screech to a halt as I was almost a gonner. I almost didn't see or expect it and have easily been sent to heaven. He honks at me as he barrels past running the red light.

At worst, I could have been killed as my Marauder was T-boned by this speeding truck through the red light. Or me and/or my brother killed. Or one or both of my cars (due to age) would be totaled.

Maybe its a California thing, but I'm seeing that traffic is just becoming worse and worse these days and everyone is becoming an a-hole driver.

[guspech750]

I hate most people as most are just beyond stupid and wish they would disappear in great pain permanently.


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[droppointalpha]

My favorites are switching lanes while turning through an intersection and turning/going straight from a lane that doesn't allow it. Or they get angry because I won't make space for them to cross a solid white.

And then they look at me like I'm the retarded one. The worst part? Tourists who can't seem to be bothered with paying attention to road signs. I'd thought with GPS that since you know where and when you will be turning, all that's left is being in the proper lane to execute said turn. Evidently not.

[Fosters]

. .

[Mercury93]

I'm on the highway 5 days a week commuting to school. It gets worse almost with every passing day. You've got me in the slow lane trying to do the speed limit (70) while everybody else is trying to either set a new land speed record on the immensely crowded interstate or are crawling along below 55 mph. I don't get it.

[TAKEDOWN]

Yup, it gets cRazZzY for everyone on the road and I'm sure we've all had our experiences! The PUCKER effect really kicks in for me when I'm out 2 wheelin', which in my opinion has sharpened my defensive skills... SCaRy!!!!

I'm glad no one got hurt... MARAUDER on!

[pem]

and all my friends wonder why I keep the Marauder in the garage and drive my ol' 97 grand marquis...... glad you didn't get nailed...Marauder angel was watching over you

[IwantmyMMnow!]

Must've ran across relatives of the driver of that SUV last Thursday on my way to Charlotte for the BOC.

Both of my middle fingers got a good workout that day...;)

[Bluerauder]

What is up with drivers today?

Cars are getting smarter. Most of the drivers are getting dumber. Car technology simply can't keep up with the pace of stupidty on the highways. I really don't think that the problem has anything to do with power or fuel mileage. Far too many drivers are just plain oblivious to everything that is around them. They are just not paying attention to what they are doing. It seems that everything except driving in on their mind.

Given the situation that you described in your "near miss", I've got $10.00 that says the driver of the SUV was on the phone or texting and didn't see the red light. Happens ALL the time and more frequently that most want to admit.

BTW -- Glad you came out of this one OK.

[PonyUP]

People that shoot across 4 lanes cause they suddenly need to exit

People that drive in a lane they know us ending and ride it until the end and force their way in

People that don't use blinkers

Oh and there's so much more, but the common denominator is most people don't care about the other drivers, and are constantly in a hurry

We lose sight of one word, courtesy. It's in all walks of life, people only see the world through their eyes and fail to see the world how others do. It comes down to being selfish in general and it shows in their driving


Pony seal of Approval

[RF Overlord]

Agree with all the above. People are just getting stupider and driving skills are vanishing at an alarming rate. It's not just a California thing, either...I get the finger at least once a week from various imbeciles performing some idiotic maneuver while I have the audacity to be on "their" road.

[Bluerauder]

People that shoot across 4 lanes cause they suddenly need to exit

People that drive in a lane they know us ending and ride it until the end and force their way in

People that don't use blinkers

Oh and there's so much more, but the common denominator is most people don't care about the other drivers, and are constantly in a hurry

We lose sight of one word, courtesy. It's in all walks of life, people only see the world through their eyes and fail to see the world how others do. It comes down to being selfish in general and it shows in their driving

+1 ... and I'll agree with ^^^^^^ this too. :D

[05crownsport]

All prior posts are true! Dumb, unobservant, non skilled, don't give a crap are all adjectives I use to describe drivers nowadays. The driving education is lax at best, and with all these idiots teaching their kids to drive just like them...the future looks bleak. My fantasy is to replicate Finlands driver training here in our country.

[MrBluGruv]

What bothers me is that it really doesn't even take that much effort to drive well. Like, almost none at all. It actually takes a conscious decision to COMPLETELY IGNORE what is going on during the act of driving to operate a motor vehicle as poorly as these people do.


Interesting thing happened recently out here though, not quite sure what to think of it yet but I find it funny:

For the longest time, Interstate 10 between San Antonio and Seguin was pretty much all the way 70mph. Every morning on my way to school/work, I'd peg the speedometer right at 70, engage cruise control, and go about my way legally and safely to get to where I needed to be. It never failed that I'd get passed the entire way by people going a minimum of 5mph over the posted limit, with many doing more than that even. Recently though, they changed the speed limit from 70mph to 75mph, and so on my way to and from work and school, I peg it at 75 instead of 70, yet EVERY SINGLE DAY I'm having to pass people because they are going 5mph UNDER the posted speed limit, with many going even slower than that.

How has INCREASING the speed limit slowed people down?


On a similar note, I very firmly believe that if you are doing 10mph under the speed limit on a freeway with an access road running alongside it, you need to consider exiting the freeway, and if you are doing 15mph under or even less, there is no "maybe" about it, you need to get the hell out unless there is no other road to travel.

And what the hell is it with people not understanding that the left-most lane on a multi-lane road is intended for passing, or at least minimum travelling at the posted speed limit?

[Mr. Man]

I will agree with most points already made so I won't reiterate them. I consider myself a generally good driver and I am relaxed when driving. I actually like to drive. I don't listen to the radio, talk on the phone, read the newspaper or do any personal grooming in the car while it's in motion.

I have noticed in my many years of driving most people seem nervous or agitated while they drive. We've all seen the people who, we'll call it 'drive', on the Interstate with the death grip on the steering wheel. I mean WTF the car basically drives itself, all that is needed is the occasional steering response from the driver, jeez loosen the grip.

I also stay away from the mini-vans with Dad's driving with the 2 and 10 hand positioning and the whiplash neck-look straight ahead-and do not look anywhere but straight ahead face. I always figure these guys are one spilled soda away from a family mass murder/suicide with the next bridge abutment.

Anyways I think the nervous Nellie's and death grip drivers drive because they need to not because they want to and thusly will never be good drivers.

Then you have the super aggressive A types who think they are the only people on the road (yes I'm referring to you Mr/Mrs Mercedes driver). These are the oblivious ones who are only in tune with their own Che and how dare the rest of us use their personal roads.

Best lesson I ever got from my Dad was as follows: "Son" he says "Some dumbass is going to do something stupid in front of you almost everytime you go out there so relax, expect it's going to happen, be as prepared as you can be, let it roll off your back when it does and as long as your standing next to the fridge get me a beer"

Words to live by.

Glad you didn't get hit and will live to Maraude another day.:beer:

[IwantmyMMnow!]

Like I always say when someone tells me to 'drive safe'...

"Don't say that to me, it's all the other idiots out there that need to be told that"

However, I have to be honest and admit that at one time or another, I've done each of the acts everyone has mentioned at least once.

I guess my two biggest pet-peeves is when someone is in the left lane when they shouldn't be and won't move over or when someone can't keep a constant speed because they are talking/texting on cell phone.

Well now that I think about it, I have many more on this list.....:lol:

[Shaijack]

I agree with you guys. I watched a young lady yesterday, she ran (30 or so mph, through three stop signs in my neighborhood. I followed and confronted her. She gets out of her car with her cell phone glued to her ear, looks at me and walks off. I then confronted her, with my Police ID and badge, she asks what I want. I explaned the situation to her and asked if she would like me to call the police to issue her a ticket. She just looks at me like I was wrong and goes into her house. The police arrived in a few minutes and she now has stop sign tickets and a reckless operation of a motor vehicle ticket. I hope she pays attention from now on. 3 stop sign tickets equals $170 each and a ROMV ticket means court and about $500. Plus court cost. I will gladly make time to be there to be a witness..

[Quasar3210]

I agree with all of the above...

Around here, I notice alot of people that can't count to 2 let alone 4 :D Either they are trying to run you over cause they are so impatient or want to let 12 cars go before them at a stop.

The other big one isn't that they DON'T signal...its when they do and automatically assume that it means everyone will slam on their brakes so that they can make their lane change. Don't check your mirrors or turn your head or anything. :mad2:

[guspech750]

I agree with you guys. I watched a young lady yesterday, she ran (30 or so mph, through three stop signs in my neighborhood. I followed and confronted her. She gets out of her car with her cell phone glued to her ear, looks at me and walks off. I then confronted her, with my Police ID and badge, she asks what I want. I explaned the situation to her and asked if she would like me to call the police to issue her a ticket. She just looks at me like I was wrong and goes into her house. The police arrived in a few minutes and she now has stop sign tickets and a reckless operation of a motor vehicle ticket. I hope she pays attention from now on. 3 stop sign tickets equals $170 each and a ROMV ticket means court and about $500. Plus court cost. I will gladly make time to be there to be a witness..

I like your style Barry.....


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[tbone]

Too many buttons, interactive screens, 5 steps to changing the fan speed, dials, switches, etc. Can you say distracting? My brother's new A7 is just too much. I love the simplicity of the Marauder's layout. You can concentrate on the road and the sound of the engine. I'll take my Marauder over my brother's $80,000 A7 any day of the week. I drove it. Nice. But not as nice as my car. And a weird pause when you hit the accelerator. It must be a German safety thing programmed into the computer. My sister's Golf does the same thing.

[Pat]

On the other hand, I've found, in my adjacent cities, that big rig truckers, on the connecting interstate, leave plenty of room for drivers to switch lanes when traffic slows to a crawl. That's a big help when one needs to exit or merge. Lift one for the big rig drivers. :beer:

[NavySeabee]

I just started reading a great book...TRAFFIC, Why We Drive The Way We Do (and what it says about us). Very interesting and entertaining! Author is Tom Vanderbilt. Any one read it yet?

[Mr. Man]

I agree with you guys. I watched a young lady yesterday, she ran (30 or so mph, through three stop signs in my neighborhood. I followed and confronted her. She gets out of her car with her cell phone glued to her ear, looks at me and walks off. I then confronted her, with my Police ID and badge, she asks what I want. I explaned the situation to her and asked if she would like me to call the police to issue her a ticket. She just looks at me like I was wrong and goes into her house. The police arrived in a few minutes and she now has stop sign tickets and a reckless operation of a motor vehicle ticket. I hope she pays attention from now on. 3 stop sign tickets equals $170 each and a ROMV ticket means court and about $500. Plus court cost. I will gladly make time to be there to be a witness..
This is just to rich...Kudos to you. That girl got schooled:beer: