Simple Randomness

When Getting on the Freeway SPEED UP!!!

Ok, it’s time for another driving griping.  I don’t know what it is, but it seems like lately a lot of times when I’m getting on the freeway I get stuck behind someone that feels that they should only go 30 or 50 mph on the on ramp.  Are you kidding me?!

This is one of my big pet peeves with driving.  Let’s think about it logically: when you’re getting on the freeway, how fast is the freeway going?  Well, at least abou 65 or so we would hope.  So if I go 40 and try to merge in, is that going to work very well?  NO NO NO!!!

In fact, just yesterday this happened and I could see a semi that was coming up the right lane have to slam on his brakes so that he didn’t cream the guy in front of me (and probably me as well).

Please please please, when you are merging onto the freeway use the on ramp as an opportunity to get up to freeway speed!  In other words, you should be going about 65 by the time you get to where you should merge.

I know that a lot of us get this, and I also know that this blog post is not going to change anything, but hey; at least I got to gripe about it a little bit .

Snow Snow…and More Snow!

It’s been 12 days since our last major snow storm. The last time I wrote about it I mentioned that tons of people were sliding off the road. I’m happy to report that this morning as I was coming in to work I didn’t see a single car that had slid off the road! Maybe people are finally remembering what they need to do to drive in the snow.

Except for this one guy who tailed me for about 3 miles!!! Grr… I know that a lot of people would say, “Well, just slam your brakes, let him rear end you, and collect the insurance money.” Sounds like a great plan, but here are a few reasons why I never even really think of doing that:

1. It’s cold!
2. I don’t want to chance actually getting injured
3. I don’t like dealing with insurance companies
4. Snow is cold
5. It was 6am in the morning…need I say more?
6. With the roads that slick, I’d probably get hit by another car when I got out to assess the damages
7. Have I mentioned that it was cold?!

So while I’m sure that if I did get rear ended I could collect some money for it, I think in this situation the cons definitely outweigh the pros. You may have a different view on the idea, but that’s mine. So please, don’t tail people when the roads are slick. You might not be behind someone like me. You might be behind someone that actually wants to collect insurance money .

Dashing Through the Snow….And Spinning Off the Road…

So today was probably the second big storm of the season here in Utah.  And once again while I was driving in to work I noticed at least 5 cars that were spun out on the side of the road.  At least this time I didn’t see any damage to my complex .

I thought it might be a good idea to give all of you a few safe driving tips for driving in the snow.  Granted, I am no professional driver or anything, but most of these should be common sense.  But then again, is common sense isn’t all that common it seems.  But hey, I can even include myself in that sometimes.  Anyway, I digress.  So here are some tips:

• Drive slower than you think you should be.  Its better to get there let than not get there at all.
• Don’t hit your breaks on the freeway!!!  You wanna spin out?  Hitting your breaks is a great way to lose control.
• Keep good distance from other cars.
• When turning, give yourself plenty of time to make the turn in case you wheels get spinning

Ok, this is definitely not an all inclusive list, but if everyone would keep these simple things in mind I think we’d see a lot less accidents on the road because of snow.  Granted, sometimes things just spin out of your control and there isn’t much you can do.  But those situations are normally the exception.

Happy Safe Snow Driving!

Turn Your Brights Off!!!

Ok, it’s time to gripe a little bit about a pet peeve that I have.  For all of you who drive in the city, and that includes pretty much everybody, TURN YOUR BRIGHTS OFF!!!

Last night I was on my way home from a small family get together when a truck that already had a lift on it pulls in behind me with his brights on.  Do you think that we can’t see you???  So I spend the next 5 miles or so having to sit really funny in my car so that I can avoid the glaring light bouncing off all of my rear-view mirrors.

I just don’t understand it.  I’ve heard someone comment before that they will sometimes use their brights just to make sure that people see them.  Yep, we see you alright.  Thanks for blinding everybody and causing them problems!  I honestly feel it is one of the most inconsiderate things that you can do while driving.

Now of course I’m not talking about the times that you do this by accident.  I think that’s happened to a lot of people and can be expected.  But for those of you that purposely use your brights everywhere you go, please have some common courtesy and use your headlights the way they were meant to be used!

Gripe over .

Winter is Finally Here?!

Ok ok, I know that winter doesn’t officially begin for a few weeks at least.  But this morning was the first real snow storm that we’ve had this season, so I’m personally considering this to be the beginning of winter.  And isn’t is a fitting day?  Why not have winter start on December 1st?

And another sign of the times (winter) is that I saw for the first time this season a car that had spun out and done some damage!  And wouldn’t you know it, but they knocked over a tree and ruined the fence of my complex!!!  I was leaving this morning and right outside the entrance to my condo complex there was an SUV pointing the wrong way right in the fence.  So if that isn’t a true sign of the times, I don’t know what is.

There seems to be this cycle that happens at the beginning of every winter.  People get comfortable with their driving in the summer and then forget that roads don’t behave the same when covered with snow.  So naturally there are always a ton of accidents with the first big snow storm.  So please, go do some donuts in a parking lot or something just so you remember how to handle your car in the snow!!!