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You are stressed out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Carlton (Post 3100131)

rarely a day goes by where I must deliberately take evasive action to avoid an accident.

BC, I think you have a driving problem. I rarely take evasive action, if at all, in every day driving. :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by martureo (Post 3099862)

I just had to vent a little bit. I know from personal experience that the world is full of idiots, but for some reason I needed to get just a little bit more validating experience last night. (A statement which will show it’s irony as you keep reading)

So I had 516 miles on the tank last night as I was leaving work. (stock 84 300D ~300,000 miles on it) The reserve light had been on for two days now (it’s 20 miles one way to work) and I didn’t want to fill up at the expensive station near my work. I’ve put around 560 miles on a tank before and have never completely run the tank dry, so I hoped that even with the loss of mpg caused by winter mix of diesel I’d be able to make it the 19 miles to the station I wanted to fill up at.

I didn’t make it.

I ended up getting stuck on a two lane road with no shoulders and had embankments on either side of the road. It was also starting to snow. Awesome.

So I flip on the 4 ways, shut off the headlights and running lights and wait for traffic to die down a minute before I get out and walk behind the car. I got out my trusty Euro warning triangle and set it out about 20ft behind the car, then went back to the car to grab a flare. I usually carry about 10 30-minute flares, I get them from a captain of the county Police department. (I met him at an accident scene when I was the first responder and was complaining that I’d used my last flare, he responded that he’d supply me with new flares as long as he worked there). Anyway, I set a flare down about 10-15 feet in front of the triangle because it was starting to get darker out. (5:35pm at the time)

I went back and called my wife and then called MBZ roadside assistance. There are two dealerships near me and they said it might take 30-45 minutes to get there. (It took a total of 70 minutes because the driver got lost and was looking for me on the wrong road)

While I was waiting I’d see people fly past me in the opposing lane, others would wait and slowly creep around, while still others would wait for traffic to appear in the opposing lane before driving by next to them, three cars wide across the road. But with all the idiots and overcautious people (I had one woman sit behind me for a full minute before she felt safe… I know, because I was able to sit there and time her with my watch), I still can’t figure out what I saw next.

It was probably the third flare I had out, standing at about a 45 degree angle from the ground, that I see some guy creeping up really close to the flare. He finally decides to move around me and RUNS OVER THE FLARE. He barely missed hitting my triangle as well. WHO RUNS OVER A FLARE?!!?!

He put the flare out so I ran out and being unable to re-strike that flare I pulled out another and used the new to reignite the old one (I figured more light is better). But then 15 minutes later the roadkill flare had just run out and someone else runs over the lit flare. OMG! What the heck!?! Now I have to wait again for traffic to die back down and go put another out.

Before the MBZ guys got there I had three people run over flares. I had 8 flares in my trunk when I started (that should have lasted me 4 hours in total) and now I have one left.

I know I’m the idiot who decided to drive on a back road with no fuel in his tank, and slowed traffic for an hour and a half. BUT WHAT TYPE OF MORON RUNS OVER FLARES? Especially flares that are propped up?

</vent>

I disagree with your calling other motorists idiots for your running out of fuel on a public roadway.....

I don't know what age person you are, but as you relate your story, you apparently were willing to risk running out of fuel, rather than being safe when on the road. This put others' lives and safety at peril, whether you realize it or not. I learned my fuel level lesson when a very young man, and 180* changed my ways. I hope this situation that I believe you stated as having caused, is a lifelong lesson to you as what not to do in life as per your car's fuel level. This event could have cost you your life, as you were blocking a road with your car, that you knew was running on fumes for many miles. All could have been avoided had you made a better life decision. You were lucky - this time. Maybe next time - not so lucky.

Quote:

Originally Posted by martureo (Post 3099862)

Running out of fuel is (in this case) as you admit your fault. :o
It happens all the time around Detroit where they put in just enough to get from A to B, and you frequently see the same people walking the highway shoulder with a one gallon fuel can every week. :eek:

I assume you are wise enough that it will not happen again. :)
Nobody was physically harmed so IMO life goes on.

I carry two gallons of oil in each diesel, because I will always need it for service and (emergency fuel) don't trust the fuel gauge (justified paranoia backed by experience). :)

As to the other drivers, consider how many gave good clearance and where safe?
There are always the worlds dumbest and Darwin award winners, regardless of where you are. :(

Relax and be happy. :)

.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rs899 (Post 3100098)

Keep in mind the OP only fessed up to us, his brethren.

To the outside world, he had a breakdown.

There was no "Look at me - I pulled a Kramer and Failed" sign posted.

So that's the kind of treatment you guys hand out? Tough crowd.

Sure we can get on him for bringing it on himself, but the reaction from other drivers still sucks.

One reaps what they sow.

Once we put behind us the cause of the traffic impediment, I believe we are all onboard with bashing the DB's who can't or won't drive with a lick of common sense or decency.

Marty, be glad that your triangle is still in one piece....

My SD will actually let me know about 10 miles before it runs out by losing acceleration and the inability to wind up the RPMs
The reserve light does not function, and the gauge does not read correctly since the tank of RUG that my wife put in the vehicle, so I never mess around with pushing the mileage, and I always carry a gallon of diesel and a quart of trans fluid in the trunk.

Hmm I fill up the 300D every 3 days or so. It doesn't even get down to 1/4 tank and I fill it back up.

This is largely because my commute is 60 miles each way and I don't dare tempt fate to run out of diesel in the middle of the turnpike.

But as to people runing over road flares... yeah thats stupid. and they are stupid for doing it. why would you run over it!?

Quote:

Originally Posted by chilcutt (Post 3099863)

Why not try to look at the bright side ?

How? The flares got run over and no light. Bright just became dark.

Quote:

Originally Posted by martureo (Post 3099884)

But why do there have to be so many idiot/mean/reckless/untrained/uncaring/stupid/ignorant drivers out there?

Because people are basically bad and all they need is the means and motive to make the badness come out?

Quote:

Originally Posted by martureo (Post 3099911)

The thing is that I make a point to stop. If I have 5 minutes of wiggle room to where I'm going, I'll stop push a vehicle on to the shoulder, etc. Heck, I'll even help you start your car again and follow you to the nearest repair shop.

I drive mostly back roads (there are plenty of highways around here) and I drive out in the middle of nowhere several times a week. I've stopped and waited on the side of the road for an hour with a 16 year old girl because I didn't feel right leaving her out there all alone.

Your right, the world is much different than it used to be. My father is the one who told me to stop whenever I could and help someone out. But he's also the one who yelled at me after he heard that I stopped on my way to a job interview and pushed a car out of a lane of traffic in my best suit:eek:.

Depending on how hot the girl is, I might.

I drive highways whenever I can even if it means driving a little more mileage. Why? Faster and less stops. Further to that, if I run out of gas, have an accident, car break down, get hungry, need to take a crap, etc, etc, I have all kinds of options. Further to that, less animals to hit.

Yes, like people, things change and usually for the worse. Yes, your father was right. You could help others if you are so inclined but NOT at your own expense. If you get mud on your T-shirt, so be it. On your best suit just before an interview? Not on your life regardless of how hot a girl you are.

Help me out with this, you had eight 30-minute flares and used seven. About 70 minutes passed prior to the arrival of MB support, however, we do not know how much time passed between stopping and the phone call (I estimate 20 minutes). The third flare was the first one to get run over which means about an hour had passed. The fourth flare was used to relight the run over third flare. The third flare runs out and then the fourth flare gets runover. A fifth flare is lit and about 90 minutes have passed.

What happened to flares six and seven?

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbomachines (Post 3100057)

Quite an assumption.

Anyways you weren't in an accident, that's a what-if scenario that didn't occur. What you did was make a stupid yet conscious decision that put numerous other people at risk (in the very least inconvenienced them) as well as yourself. Why do you feel like they owe you something?

This is like that guy posting about a fedex truck parking too close to him after he parked across 2 spaces.

Do you know what a tu quoque fallacy is?

It means that if I rob a store and someone else robs a store it is nonsense for either of us to singularly condemn the other. I already admitted my culpability in the choices I made, but the individuals who ran over my flares are still in the wrong.

Please try to keep up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by martureo (Post 3100478)

Actually I don't care enough to "keep up". This isnt a logic debate. Not sure why the condescending Tone immediately Shows up either. I'm not the one going on a tirade over a free road flare, and appealing for sympathy. Looks like other people agree with me.

I don't know a lot about road flares and this might be an incorrect statement..but could it have damaged a tire?

sounds to me like people running over flares just reinforces the awareness of the appalling numbers of people who have no idea how wide or long their car is.
I don't think people would purposely run over the flares, sounds like they were trying to cut it close, and the car was a lot wider than they are aware.

Just like people who can't parallel park, can't reverse, ect. Automakers need to start bolting hood ornaments to cars again, helps for people to realize where their RF tire is.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim (Post 3100390)

Because people are basically bad and all they need is the means and motive to make the badness come out?

That sort of relates to something my GrandDad used to say "there's a little bit of good in the worst of us, and a little bit of bad in the best of us."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe (Post 3100223)

I disagree with your calling other motorists idiots for your running out of fuel on a public roadway.....

Disagree all you want, I never said such a thing.

Quote:

I don't know what age person you are, but as you relate your story, you apparently were willing to risk running out of fuel, rather than being safe when on the road. This put others' lives and safety at peril, whether you realize it or not. I learned my fuel level lesson when a very young man, and 180* changed my ways. I hope this situation that I believe you stated as having caused, is a lifelong lesson to you as what not to do in life as per your car's fuel level. This event could have cost you your life, as you were blocking a road with your car, that you knew was running on fumes for many miles. All could have been avoided had you made a better life decision. You were lucky - this time. Maybe next time - not so lucky.

Go look up tu quoque fallacy. It would do you good.