Driving in general has...

[Menehune Man]

...Gotten worse.

I don't really mean the traffic problem,
more the problem of inconsiderate drivers having grown exponentially!
Don't you think?

[tikiyaki]

Re: Driving in general has...

...Gotten worse.

I don't really mean the traffic problem,
more the problem of inconsiderate drivers having grown exponentially!
Don't you think?

Ha ! Try driving in Los Angeles.....ME FIRST, don't you DARE get in front of me !

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Driving in general has...

Ha ! Try driving in Los Angeles.....ME FIRST, don't you DARE get in front of me !

And if you don't already know exactly which exit you want - don't even THINK of getting on any of the freeways there! Be prepared for drivers who make multiple lane changes at right angles.
(My brother lives in Redondo Beach - been driving down that way a handful of times...)

[Menehune Man]

Re: Driving in general has...

Yes, that is all so. I lived in the Marin/Berkeley/East Bay area for a few years( awhile ago). I was always just over a bridge to San Fran so I could run in and enjoy the night life and then run away from the daily craziness.

What I'm speaking of is the noticeable change of Oahu (maybe other islands?) drivers courtesy. What we've always called "Driving with Aloha".

I think it's diminished, don't you?

[MixedPlateBroker]

Re: Driving in general has...

I'd say so.

Just on the drive home earlier today a Dodge Ram came barreling up behind me doing at least 80m.p.h. I was already going 59 in a 50 in the left lane when I noticed the offending vehicle closing fast and flicking his high beams at me. I signaled and moved into the middle lane thinking it was a police officer. It wasn't a cop car and he certainly wasn't headed in the direction of any hospitals.

Then, as I was driving up Kilauea, some idiot in an oncoming car tried to squeeze past the parked cars on the side of the road and had the nerve to honk at me for not stopping. I returned his salutation in kind along with the appropriate accompanying salute and a bonus pronouncement of where I thought he might find his brain (a la Kevin Kline in "A Fish Called Wanda").

Fyi, I always yield the right of way when there are parked cars on my side of the road, positively acknowledge people who properly yield, signal when I change lanes, give senior drivers extra leeway and I don't block intersections or throttle the left lane. I only wish all other drivers would do the same. C'mon Santa, I've been good.

[Beau]

Re: Driving in general has...

I'd say so. Fyi, I always yield the right of way when there are parked cars on my side of the road, positively acknowledge people who properly yield, signal when I change lanes, give senior drivers extra leeway and I don't block intersections or throttle the left lane. I only wish all other drivers would do the same. C'mon Santa, I've been good.

Me too! I agree 1000% with you and ericncyn about the way O'ahu people drive. I live in Makiki on a street off of Pi'ikoi, and the amount of sudden lane changes, illegal turns and blockage of intersections (on a daily basis) causes havoc to everyone.

C'mon!! Is it really worth it to drive like an idiot and endanger yourself and other drivers to get to your destination 1 to possibly 5 minutes earlier! !

[jkpescador]

Re: Driving in general has...

What about parking? I notice more and more big cars/trucks/suvs taking up two stalls instead of one. I can see why but hey where are the rest of us going to park?

[Beau]

Re: Driving in general has...

What about parking? I notice more and more big cars/trucks/suvs taking up two stalls instead of one. I can see why but hey where are the rest of us going to park?

Exactly! Why the f**k do so many people have SUVs nowadays?? I can understand if they are into home revonations, camping, or a myiad of other reasons. But at Ala Moana Center parking and other poplular venues, I do see an increase in cars, trucks, and SUVs taking up two stalls also...

[joshuatree]

Re: Driving in general has...

Exactly! Why the f**k do so many people have SUVs nowadays?? I can understand if they are into home revonations, camping, or a myiad of other reasons. But at Ala Moana Center parking and other poplular venues, I do see an increase in cars, trucks, and SUVs taking up two stalls also...

It's the "keeping up with the Jones" syndrome. One sees a neighbor or friend get a shiny new truck, one gotta get it too in order to keep up or remain with the "in" crowd.

I notice the quality of drivers just keep getting worse. Probably because we don't have a formal, mandatory, driving course required to attain a license like some other countries.

[Beau]

Re: Driving in general has...

It's the "keeping up with the Jones" syndrome. One sees a neighbor or friend get a shiny new truck, one gotta get it too in order to keep up or remain with the "in" crowd.

I notice the quality of drivers just keep getting worse. Probably because we don't have a formal, mandatory, driving course required to attain a license like some other countries.

Unfortunately I agreed with you. A true story... I had my driver license since 1985 and I have upkeep it since that time. I only recenty have started drving again, and I engaged the services of a professional driving intstructor before I even started to drive again.

Bottom line for me is please follow tha basic driving rules, it'll make it easier for the rest of us.

[tutusue]

Re: Driving in general has...

Exactly! Why the f**k do so many people have SUVs nowadays??[...]

Personally I think it's a defense mechanism due to all the idiotic drivers on the road. It's safer to be in a bigger, heavier vehicle, esp. if one has 'precious cargo' onboard...kids. And, don't those type of vehicles have kid friendly interiors...DVD players and the like?

When I decided to buy a car a couple of years ago I went for a larger car than I'm used to just have more metal around me. After decades of sport cars and small sedans I'm still not used to the size!!

Anyway, what I'd like to know is how do so many people afford such expensive SUVs? The Waianae Coast is full of 'em.

Back on topic...I, too, notice a decrease in driving with Aloha in town. I continue to experience and witness it when at home in Makaha.

And don't even get me started on arrogant pedestrians who feel they can do whatever they want. That's another thread!

[MixedPlateBroker]

Re: Driving in general has...

I came up with an easy solution for parking divas. I printed up sheets of paper that say Learn to park properly or get a smaller car! in 120pt Impact in Landscape. Figured if I placed the notes of aloha conspicuously on divas' windshields that I could affect some positive change through good 'ole embarassment. I'm batting 1.000 so far. Got a rogue minivan to start parking within the lines at work. She had a habit of parking badly askew and the day I left her the love note she was actually occupying three spaces! Next day she parked straight and true and has kept it up ever since.

[cynsaligia]

Re: Driving in general has...

Personally I think it's a defense mechanism due to all the idiotic drivers on the road. It's safer to be in a bigger, heavier vehicle, esp. if one has 'precious cargo' onboard...kids.

bigger does not always = safer. this link might be from 2002, but it's rather eye-opening in that it shows number of deaths (driver and other) for each car, small and large.

anyway, going back on topic, i've posted many times about selfish and oblivious drivers. i was ticked last night when eric and i were basically bullied into moving over for a driver who was speeding for no apparent reason. initially, i declared, "that's it! no moving over for people flashing lights at us like that unless we can see blue lights!" but then, eric pointed out that if he couldn't slow down enough in time, we would have taken a bad hit, esp since we were in my car, not the titan. so i agreed that he made the right decision. i just wished that i had the presence of mind to call in the buttwipe's plate to the cops.

p.s. i, like eric, leave love notes for bad parkers--i use a nice black sharpie and neon-green post its. *wink* i once had to leave such a note for one of my neighbors at my old apartment bcs he parked his saturn ion--not a big car by any means--in such a way that half his hood stuck out into the driving lane and his left wheel was over into his other neighbor's parking space. "you park like an asswipe ," i told him. he never parked poorly ever again.

[oceanpacific]

Re: Driving in general has...

If someone can't park a car, they shouldn't be driving ..... PERIOD!

[Jack Hawksmoor]

Re: Driving in general has...

I wish we could ban the oversized vehicles. I'm sick of them taking up the skyline.

Trying to imitate me or bully me with a 2000 pound vehicle threatens my wellbeing.

Sorry, huh, i'll start ranting soon. I will save my energy for real battles where i can change the reality around me.

By the way, i drive a puny opentop jeep with big tires, so i don't count, i can still park in the compact stall. I just look masculine that's all...now i'm going to go buy my NAIR and BIKINI WAX KIT and shave my hairy legs...and i will come back and post what i saw today on the way to Kmart.

You know what my favorite thing to do - drive slow when the person behind me has thier highbeams on. I got big bucketseats and my mirrors are perfect for blocking out "the highbeam attack"

Oh yeah, i once had a shady looking car pull up next to me and saw the silhoutte of a handgun. So i braked really hard and got behind the bastard. I was ready to try the pitman manuver with a jeep on him to ram him off the road when he accelerate fast and away from me. Didn't get his plates though.

Too many crazies in this world. A deep desire in me is to mount a .50 caliber on my jeep for self defense.

Than i want to shave my head and transform myself into the Hitman and distribute vigilante justice on the Hillside Stranglers in a professional way.