Brad,Quote:
Originally Posted by Arizona Brad
This looks great. I guess I'm off to Target. Wonder why I've never seen it.
-- Craig
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Brad,Quote:
Originally Posted by Arizona Brad
This looks great. I guess I'm off to Target. Wonder why I've never seen it.
-- Craig
Yeah, but that's where the fun really begins. Other people chime in and you hear things you've never heard before. The opportunities for learning abound and you can truly expand your horizons. This phrase has gotten a bad rap lately, but I say, bring it on!Quote:
Originally Posted by Judy
-- Craig
My mom has also suggested books on tape and sent me a catalog. I tend to be a very precise driver. I don't like "casual" drivers who neglect to use headlights and turn signals. Sigh. I will have to learn to take it easy for my own well-being.
-- Craig
I don't know about where you are, Craig, but our local library system carries a rather large collection of books on tape.
It's funny that you mention having to take it easy. I've been working on that too, lately. I was finding myself screaming at other cars as they would cut me off with no turn signals or drive in the fog or rain with no headlights (even though there is now a state law mandating their use).
It got really bad after the hurricanes because I take Highway 171 every day - I have to - no other way to get from Keithville to Shreveport from where I live. Well, this became the only viable north-south route that connected I-10 to I-20 for east/west travel through Louisiana for quite a while there.
Anyway, as gas was getting tight in LA (timing differences, no real shortages) and the price kept creeping up I drug out the family behemoth. The 1994 Buick Century with 160,000 miles on it (hard back roads of LA farm country miles), bizarre stickers from when my sister took it to college, in great need of a muffler tune up, and just general scariness, that belonged to my grandmother. But, it's four cylinders and gets over 28 miles to the gallon in the city.
I've been having the best time getting back and forth to work in that thing. I can't pass people (not enough power), everyone avoids me on the road (note general scariness of car as noted above), and I can't speed (rather alarming lights come on claiming that the engine is about to die). I took my normal car to work this morning and found myself still ambling to work without freaking out about other drivers, even though they weren't avoiding me as usual.
I think that I finally learned to just take it easy and enjoy the ride. I even started to laugh at the people tailgating me (even though I stick to the far right lane in the Buick). Daring them to hit me in their Jaguar (for some reason it's always a Jaguar).
Laura
I purchased this on the Web this morning. Thanks for the tip.Quote:
Originally Posted by Arizona Brad
-- Craig
I had my driving temperament hit home the other week when my wife and I were heading out for dinner with guests in the car.Quote:
Originally Posted by lhuff
Usually I have time to turn on my verbal editor and shut up. This time I was fried. I work as a programmer/data analyst, and my project has been eating up more and more time.
Anyway, I began making rather foul comments about every driver who tailgated me before passing me with their engines screaming. My wife felt obliged to say, "He's usually not like this" every time it happened. I felt like the odd man out, the one you have to make excuses for. Then I bottled.
Life is too short to risk my or anyone's life speeding. I simply wish I could pound that mantra into the leadfoots' thick skulls -- with a sledge hammer! Grin.
Also, the thing about state -- or any other kind of -- law is that there must have enforcement. Law without vigorous enforcement is just words on paper. I guess the police have too much on their plates already.
-- Craig
Laura, I don't know if you have looked at our reviews department for audiobooks, but (by looking at our reviews) you might find some really good ones for your next trip to the library. The reviews are organized by fiction, roadtrip travel and memoirs. Happy listening!Quote:
Originally Posted by lhuff
Mark
I completely agree with you on this one. About the only place in the State of Arizona where you can drive the posted speed limit and not be flipped off is a stretch of the Loop 101/Pima Freeway through Scottsdale where they put up speed radar cameras. I still see the occational flashing of the cameras, but for the most part, I can lock in at 65 (the posted) and not feel like I'm going to get hurt, either by being run over or by a hot-headed lead-foot. Once people pass through that section of freeway and either reach Phoenix or the Indian reserviation, they floor it. They put in the Cameras because Scottsdale got tired of having the deadliest streatch of freeway in the valley.Quote:
Originally Posted by Craig720
All I know is I wish we had more of a system like the Germans (the wonderful episode of Modern Marvels: The Autobahn was on just last night on the History Channel). Many areas of the Autobahn don't have a maximum speed limit, but at the same time, driving is much more professional. You can't get your license until you're 18, driver training is mandetory, and, it costs a few thousand to get a license. One author interviewed for the program said "German automakers never understood the need for cupholders in vehicles."
As far as keeping my cool, I have problems too. The left lane bandits, the fact that turnsignals don't work in Arizona (it seems), the fact that speed limit signs are simply suggestions (again, it seems), and the fact that traffic slows down to a hault when a Police officer is near by means they're less likely to get caught. I just remind myself that one of these days they'll get caught or they'll end up hurting someone (or worse), and maybe that will get them to change... but alas, they just end up suing the state.
I just try to prevent myself from being a copy-cat and adapting to the mentality of the masses. That in itself is hard to do, but I have been mostly successful so far!
-Brad
Thank God there's someone else out there who feels this way. Now I know I'm not alone. That's an incredibly nice feeling.Quote:
Originally Posted by Arizona Brad
-- Craig
Y'all want to know something scary - through a paper glitch at the Louisiana Department of Motor Vehicles - I have never taken a driving test.
I went to get my learners permit, but they accidentally gave me my license. I didn't realize it until I went back to take the driving part of the exam and the lady told me that I already had my license and didn't need to take it.
So - yeah - I guess I'm not too surprised that my state would pass laws and not enforce it. They're too busy debating the number of pelicans and drops of blood that should be present on our state flag.