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Old 2007-08-07, 16:26   Link #41
Zero Shinohara
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Join Date: Jan 2006
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Meh, if you guys want to know about bad driving, head down to the north of Brazil, where I came from. Dude, streets in there don't have lanes, it's just a patch of asphalt where you drive on. During rush hour it's really common to see cars all around the road headed god knows where.

That's probably the reason I didn't have much trouble learning to drive safely here in the Stares, though. Traffic here is probably 10 times safer than it was in there, and at least people "use" the lanes. Not to say that there aren't bad drivers - of course there are, especially down here where the police force seems to be really easygoing on people who don't respect some of the traffic laws. And of course, there're a lot of seniors in here who, though I refrain from saying they should be stripped of the right to drive, really cause a lot of trouble in the road. Just today I was driving at around 55 and a few feet ahead, there's this senior couple going at 35 on their Oldsmobile - that's in the right "fast" lane. So I hit the brakes and keep following at 35 since I'll drive right a couple feet away... It's then that I see this massive semi-tractor approaching me at like, 60mph... I'm like "This dude's gonna run over the three of us, gramps". But luckily he managed to slow down... Not without honking his horn on my ass.

But I've always lived in places where public transportation was almost non-existant and where places are really afar from one another, so I grew accustomed to being in a car all the time. But since I got rear-ended at 7 in the morning a couple months ago, I've been more careful when I'm going out. Taking the expressway is also forbidden unless I'm either really late or the trip is over 15 miles, since it's pretty crazy down there.
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Old 2007-08-07, 17:08   Link #42
iamtetsuo
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Join Date: Jan 2006
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I LOVE driving. Nothing better. Even in traffic I keep my head and just enjoy the sensation of driving. That's not to say I don't get ticked off when someone's going 5 under the limit during the morning rush to work/school, but I just calm myself and pass them when possible. Driving is just the ultimate freedom. You have the ability to go anywhere if you so fealt like it. And the experiance of being one with your vehicle, thats exhilirating. I think some people never really experiance this feeling, and that's probably why they don't like driving so much. :P

I haven't had a chance to visit Britian, Japan, New Zealand, etc. yet, but I want to just to experiance the sensation of driving on the "wrong" side of the road, and the "wrong" side of the car.
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Old 2007-08-08, 01:01   Link #43
nanafan
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: missouri, usa
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sometimes i like driving but then sometimes it pisses me off especially when i am behind someone going really slow and people who are tailgating me. i tend to try and go faster when i am being tailgated, not sure why.
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Old 2007-08-08, 02:09   Link #44
Jinto
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The only concern I'ld have with driving a LHD car in a drive left country is the blind spot. I've seen this on the Autobahn... even in a LHD car and drive right rule this blind spot is bothersome. A couple of times I did not see a car in the mirrors that was overtaking on the left (in a situation where I want to overtake too, and therefore plan to switch to the left lane). Only because I am always looking over my shoulder before changing lanes I could prevent the maybe collisions resulting from not seeing the left side car in my mirrors. And I have my eyes approx. 30% of the times scanning the mirrors so I stay informed about the traffic before me and behind me. Thus being able to identify fast approaching cars and such. Still if it wasn't for the looking over my shoulder in certain situations I'ld possibly be screwed already. And that is why I would feel unpleasent using a LHD car in a drive left country. Because doing this essential look over ones shoulder before switching lanes is further limited due to sitting on the "wrong" side for the traffic.
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Old 2007-08-08, 02:21   Link #45
Honda Boy Techy
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Join Date: May 2007
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Age: 35
One major problem I see tryin to drive a RHD vehicle in a drive right nation is passing on a highway. You could never see oncoming traffic around the car in front of you. Of course if I had a JDM RHD vehicle here in the states, it'd probably be an in town/ interstate only car. I woulnd't take it to my granny's place or anywhere that requires me to drive on a 2 lane highway.

I like drivin too up to a point. Sometimes when I'm wore out, or drivin on a big trip, I just friggin tired of it but if it's just me, the Civic, and a night out on back roads, then it's a friggin blast. Touge anyone? My friend touge'd in my Civic one time and it scared the crap outta me though. He's really good and drives ridiculously fast on back roads (cause he knows what he's doin). Man, it was scary enough in my FWD Civic. I'm glad I never rode with him in his RWD 240SX. He drift's too. He goes all Takumi/Bunta Fujiwara and crap in RWD cars and I think i would pass out with how fast he drives. He asked once if I wanted to do a ride along during one of his Knob Creek (our favorite Touge road) touge/drift runs. I said hell no.
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Old 2007-08-08, 18:19   Link #46
TakutoKun
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I do not mind driving in my RHD vehicle. Passing is not a simple task, however. You have to be very careful about leaving a lane to get into another. That is why checking your blindspot is important!
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Old 2007-08-08, 19:05   Link #47
aohige
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Japan has the largest working public transportation system in the world.
(i.e. bus and train station nearly everywhere)

I do have license and I do drive, but I absolutely hate driving. Anywhere. Japan or USA.
I'd rather leave it up to a more reliable system like train and bus, with professional training, and very little "random" encounters, and much, much, MUCH safer.

Every country should have a reliable public transportation system like Japan, IMO.
Less traffic accidents, less harmful gas in the air, less gasoline consumption...
Cars should only be necessary outside of major cities.
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Old 2007-08-08, 19:15   Link #48
WanderingKnight
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I dislike the notion of my life depending on my (barely nonexistent) reflexes and coordination. Furthermore, I dislike even more the notion of my life depending on other unqualified people's reflexes and coordination. So, I'll grab a train, subway or bus anytime--the former mediums can't suffer a collision with another vehicle, and the latter is sturdy enough (more sturdy than a car, at any rate) to survive a crash with a drunk car driver.
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Old 2007-08-08, 20:26   Link #49
nanafan
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Location: missouri, usa
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i don't really drive much, i only do if i feel like it or i have to. driving isn't bad it's the other people that are driving which bothers me.
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Old 2007-08-08, 20:35   Link #50
Honda Boy Techy
I has a Civic
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Tennessee
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nanafan View Post
driving isn't bad it's the other people that are driving which bothers me.
yeah I know what you mean. 90% of the time I come across utterly incompetent drivers around here. The drivers here are terrible. It's like they were handed a license after the test and forgot how to drive. My dad drilled everything into my head. I never forgot any of it. To make sure I drove good, he made me learn it all while driving a manual. Of course now I only drive manuals. I hate driving automatic vehicles.
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Old 2007-08-09, 06:04   Link #51
TinyRedLeaf
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Join Date: Apr 2006
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I love driving. Unfortunately, with the costs of driving and owning a car being as astronomical as they are in Singapore, I had to scrap by car about a year ago.

As for left-hand vs right-hand, well......it all depends from your point of view doesn't it? As far as I'm concerned, I'm driving on the right side of the car while the rest of the world is cuckoo for driving on the wrong side. Same logic applies for which side of the road you happen to drive on.

Quote:
I dislike the notion of my life depending on my (barely nonexistent) reflexes and coordination. Furthermore, I dislike even more the notion of my life depending on other unqualified people's reflexes and coordination.
Curiously enough, I've become so used to driving that I often find myself "auto-piloting" the car. That is, I don't consciously think of driving the car -- it all comes from reflex. This has led to many situations where I ended up going the opposite direction I wanted to go!

Same goes for anticipating other drivers' behaviour while on the road. I can often "tell" in advance which idiot is going to do something stupid, and take defensive action to avoid an accident. Of course, this is by no means full-proof -- reckless driving is something you can never avoid all of the time. If only it were -- so many needless deaths could be prevented as a result.
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Old 2007-08-09, 10:59   Link #52
Prongs
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Join Date: Aug 2007
my country is one of those lefty groups. but you may ignorant it cause there are less policeman here. and people didnt pay that much attention to trafic rules. for examples there are no speed restriction inside the city. whenever you like and there are no police noticed you can bust up your vehicle up till 160 kph. yeah I love it. because our mass traffic is bad. I have ever crush a police vehicle. hehehehehe
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Old 2007-08-10, 13:07   Link #53
Vexx
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 66
I used to absolutely *love* driving... in the early 90s I had the last model year of Nissan's 300ZX. But in the years since then, I've watched public driving skills plummet and the joy has been replaced with steady aggravation at tailgaters, reckless lane changing, and people just flat-ass not paying attention because their phones, eyelashes, whatever apparently consumes all their insufficient brainpower, leaving none for driving.

The other day I watched a policeman directing intersection traffic (after an accident) just verbally tear into a woman who was chatting on her phone so vigorously that she completely ignored his repeated commands to drive through. She just sat there oblivious until he walked over and slapped her windshield. So... the whole intersection got to sit there and watch him take her out of the car and loudly lecture her before giving her a ticket. (I assume it was failure to follow directions of law enforcement).

Ahhh, justice. but it doesn't happen enough.

When I was a teen, I had a right-hand steering vehicle (ex-mail jeep) in the States. Of course, it had a wonderful field-of-view and was jeep-small so it never gave me a problem. Once though I was pulled over (cop claimed he thought we were unbelted, but basically he just saw "teens to check out") and the cop walked up to the left side of the vehicle.... my friend said, "sorry officer, but my passenger is driving." in such a serious innocent voice that the cop just stood there for about 20 seconds blinking. Then he just said, "sorry, I thought someone was unbelted. Have a nice day." and then waved us on.
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Old 2007-08-10, 18:49   Link #54
TakutoKun
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Location: Ontario, Canada
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vexx View Post
I used to absolutely *love* driving... in the early 90s I had the last model year of Nissan's 300ZX. But in the years since then, I've watched public driving skills plummet and the joy has been replaced with steady aggravation at tailgaters, reckless lane changing, and people just flat-ass not paying attention because their phones, eyelashes, whatever apparently consumes all their insufficient brainpower, leaving none for driving.

The other day I watched a policeman directing intersection traffic (after an accident) just verbally tear into a woman who was chatting on her phone so vigorously that she completely ignored his repeated commands to drive through. She just sat there oblivious until he walked over and slapped her windshield. So... the whole intersection got to sit there and watch him take her out of the car and loudly lecture her before giving her a ticket. (I assume it was failure to follow directions of law enforcement).

Ahhh, justice. but it doesn't happen enough.

When I was a teen, I had a right-hand steering vehicle (ex-mail jeep) in the States. Of course, it had a wonderful field-of-view and was jeep-small so it never gave me a problem. Once though I was pulled over (cop claimed he thought we were unbelted, but basically he just saw "teens to check out") and the cop walked up to the left side of the vehicle.... my friend said, "sorry officer, but my passenger is driving." in such a serious innocent voice that the cop just stood there for about 20 seconds blinking. Then he just said, "sorry, I thought someone was unbelted. Have a nice day." and then waved us on.
Speaking of justice, I have a somewhat car related story as well. However, this story takes place with parked cars in a Wal-mart parking lot. I remember that it was a regular summer day, and I had found a nice parking spot in the parking lot at Wal-Mart. I was just getting out of a car to spot a lady in the distance unloading her cart into her car - everything nice and normal. Well, I walked away from my car a bit only to notice that she was being lazy and decided to roll her cart away from the car in hopes that someone else would get it later. She, then, turned around and went back to her car to get into her car - just like normal. Then, as I watched, the cart spun around and rolled right into her passenger-side door. That was justice at its highest.
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Old 2007-08-10, 19:03   Link #55
Gaiarth
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: The South of England
Age: 55
It's not just people who drive cars that can be stupid and dangerous. I was on a bus once when we turned round a tight corner to find a cyclist coming straight at us. The driver managed to avoid running her down, whereupon she proceeded to give him a right mouthful. Just because she was in a cycle lane she seemed to think that entitled her to ride on the wrong side of the road!
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Old 2007-08-10, 19:09   Link #56
TakutoKun
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gaiarth View Post
It's not just people who drive cars that can be stupid and dangerous. I was on a bus once when we turned round a tight corner to find a cyclist coming straight at us. The driver managed to avoid running her down, whereupon she proceeded to give him a right mouthful. Just because she was in a cycle lane she seemed to think that entitled her to ride on the wrong side of the road!
I agree with you there. I have seen so many bicycle riders that are absent minded to the rules of the road. If you ride a bike, you must obey the rules! That means you "STOP" at a STOP sign!
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Old 2007-08-10, 19:44   Link #57
Furuno
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Well, in my country it's right side driver, but there's some import cars that uses left side... Even tough i haven't drive left side cars before, i guess it'll be hard to shift with my right hand...
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Old 2007-08-10, 19:57   Link #58
the.Merines
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I love driving. I just hate everyone else who drives around me. (pretty much agreeing with everything that Vexx said). I was involved in 2 accidents when I was 17 and 18 that ruined my first 2 cars (neither of which was my fault. First time, an unlicensed 15-yo driver rear-ended me; second time, intersection accident caused by ice, the dude who hit me wasn't too bad).

In any case, since then I've been a very cautious driver. I know my limits and my car's limits because of a couple autocross experiences, so I constantly survey the vehicles around me and drive accordingly.
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Old 2007-09-14, 11:35   Link #59
Dkong1026
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Age: 33
Driving Exam

Well, I just failed my driving exam today. I passed maneuverability but I failed the road part. I'm really annoyed, since I won't be able to retake it for a month or so....I have to wait 7 days to reschedule the test, and then it's ALWAYS booked for like 2-3 weeks....so I'm just flat out annoyed.


How did all of you guys do on your first driving test?
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Old 2007-09-14, 12:21   Link #60
TakutoKun
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Location: Ontario, Canada
Age: 39
I passed my first driving exam (and 2nd and 3rd). It is important to remain calm, cool, and try to ensure that you are providing a smooth ride for your examiner.

How long have you been driving? I find it calmed me down when I spoke to the examiner whilst doing the exam.
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