You’re the Driver
I usually have a specific topic in mind when I post. Before reading further let me say this: Drive this in any direction you choose. You may have a rant about traffic or other drivers in your brain that you need to put on “paper.” You may want to go the political/government route via analogy, that’s fine. You may have an anecdote that you care to park here. Have fun (I hope).
Here are just a few, repeat a few of the lessons my Dad taught me about driving:
Driving is a privilege, not a right. Obey the rules.
You are sitting on a rocket-like device. Respect the vehicle you are in and the others around you.
Drive defensively always. Assume there is some knucklehead who will do something stupid when he/she is around you. [Dad used sharper language at the time to drive this concept home.]
Respect weather conditions and adjust accordingly.
You have mirrors for a reason. Monitor what is happening around you. For example, if there is someone behind you and you have not glanced in the mirror for a time and the vehicle that was there is no longer there, you have failed to be diligent in your driving.
Don’t let yourself be distracted from the task at hand – driving. If you become distracted, you are likely to wind up in an accident and you just may hurt someone else.
Never tailgate. If someone is tailgating you, hit the break just enough for the brake lights to come on and that should back the idiot [my word] up.
Know your limits. And, as you age, monitor carefully your ability to remain focused and your ability to keep up to the speed limit. If either deteriorates, stop driving.
So those are a few of the lessons Dad taught me.
February 23, 2012 at 12:52 pm
Jason this morning helped me to learn how to keep my head in the same place while I shifted my weight from the right foot to the left by driving my hips leftward as they rotated counterclockwise (from a top-down perspective), that so contact with the golf ball by my driver would be just past the nadir and at the beginning of the upswing.
This move is unique to hitting with the driver bacause you want to be coming down on the ball with all of the other clubs in the bag except the putter.
This is offensive — not defensive — driving, and so I never look in a rearview mirror during my swing.
February 23, 2012 at 4:23 pm
Can’t go the golf route. Me and golf bats have an adversarial relationship. We just don’t get along at all. And that means that that little ball sitting on that dealie-bob will not go where I direct it when attempting to get teed off.
February 23, 2012 at 3:34 pm
just a couple of thoughts here….
The tailgater tactic used to work better than it does these days….some are really determined to hitch a ride on your bumper.
Now the age related item…..although I am perfectly capable of driving almost any type vehicle, anywhere, anytime, I hate to go (period). I have been trying to turn in my keys for a long time, the family just laughs…..I am a hermit at heart!
Just drove 160 miles in high winds and blowing dirt. Now I am going to take a nap.
February 23, 2012 at 4:26 pm
The tailgate tactic worked great where I grew up. Out here on the east coast there are so many cars and they are so packed together that it’s like some people don’t know how to drive unless they are close. Drives me bonkers.
Trust you will recover quickly from your 160 mile wind and dirt jaunt.
February 23, 2012 at 3:44 pm
Politics as usual. Riding in the fog with a bus driver that seems perfectly content to drive at a higher and higher rate of speed and while I can’t tell where we are going, the topography is looking rougher and rougher and the road worse and worse. We seem to be coming very close to the cliff edge several times and there is no apparant guardrail. There are brief flashes of vague but noticeable warning signs that keep appearing on the side of the road. Doesn’t seem consistant with the route or destination that was listed in the brochure. In the meantime, the driver keeps either ignoring me or telling me that I am alarmed unnecessarily and that he has everything under control. I notice that there are some folks that appear similarly worried but that a lot of the other passengers don’t even seem to be paying attention. Doesn’t look safe to jump out without risk of significant injury, besides, I’ve got my family with me.
February 23, 2012 at 4:28 pm
When I read this, Drrik, the first thing that came to mind was the chorus from an old song called, “The Race is On.”
Now the race is on
and here comes pride in the backstretch
Heartaches goin’ to the inside
My tears are holdin’ back
They’re tryin’ not to fall
My heart’s out of the runnin’
True love’s scratched for another’s sake
The race is on and it looks like heartaches
and the winner loses all
February 23, 2012 at 4:23 pm
I use to run a international multimillion dollar retail company, before I retired. I’ve driven in city’s such as Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, San Fran, Sacramento…just to name a few big ones. I’ve never once encountered any drivers worse than my home town of Lexington, KY. These bunch of rednecks I live with (I can make fun of rednecks cause I are one!) are the absolute worse drivers I’ve ever experienced. They drive like they’re on big John Deere tracker’s with high powered engines and a plow on the front to move everyone out of there way…and they’re colored blind…can’t tell red from green on the lights….rednecks…jeez!
February 23, 2012 at 5:37 pm
Well I’ll trade you 100 thousand John Deere drivers for a 100 thousand northern virginia drives in a heartbeat! Besides, if a guy driving a John Deere tractor into a wading pool or whatever it was, could keep Capitol Police at bay and traffic tied up for as long as he did, seems to me them thar John Deere tractors might be the ticket.
As for driving in cities … there was one especially nasty place I hated going because of traffic and refused to even entertain driving in and that was Los Angeles.
February 23, 2012 at 5:10 pm
There was a time I worked for a company that required ALL personnel who drove a company or client vehicle to be “road certified” by a supervisor. That’s where I came in. Before even let the new people get into a vehicle, I had them do a standard walk around service, safety check on on things like tires, fluids, lights and general condition. I would always stop them by the company logo and ask if they knew what it was. They invariably told me what the signage read or describe the emblem To which I replied, “No. That’s not an emblem, that’s a target, and the words painted on your door say ‘Hit me. I’m well insured, and the company will settle’”. That message was never lost on anyone who had to face driving a commercial in city traffic. Several actually later commented that it indeed seemed other drivers were trying to have collisions with them.
February 23, 2012 at 5:26 pm
Good grief, Salty. Proof read much? Stupid fingers.
February 23, 2012 at 5:40 pm
Good grief, Salty, I didn’t even notice. So there you go.
Actually, Saltwater, that was very wise counsel you gave those folks. I have never driven a vehicle with an emblem on it before. Would have never occurred to me. What size cities are you talking about?
February 23, 2012 at 6:06 pm
This is in the Valley of the Sun, Phoenix and surrounding area. Or as some of the exasperated locals call it – “Little L.A. East.”. That was for the old Pinkerton Security. The emblem was that open eye & “We Never Sleep” moto. So it wasn’t hard to envision it as a bulls eye.
February 23, 2012 at 6:57 pm
Oh my goodness. Can’t fathom driving one of those. To be honest I think it would give me the creeps. I also would have stayed as far away from them as possible. I always figured they were armed to the teeth (don’t know where I got that impression).
I can see the “Little L.A. East” thing when it comes to tooling around Phoenix. Phoenix was one of the cities I always cabbed it everywhere. Probably because I usually never spent more than 36 hours at a time in the city.
February 23, 2012 at 6:27 pm
I am a terrible driver, i have no patience for being on the road, hence I do not drive much. I live in a small town and walk and bike everywhere. Last year I filled up my gas tank 2 times. I am the guy that violates all those rules your dad taught you.
February 23, 2012 at 7:01 pm
Ah, so you’re the one! My Dad warned me about you young whipper snappers (and no, I have NO CLUE what a whipper snapper is).
Seems to yours truly you are wise to walk and bike, given your lack of patience. I admit I am somewhat envious that you fill your gas tank so infrequently, Patrick. Guess the price of gas really won’t affect your vote in November, will it?
February 23, 2012 at 8:14 pm
Mrs. AL,
Gumball Rally: “What’s behind me is not important.”
February 24, 2012 at 5:57 am
Laughing myself silly here, CS!
February 24, 2012 at 10:02 pm
Mrs. AL,
My Dad suffered from Narcolepsy – so when my father took me to teach me to drive – he usually fell asleep and I was on my own. He was happy and so was I,
February 25, 2012 at 10:55 am
I have only known a couple of folks with narcolepsy. As for the two of you being happy during your driving lessons … evidently it went well ’cause you’re still here!
February 26, 2012 at 6:14 pm
Mrs. AL,
True enough. The loudest thing in the car now is Mrs. CS. She doesn’t seem to believe that I can actually talk on the phone, reprogram the GPS, and change lanes safely at 75 miles an hour.
February 27, 2012 at 7:19 am
Oh, CS, you’re one of them thar super multi-taskers, eh? Now Mrs. CS and I share a trait. We are both front seat-back seat drivers! Whoduthunk?
February 29, 2012 at 10:29 am
Gumball Rally, one of my favorite movies! Raul’s best line of his career!
February 24, 2012 at 5:26 am
I am the driver in Lexington,KY that Dave warned you about.
Sadly, if you’re not that driver, you get abused. Just the other day I had a guy come almost completey into my lane while he was texting. I hit the horn and the brakes simultaneously…and he had the nerve to flip me the bird. So….given that I drive a 14 yr. old vehicle, and I have no qualms whatsoever about crashing it, I returned the favor.
Quid pro quo, Clarice.
And the icing on the cake? About a mile later, while he was so intent on chasing me down (to what end??) , he nearly crashed into a fire truck that was working an accident. He had to lock down the brakes…would’ve been a heck of a mess.
The beauty of it all? We are a “conceal/carry” state. Probably best to act like everyone’s packing…I am.
February 24, 2012 at 6:03 am
Don’t you just hate that when people do stupid and then get aggressive when you call them on it? Speaking of the 14 year old vehicle, to hear my Dad tell it – when he was quite young he had a “beater.” When public buses came to be and were roaming the streets, the drivers would act like they owned the road. Supposedly he would take his beater and try and run them off the road. Interestingly, he never taught me that lesson — haha.
As for your final thought — ditto.
February 24, 2012 at 6:06 am
Public Service Announcement … Common Sense (CS) posted a video on the previous post here (Part II – Dream, Fantasy or Nightmare?) about the Keystone Pipeline. It’s at his place as well on blogspot. When you get the opportunity, have a look-see. IMHO it is well worth the time.
February 24, 2012 at 9:28 pm
MrsAL, in a shameless exhibit of self-promotion, I’m informing you of a new essay at my own blog (at last!)
February 25, 2012 at 10:56 am
I’ll get there as soon as I can. Oh btw, I don’t like your phraseology “shameless exhibit of self-promotion.” It’s another public service announcement, BrianR.
February 25, 2012 at 12:13 pm
Well, I thank you, kind lady. How sweet.
February 25, 2012 at 12:18 pm
You’re kind, BrianR, but I ain’t exactly sweet — just calls as I sees ‘em. It’s good one. And the comments thus far are outstanding. So much to learn …
Would like it if more people came by and let others know they have new posts up.
February 26, 2012 at 12:43 pm
Yeah, exactly. We ALL should do that. Not only do we then know when someone has something new and (hopefully) interesting up, but it also helps drive and increase traffic at all our blogs.
February 26, 2012 at 2:41 pm
I doubt everyone is comfortable doing that, though it would be ideal. Having to schluck around to different blogs to put up notifications can be a pain. I respect that.
BTW, when you going to buy one of them thar Volt things?
Well got to motor on … hopefully Daytona will begin here shortly if it hasn’t already.
February 25, 2012 at 10:43 am
Your father was a smart man.
The test for driving today is really outdated.
In most places if you can keep your vehicle between the fence rows you qualify for a license.
After riding motorcycles for over 50 years I would modify a couple of things your dad said:
1. Mirrors LIE! Do not trust your mirror for anything more than to confirm what you already know. There is always a blind spot in a mirror, whether rear view or window mirror, whether in a car or on a bike. Always.
2. NEVER assume the other person is going to do the right thing. Any assumptions made should be that that person is going to do the stupidest thing possible and plan accordingly.
3. Watch out for cars coming across lanes to make a freeway exit. Unlike aircraft that execute a “missed approach”, cars that suddenly realize they are passing their exit will endanger everyone around them instead of simply going to the next off ramp…
Driving is a full time occupation. Cell phones, texting and fiddling with the CD player cause more accidents than DUI’s.
There’s a reason it is illegal in most states to talk to the bus driver…
February 25, 2012 at 11:07 am
Yea, captbogus, when it came to driving Dad helped me out tremendously! You are indeed correct, relying on mirrors only is dangerous.
And I could not agree more that “Driving is a full time occupation.” If people took this approach there would be fewer and fewer accidents. And that would help lower insurance rates — ok, I can dream.
One other thing he taught me that I didn’t mention in the post was that when it came to highway driving, I was not to focus on the vehicle coming toward me. Rather, I was to focus on the tires. Where the tires are pointed, so goes the vehicle.
Given your comments, I take you weren’t one of those motorcyclist’s with their heads up their tail pipes. That’s a good thing. I try to leave as much room as is reasonable between me and a motorcycle. I try not to overdo it, at the same time I want to leave as much room as possible so if he/she spills, I don’t add more injury.
February 25, 2012 at 6:00 pm
Mrs Al,
You gave me an idea from over at Brian’s Blog plus Common Sense above. To post a video just copy/paste the URL into the comment box.
This is the video that you sent me.
February 26, 2012 at 12:43 pm
Hilarious!
February 26, 2012 at 2:33 pm
Thanx, Hardnox, for the visual demonstration. Wonder if that would work within a post itself … didn’t think so.
February 26, 2012 at 7:31 pm
Give it a try. If that doesn’t work post it in a reply. It was easier than at Blogger.
February 27, 2012 at 7:20 am
When I get up the nerve, Hardnox, I will do just that! Thanx for the encouragement.
February 25, 2012 at 11:50 pm
MrsAl- If ever driving in Chicago, if you are at a red-light, always keep two car-lengths behind the auto in front of you. Pay attention to your surroundings. If you see someone in your side-view power-walking up the side of your car with a hand behind his back. Immediately turn the wheel to the right, and floor it. I’d say, have a gun ready and steady, but we’re not allowed to defend ourselves in this state.
Oh, and if you call someone a F###ing Di##head, the 4 year old in the back seat will most certainly repeat it.
February 26, 2012 at 2:37 pm
Wow … two care lengths, J.O.B. From what I remember, the Chicago and surrounding area traffic is bumper to bumper. I have driven the outskirts of Chicago a whole bunch (Interstate) which was always in a state of repair. That was bad. Cabbed it within the city whenever there on business.
Thanx for coming by and I know you have a new post up.
February 28, 2012 at 6:50 pm
I taught my son to drive a couple years ago. He was nervous, so I put him at ease. I said look, this is a go-cart (fyi – we love go-carting and have gone to several Indy style tracks over the years) but it’s bigger, heavier and more dependent on non-negotiable rules for the road if ya want to live and drive safely. I pointed out that in a car, instead of skidding or sliding harmlessly when ya make contact with another car as happens in a go-cart, ya do expensive damage to both vehicles, cost yourself thousands of dollars and may injure or kill another driver and/or yourself not to mention passengers and other innocent bystanders. That said, I went on to teach him almost verbatim what your father taught you though in words that had not been moderated for the sake of public decorum.
Then as an added bonus course, I taught him how to identify the political beliefs of other drivers based upon their driving style, habits and the most likely vehicles you’ll find them driving. There are a few vehicle alerts to be aware of, which include Volvo, Saab, any Subaru station wagon — Forester, Outback, Legacy — and the Scion or it’s equivalent. These vehicles may be driven by sane well adjusted human beings in most cases but when you’re experiencing a really poor, inconsiderate, idiotic, timid, fearful or dare I say even “anal” driver, it’s likely one of these automobile types that will be involved.
Enjoyed this post, there’s much to learn from your gentle teaching! And much you learn about us.
February 29, 2012 at 7:21 am
I find the vehicle type-casting quite fascinating, AfterShock. Never put vehicle types to the pine cones I experience on the road. I am going to have to pay closer attention!
Go-carting has to be a blast. Me, didn’t have the nerve when I was a kid but I did like watching others. Say, is there a possible professional driver in your family?
March 1, 2012 at 6:31 pm
I can refine my driver/car profile even further, perhaps a fun post some day soon. As for pro driver, well me son just ain’t interested in it beyond attempting to pass me by at the go-cart track. As far as I go, I’m too old and it’s just too expensive.
March 2, 2012 at 10:46 am
Still and all … sounds like the two of you have a good time of it and that’s what counts.
February 29, 2012 at 10:33 am
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xaS_m5pFdA&w=420&h=315%5D
February 29, 2012 at 11:12 am
Oh Jim that is beyond priceless!!!!!!!!!!! Thanx so much for the needed laugh.
February 29, 2012 at 10:36 am
Sorry, tried posting the video, it didn’t work
March 1, 2012 at 7:23 pm
I think the “distracted driver” laws are interesting nowadays. Why haven’t they had that law for the last 40 years? I recalled driving down the road and watching women put on mascara driving at 40 mph.
March 2, 2012 at 7:23 am
I never understood that one either, RisR! “Distracted driver” laws are all the rage these days for whatever reason. If you have your head where the sun doesn’t shine you shouldn’t be driving. It’s a full-time activity and ought be taken very seriously.
March 4, 2012 at 2:26 pm
By driving on the wrong side of the road you are all inviting trouble. After all, Frenchmen drive that way and look where it got them.
Also your national obsession with automatic transmissions has always troubled me, frankly automatics are a tad “girly”.
Otherwise your dad sounds a very sensible chap.
March 5, 2012 at 7:54 am
Now that’s funny, cromwellshead! Wait a minute, is that a shot about us and the French (insert laughing face here)?
I drove a manual transmission up until the last couple of years or so. I actually thought they made me a better driver. On the other side of the coin, my husband person always had automatics in the police cars he drove. We used to maintain one of each. Then we got an offer too good to pass up so now we are all automatic.
And yes, when it came to driving my Dad was indeed “a very sensible chap.”
March 5, 2012 at 9:06 am
That is the reason for national maladies yes! I judge civilisation by its driving habits. Anyhow, please forgive my comparison with Frenchmen. At least Americans speak a form of English
Automatics are seen here as the sphere of over seventy somethings or lazy folk. They are rather frowned upon in certain quarters. Good for you though, and yes I think manuals make for safer driving.
March 5, 2012 at 10:29 am
Well I’m not over 70 yet and I hope I’m not lazy. That said, I certainly can see where that would be the perception. You really have to keep your head about you with a manual.