are you a thoughtful automobile driver?
 

when you drive, do you try and pay attention to what other drivers are trying to do or where they are going, traffic flow, needing to merge, etc and adjust your driving?

if you don't you won't live long

assume everybody else on the road is a fucking idiot and you'll be safe.

oh yeah - for sure. and it saved me more than once

Absolutely. It's saved my ass several times before.

I'm an excellent driver.

i don't think any of y'all drive in l.a.! hahahah

i'm used to drive 150 mp/h on german highways - can't do that while writing text messages or eating ;)

I use turn signals at 3am out of habit. Most people don't use turn signals driving 80+ mph on busy freeways. I always assume people are idiots so I never ride up people's asses like a lot of my friends do.

yeah, they keep it down to around 110mph while texting in these parts

:1orglaugh

I drove in LA for 13 years :)

i hear ya, i drove in austin for a few years myself, ugh.

Yes...of course.

i do, not because im courteous, but because most people cant drive for shit and im afraid they might hit me.

I'm an OK driver. My only accident was over 10 years ago.

I you own an SUV in Scottsdale I think you are forced to go to some class about how not to let people merge in front of you. Women being even worse than guys it seems.

Come on people it's not a big deal to let someone change lanes!

LA has better (more courteous) drivers than any place I can think of. US or EU. Okay, upon further thought, as there are laws against aggressiveness in Germany, they may be forced to be more courteous there.

When I drove I was always on the defense. Now when I walk, I'm still looking at traffic as a danger. People get crazy when driving. Keyboard warriors can only aspire to be as callous and detached as road raging jerkwads.

my experience is not the same.

I could write volumes on how good a driver I think I am, and how bad I know most other drivers are. Even as I'm typing this I'm resisting the urge to go off on a rant :winkwink:

it's funny you mention that, i've noticed peeps in crossing walks rarely make eye contact, even mom's pushing baby strollers just charge on out, with the baby in the carriage leading the way.

Definitely,

It's usually not that hard to spot "problematic" drivers, it's basically a couple stereotypes that turn up over and over again.

According to my experience - usually the places with the worst traffic have the best drivers, cause they're forced to anticipate.

Czech Republic has some of the worst drivers ever. I'm always surprised that not more get killed every day :2 cents:

let me ask the question another way. say you are in a left turn lane waiting for the left turn light at an intersection you know has a short left turn signal. as you wait for the green, you look in your rearview and notice several cars behind you that also need to turn left. so when the light turns green, do you move forward quickly so more cars can go, or do you not give a shit what happens to those cars behind you?

that's an example of the *thoughtfulness* i am referring to.

are you thoughtful that way?

Come on up to Toronto and enjoy a rush hour. People are retarded on the roads here.

if they are anything like the drivers in vancouver.............:helpme

tell Marina to stop driving at rush hours then... :upsidedow

I'd venture to guess that I have more.

I am not going to obstruct with the right of way of someone else just so people behind me can catch a break. As far as moving quickly, I move as quickly as can be done safely.

I was hit this weekend while my car was parked outside the hotel at the Qwebec expo, i need defensive parking lessons lol.

I have to. I always like to analyze the other drivers. It's a way of learning how not to act while driving. And of course, we all make mistakes sometimes.

If you don't, don't ever buy a Motorcycle.
This is the cause of life or death. Mind reading is the number one key in riding Motorcycles.

I am, I use my car ONLY if I need to. If I can walk, ride bike I prefer to do so. City driving is just not my thing and I live in an area where you have all the best places walking distance ;)

prolly, but i don't think you are that much older than me eh. maybe, never thought about it actually. i've been driving for what, 31+ years i figure.


yes, moving quickly, paying attention to the flow of traffic, that's the sort of thoughtfulness i am referring to!

I have 40+ years, but was not talking about the amount of time, but rather the number of different places I have driven.

If you think LA drivers suck, try Chicago, anywhere in Indiana, rush hour in Houston or Louisville. I could go on.

QFT! :thumbsup being able to have great peripheral vision is another biggie eh

I drive like a paranoid meth user.

If you're anywhere near me, I'm going to get the fuck away from you. No, you may not ride behind me for a bit less drag, or beside me because you're bored. Get the fuck away from me.

oh, i see, not sure if that's the case then, i've lived in dozens of places, including houston.

traveled via car/motorcycle all over the states, a few places abroad.

Then you were not paying attention. :2 cents:

that's an out of the blue assumption. and incorrect.

yes.

You get back what you put in when on the road. I judge people by the way they drive, and if someone drives like an asshole, there's a high probability they are an asshole.

Then let me re-word it. Your experience was prior to moving to LA so you were not able to accurately compare. Kind of like people that move here from NY or MI, decide they hate it and move back home only to realize that they actually like LA a lot more.

I've driven in Paris and i'm still alive.

I'm in LA.

The main thing is the "Thanks Wave" or the "I Fucked up and I'm sorry wave"

thx for rephrasing, but that's not an accurate summary of my view/feelings/thoughts on the matter.

fact is, i love los angeles. i love the roads, highways, views, places- everything.

i think the level of thoughtfulness with drivers here is no greater or worse than anywhere else i've driven/ridden. is it the same as it was 30 years ago, of course not. there are a lot more people on the roads these days, makes a big difference.

That just might be the dumbest thing I've ever heard anyone say.

Ever.

The Worst Drivers in the U.S. Live in...

1. New Jersey
2. Washington, DC
3. New York
4. Massachusetts
5. Georgia
6. Mississippi
7. Hawaii
8. Lousiana
9. West Virginia
10. Maryland

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com...-U-S-Live-in-/

http://tinyurl.com/2346ddd

What part?

Knowing the rules and following them are not exactly the same thing.

I grew up in the LA area, I drove a 1970 dodge pickup 4x4 with a 440 magnum, home made bumpers, during the 80's . I loved driving it because is scared people.
Remember all the freeway shootings? For a while everyone was a nice driver, LOL