darkwaters
Friend of Leo's
Never heard of this before. Texting while running a red light is more the style up here.
The infamous brake check:
- Thread starter Toto'sDad
- Start date
imwjl
Doctor of Teleocity
Brake lights come on with all vehicles I'm familiar with. They don't all seem to cut the speeding up when coasting on a hill.
Something very entertaining is Subarus are popular with outdoor sports. I've been in traffic to trailheads or ski areas where you see the Subaru robots doing a better job than the humans only in the long lines of traffic. My mother's 2022 Acura same as the 2019 or 20 she leased has much improved safety electronics but will still speed up coasting on hills more than a Subaru.
Metro areas are where I love it the most. Especially rush hour times.
A truck driver friend was hesitant at first but now likes it. Of course it means a modern automatic drivetrain for the stop and go traffic part, but he considers it good protection from simple mess-ups. His social media pictures are of a Freightliner. Automatic transmissions are very common vs what @Toto'sDad and I knew. Back then the Allison automatic heavy duty automatics were to me rather horrible.
Redheadlvr
Tele-Meister
I've done it several times to drivers riding my backside trying to push me but I'm too smart to do this to a semi.
Taking brake check one step up is having the e-brake handle between the seats. Pull the handle up quick without locking the brakes then put the handle down. No brake lights. They'll back off real quick.
Taking brake check one step up is having the e-brake handle between the seats. Pull the handle up quick without locking the brakes then put the handle down. No brake lights. They'll back off real quick.
imwjl
Doctor of Teleocity
Fear makes or species do stupid things. We have a hard time managing cognitive biases. I'm sure that's why we don't all see that deadly weapon by default aspect as we should. I already confessed to my wake ups at earlier ages - the driving school bus and a semi hauling combustibles.
It was not the same black and white movie it seems we all watched in 1970s driver's ed, but my kids classroom portion taught that risk. They also went to a high school where none of that was cut when budgets were cut. It was fee-based. Kids in the poorer county where we have a 2nd home get a really poor education by comparison now. It's really scary and way beyond the matter of keeping good driver's ed and music programs.
I have, on occasion, tapped the brake with my left foot, just enough to make the brake light go on, in an effort to wake up a tailgater, but that's as far as I've gotten.
There really isn't anybody on the road that wants to be told with a honk, a brake , a finger or whatever that you don't approve of their maneuver. Nobody, not the good driver, the lunatic, the arsehole, the person carrying work stress, the idiot who's running late, the slob who doesn't care about your neighborhood, the texter, nobody. Doesn't matter if they are 100% in the wrong.I used to brake check when someone follows me too close on the rear of my vehicle. If I can't see your headlights, you're too close. Nowadays, you don't know who the hell you're dealing with.
Driving etiquette & safety rules have completely dissipated.
If I'm stopped at a green and somebody needs to remind me, I just wave, a sort of apology. Even that can be misconstrued.
Assume there's a nutjob behind every wheel and you'll likely end up at your destination in one piece. I have no interest of getting in a shootout.
Flat6Driver
Poster Extraordinaire
Just remember that most of the people you share the road with stopped learning anything about piloting that vehicle after the age of 16.
They are the same people that think "race cars" do all the work themselves..none of it is driver input/talent
imwjl
Doctor of Teleocity
Lucky our now retired police sergeant friend didn't catch that. In her stories it was clear she rightfully loathed that and a lot of poor behavior and would deal with it when she had time.
I don't care that you don't do it to a semi. When I drove semi and all over the country you would see what you describe and from the standpoint of operating an 80,000 pound Kenworth brand weapon it is no good childish crap. It can lead to how we lost a family member.
Whatizitman
Poster Extraordinaire
Yes. My mother in her wisdom would always say a vehicle is a weapon. Me in my stupidity didn't get what she was saying until I was old enough to no longer feel immortal.
Vehicles make humans feel a false sense of security. But it's an illusion, because really our flight-or-fight is just more likely to go to fight since we feel less vulnerable surrounded by a ton of metal. We don't actually feel secure. Else road range wouldn't be its own thing.
The upside of teenagers learning to drive is that they are still in a stage where their sense of personal and other safety is not fully developed. They are far less scared behind the wheel during learning than adults learning to drive. The downside is young people still feel invincible for several years after getting a license.
Although I may pride myself on being a "good" and aware driver, the reality is that age plays a major role. It's not that I feel necessarily more vigilant. I just am no longer willing to push the limits and take chances the same as I would when I was younger. So I'm far more attentive to what could go wrong.
But I'm still in a projectile that has only been a common thing for just over a century. Before that humans spent eons never traveling faster than an animal could carry or pull them. A false sense of security, indeed.
Flat6Driver
Poster Extraordinaire
And then some guys are able to pilot fighter jets. Humans are an amazing species. And still flawed at the same time.
Musekatcher
Friend of Leo's
If someone is risking my life, their life and the lives of others, and no authorities are there to prevent death and injury, I help restore an unlawful driver's situational awareness and legal responsibility to obey laws, with a velocity change accompanied by a step increase in rear red light intensity. It is very effective in correcting wreckess driving, at least for a little while.
imwjl
Doctor of Teleocity
Some very interesting reading in all this.
@Flat6Driver something on your point on age 16 is how much we develop and mature even after age 18.
A disappointing matter in the posts is seeing explicit ages or info that implies age and with that behavior that fuels the problems being discussed. To me, too many who should know better. Having driven, worked and travelled in other countries makes me more sad about it all. As a boomer it seems like I lived in time when people worked to get along and understand or accept differences and one just the opposite. The scary part is what I know from my travel and family in different parts of the world. If feels like we are our own worst enemies in our own home.
@Flat6Driver something on your point on age 16 is how much we develop and mature even after age 18.
A disappointing matter in the posts is seeing explicit ages or info that implies age and with that behavior that fuels the problems being discussed. To me, too many who should know better. Having driven, worked and travelled in other countries makes me more sad about it all. As a boomer it seems like I lived in time when people worked to get along and understand or accept differences and one just the opposite. The scary part is what I know from my travel and family in different parts of the world. If feels like we are our own worst enemies in our own home.
Whatizitman
Poster Extraordinaire
Like I said, fight-or-flight. Except in this case, it's literally both.
Just one more step toward robot wars. Sprinkle in a little AI, and viola. No more need for fear. Don't even need humans. Things that only exist to fight other things that only exist to fight. Cuz we can.
EDIT: My mom was right. Again. RIP.
BelairPlayer
Tele-Afflicted
I think it’s simply angry/confused people who feel small/angry in life exercising some/any level of control over others. It’s wildly misdirected anger/frustration over the complete lack of autonomy in their own lives.
Flat6Driver
Poster Extraordinaire
Yikes, just Yikes!
Well, I am willing to bet, that you pull off the road in a good spot, and just let the other fellow by. Especially on these narrow, winding mountain roads, some days I'm in a hurry and another day, my neighbor is the one who is in a hurry. I let 'em by, because these are the same people who will stop and help jump start my car if I've left the lights on somehow.
Especially in the holler we're in, always let the faster vehicle by.
imwjl
Doctor of Teleocity
Girls too. One of the most amazing young humans I know is an Air Force pilot. Thank you Air Force for seeing ____'s being an extraordinary human and not her gender or race. For those who hope and pray, let's do that for this young woman who is willing to take risk and work hard way beyond most of us.
