Random Rants LXVIII: Burn it all to the ground and start over!

[Snerk]

Wait...you actually have a fidget spinner? -10 respect points from me, dude.

So I bought one of these fidget spinners off ebay. Was bored after 2.3 sec. What the hell, kids?

 

[Commodore]

The point is you still bought one.

 

[Borachio]

Generally a good policy to adhere to, but I don't know how realistic this is on a North American freeway. I can't say anything for our European counterparts since I don't remember the roads there. Here, there's either too much traffic for that or someone who is very insistent on getting to their destination ASAP will just weave into the space you've created in a few seconds.

I know what you're saying.

But you just have to let them in and create another space. Sometimes one can even get the impression of moving backwards. Yet it is just an illusion.

I have no experience of US roads but some UK roads are surely as busy as they get. Like the M25 round London. Which gets so packed that you'd be better off walking.

And for any speed under 20 mph, a gap of less than a car length is usually sufficient, if you've got your wits about you.

The actual mechanics of driving on any road must surely be pretty universal, I'd have thought. It's just a matter of units of transportation going along ribbons of tarmac or concrete.

 

[shadowplay]

The point is you still bought one.

 

[Snerk]

Omg somebody broke the troll cock! Whyyyyy!??

https://translate.google.com/transl...rk.no/norge/trollpikken-er-odelagt-1.13574442

Though slightly hilarious that the headline: The Troll Cock (it's official name) is broken was translated to "the wizard is broken". Wizard??

 

[Borachio]

Penis envy seems a likely explanation.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

I know what you're saying.

But you just have to let them in and create another space. Sometimes one can even get the impression of moving backwards. Yet it is just an illusion.

I have no experience of US roads but some UK roads are surely as busy as they get. Like the M25 round London. Which gets so packed that you'd be better off walking.

And for any speed under 20 mph, a gap of less than a car length is usually sufficient, if you've got your wits about you.

The actual mechanics of driving on any road must surely be pretty universal, I'd have thought. It's just a matter of units of transportation going along ribbons of tarmac or concrete.

LA freeway traffic routinely runs at between fifty and seventy mph with gaps of about two car lengths. You just watch about four cars ahead and if they brake, you brake. The cars between you and them are on their own.

 

[Borachio]

LA freeway traffic routinely runs at between fifty and seventy mph with gaps of about two car lengths. You just watch about four cars ahead and if they brake, you brake. The cars between you and them are on their own.

Sure, that's one way of doing it.

Imo, that's a high risk strategy and probably doesn't work so well when traffic is merging from the right. (Do I mean right? Yeah, for US readers, I think I do.)

You should be leaving more of a gap than that at 70 mph. And also looking as far ahead as you possibly can (I mean, why on earth wouldn't you?). And not forgetting to look behind as well.

This is just plain defensive driving. Doesn't everybody know it?

 

[Arakhor]

Not that I ever learnt to drive, but I remember the mnemonic for safe driving: "only a fool breaks the two-second rule".

 

[cardgame]

I always keep myself at three seconds. This way, if I am gaining but slowly, it can narrow to 2 seconds and I'll know I need to pass or slow down - instead of narrowing to less than 2 seconds and breaking the rule.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Sure, that's one way of doing it.

Imo, that's a high risk strategy and probably doesn't work so well when traffic is merging from the right. (Do I mean right? Yeah, for US readers, I think I do.)

You should be leaving more of a gap than that at 70 mph. And also looking as far ahead as you possibly can (I mean, why on earth wouldn't you?). And not forgetting to look behind as well.

This is just plain defensive driving. Doesn't everybody know it?

If you leave more than a two car length gap it will fill faster than you can back off, so you wind up with a less than two car length gap anyway and you create a traffic hazard as people make lane changes to get around you. Rules are all well and good, but freeway driving is a cooperative exercise and one idiot playing by their own rules makes things unsafe for everyone.

 

[JohannaK]

The mystery then is how the fool managed to make everyone else drive by his own rules instead of the common ones.

 

[Borachio]

If you leave more than a two car length gap it will fill faster than you can back off, so you wind up with a less than two car length gap anyway and you create a traffic hazard as people make lane changes to get around you. Rules are all well and good, but freeway driving is a cooperative exercise and one idiot playing by their own rules makes things unsafe for everyone.

This simply isn't born out by my experience.

If you're paying close attention to what's around you, as you should be, nobody will be making lane changes to get around you as you suggest.

It really is easy enough to tell when somebody has that intention and slightly adjust your speed so that they give the idea up.

 

[cardgame]

That thing I posted about in the raves thread isn't true. Argh

 

[Arakhor]

At least you're getting out there and meeting people.

 

[Takhisis]

That thing I posted about in the raves thread isn't true. Argh

Hey, it's happened to everyone, even me (the part about it not being true).

*sighs wistfully*

 

[Timsup2nothin]

This simply isn't born out by my experience.

If you're paying close attention to what's around you, as you should be, nobody will be making lane changes to get around you as you suggest.

It really is easy enough to tell when somebody has that intention and slightly adjust your speed so that they give the idea up.

LOL...so now you are suggesting slowing down to allow a big gap (irritating everyone behind you), but speeding up to close it whenever you think someone might get in it (irritating the people beside you). In LA that gets you shot in a road rage incident.

 

[Synobun]

The grocery store decided they want to deliver Sunday night instead of Saturday afternoon. I order food for the day after I run out because my fridge isn't so great.

The delay could be seen as problematic.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

The grocery store decided they want to deliver Sunday night instead of Saturday afternoon. I order food for the day after I run out because my fridge isn't so great.

The delay could be seen as problematic.

You get your groceries delivered?

 

[Synobun]

You get your groceries delivered?

I can't make the trip to a grocery store, let alone the trip back while carrying things. So delivery is really the only option available for the whole "eating" activity.