Ridiculous!!! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 08-30-2002, 05:41 PM

I'm sorry but I must rant... I'm driving NB I-75 to EB I-595 in Fort Lauderdale, and the traffic is getting "bunged" up to the point of being dangerous. You know, everyone hummimg along at 70 mph and the brake lights hit and bring everyone down to under 55 mph. I'm thinking it's a cop, construction, or an accident. I slow and move into the passing lane to get around the obstruction. After about one mile, I see the problem. NO cop, NO construction, NO accident. It is a very petite female, probably about 5'2'' and 105 lbs. She is moving at about 45 mph in a Ford Excursion while talking on her phone!!! She is totally oblivious to the fact that she has created a dangerous and frustrating experience for many people. WTF?! Why in the hell do people drive vehicles that they cannot handle. No, I am not a sexist. My wife drives a SUV, a 2002 G500. But, the difference is she knows what the hell she is doing and can handle her vehicle. She also has a hands-free set-up in her vehicle for her cell phone. I wanted to pull in front of her and slow her down until we stopped, so I could ask her why she would buy such a vehicle for herself. I am not saying that women should not drive big trucks, but it was clear that she was not capable. Anyone else witnessed such a ridiculous event??

Steve M.

engatwork · #2 08-30-2002, 05:47 PM

All the time.

84300DT · #3 08-30-2002, 06:20 PM

in our town! the chevy dealer here sells more suburbans than anyplace in the country!
i asked one of these petite ladies why/how she could drive one of those behemoths and she told me it made her feel like she was ''the master of the universe''
way to go lady!!

Fanatic · #4 08-30-2002, 09:40 PM

Hey, it not just the ladies.

Coming home from work today some d!(khead on a cell phone in a SUV was in the left lane holding back traffic and the traffic opened up around him. What an *********.

They are creating unsafe conditions as everyone else is trying to go around because they are oblivious to the surroundings, not noticing (or caring) that cars are going around him.

I'm sure I saw an article that said that even if a person is driving the speed limit in the left lane, they have to move over by law to the right if other traffic is going faster (even if it is over the posted limit).

ericdee · #5 08-30-2002, 10:01 PM

Sadly everyday...

I say let's pull the power steering units out of all SUVs, so that way the only people that can drive them will!!!

chowpit · #6 08-30-2002, 11:09 PM

I say SUV owners should have to be able obtain a license equivalent to a Class "B" CDL.

Jason Beal · #7 08-31-2002, 04:54 AM

Scott, I couldn't agree more about the license. I say that all the time. People drive in the left lane like that quite bad here in Salt Lake. In Florida it wouldn't happen as much. People seemed to drive so much more aggresive down there. You wouldn't dare stay slow in the left lane. But here I don't know what people are thinking. They just WILL NOT move out of the left lane. I will come up on people driving all the same speed (usually under the speed limit-strange) in all three lanes ALL THE TIME here. They actually have ads here that say, "Don't forget, the left lane is for passing". or something along those lines. Inconsiderate driving like that can be very dangerous.

Lebenz · #8 09-01-2002, 12:38 AM

WOW, you mean there are places in the country where people actually drive OVER 45?

william rogers · #9 09-01-2002, 01:56 AM

Jason. Ain't bo wonder people drive slow in Salt Lake City ,I drove through there on a Sunday morning and saw more police cars than any city Iv'e ever been in.............
William Rogers........

Jason Beal · #10 09-01-2002, 02:22 PM

Haha, yea we have a lot of police here. We also have something here that I've never seen before. At all the crosswalks downtown have orange flags for people to carry while crossing. Cross to one side and leave it in a container for the next person going the other way. They put them up because people were getting hit so ofter downtown. A kid still got hit downtown while carry a big orange flag a while after it started. Has anyone seen this in their city? Or is just an another oddity of here?

Fanatic · #11 09-02-2002, 04:37 PM

Jason, I don't think there is anything that can help idiotic drivers. In our city we use the most advanced LED lighting for stoplights so there is no problems with bright sun washout or inability to see the color.

However, while running errands yesterday I was behind a car at a red light intersection. This intersection has advance left turn lane signal for both directions of traffic. The car infront decides to go through the intersection (from a complete stop) eventhough 3 on coming cars have just turned right in front of it. WTF!?!?

They narrowly missed the collision. It was completely surreal watching this unfold in front of me.

I don't wish misfortune on anyone but how do you get these people into reality of what they are doing before they seriously hurt someone?!?

#12 09-02-2002, 10:03 PM

Well, I thought I'd seen everything until one night about six weeks ago, I was coming home on the Washington (DC) Beltway (495) in Virginia, and in the far left lane was a guy doing about 60 and...I'm not making this up...doing a crossword puzzle!!!

Ron
'95 E320

Jason Beal · #13 09-02-2002, 11:42 PM

Amazing! Simply amazing.

That Guy · #14 09-03-2002, 03:38 PM

As a resident of the DC area I feel your pain.

I think we may have it worse, because we see all of this stuff all the time. If I was to post here everytime I see something dumb on the road, I wouldn't have time to do anything else. Every ride home would produce a novel of bad driving tales.

G-Benz · #15 09-03-2002, 05:24 PM

Some years ago I was on my morning highway commute, and was distracted long enough to notice a woman on the adjacent lane doing 65 mph in her Lexus staring at her vanity mirror and deftly wielding eyelash curlers with the precision of a microsurgeon!!!

I want to start a thread and ask the female forum members how women are able to drive and do facial cosmetics at the same time!??

I too am peeved by those who commandeer the passing lane at some lethargic speed, but tailgaters are my greatest (and most dangerous) annoyance!

Sometimes I can't tell if they are driving or I am towing them!!!

Just today, I kept an eye on the rear view mirror at a woman in a minivan who I believe was close enough to be able to read the gauges on MY instrument panel...she seemed particularly annoyed at my keeping the 20mph speed limit as we crossed the school zone...either that, or she was attempting to "draft" at our horrific speed at the time. Never mind that Southlake patrolmen are stationed along the road like Viet Cong snipers...she would not get off my butt!

Cops are quick to stop and ticket the offending speeder, but never do they apprehend the tailgaters!