 Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Learned Hand
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OP
Learned Hand
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I was riding to work this morning minding my own business (Okay, so I was actually minding everyone elses business, which turned out well for me) when this old bitty in a minivan decided my lane looked nice and cozy. She just whipped right over into my lane. Fortunatley I saw her making her move and easily slid over onto the left shoulder. I layed on my horn riding along beside her, and nothing- she never looked over. I have loud pipes and was laying on the horn and she never heard a thing. I wasn't even in her blind spot I was next to the driver side window the entire time. She just kept on going; I guess she was late for her quilting bee. It just makes me so mad. 
Learning from my mistakes... again and again.
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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I might have gotten closer and knocked on the window. Nah, probably wouldn't have heard that either.
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Monkey Butt
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Monkey Butt
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,630 Likes: 7 |
Quote:
I might have gotten closer and knocked on the window. Nah, probably wouldn't have heard that either.
Break off her mirror, worked for me 
We all like to think of ourselves as rugged individualists. But when push comes to shove most of us are sheep who do what we are told. Worst of all, a lot of us become unpaid agents of whoever is controlling the agenda by enforcing the current dogma on the few rugged individualists who actually exist.
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: Feb 2005
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2 |
Well guys...I WAS gonna make an A.A.R.P. joke here, but THEN I remembered that I'VE been receiving their publication for a few years now in the mail.   So...I'll go another route!!!  Who SAYS..."loud pipes save lives"...ANYWAY???!!!  Cheers, Dwight (maybe it's knowing[and NEVER FORGETTING]that there's people like this EVERYWHERE that..."saves lives", HUH?!)
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Adjunct
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Adjunct
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She was probably listening to "Stair Way to Heaven" cranked on her CD player.
mark
A Dyslexic Man Walks Into A Bra
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: Feb 2005
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2 |
Quote:
She was probably listening to "Stair Way to Heaven" cranked on her CD player.
mark
Yeah okie! But I'll bet to our friend Nuthin here, at the time it probably sounded more like "Highway to Hell" to him!!! 
Cheers,
Dwight
(and besides....if she was THAT old, she was probably listenin' to ELVIS anyway!)
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: May 2006
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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It's a tough thing with old folks. They often shouldn't be driving, but either don't have anyone to get things for them, or don't want to be a burden to others by asking for fetch it runs. We were very extremely fortunate here in that our folks gave up without too much of a battle. They were definately at the unsafe at any speed phase of their motoring careers. I won't bore you with the fender dinking details, but both were very unaware of their surroundings while driving. One 5 mile ride with either of my parents would have beaten anybody's roller coaster, hands down.
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,877 |
Ya know it's funny, my one grandmother is almost 90, and is far more sane and logical than either of my parents even, but never driven a day in her life! She's probably make a great driver, but then again, maybe the REASON she is so well off mentally is that she never drove. She definitely falls into that category of "not wanting to be a burden". After my grandpa's funeral (other grandpa) her ride wasn't there yet and she wanted me, my dad and my sis to leave her on the steps of the church to wait in 90 degree heat!! We flat out had to say no! Unreal.
Benny
Black & Silver '02
Too many mods to list
Not enough miles ridden
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Learned Hand
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OP
Learned Hand
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I do feel kind of sorry for the lady. I'd hate to lose my freedom to drive myself, but this lady was oblivious to everything going on around her. I guess in reality it might not have had anything to do with her age. After all it wasn't the first time somebody wanted to cozy up to me in my lane, but usually I lay on the horn and they go zipping back into their lane.
Learning from my mistakes... again and again.
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: Apr 2006
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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I just saw the lady we need to put on a wanted poster. She was a mid-60s lady with thick glasses driving a Japanese mini SUV thingamajig (badly) while talking on a cell phone WITH HER DOG ON HER LAP.
Kevin - Luceo Non Uro
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Old Hand
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Old Hand
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Chances are, the toy poodle (or pomeranian) in her lap was driving. You know how dogs hate motorcycles.
Let's hope there's intelligent life somewhere in space 'cause it's buggar all down here. -- Monte Python
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: Jul 2006
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3/4 Throttle
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3/4 Throttle
Joined: Jul 2006
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It's not only old people that scare me. A soccer mom in a Windstar with a cell phone is the scariest thing I can think of. I had to dodge an older lady and her husband the other day but the people on cell phones---constantly!
My pet peeve is people running stop signs. Twice within 15 minutes people blew threw stop signs last Friday and would have gotten me if I had not expected them to.
Get this--the second people who almost ran into me were two people on BICYCLES holding a conversation as they rode through a stop sign! This days after a big article in the paper that bicycles have to obey traffic laws too.
Redbike7
2006 America
No amount of skill can overcome gross stupidity. Ask me how I know...never mind, I forgot...
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 Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: Jul 2006
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3/4 Throttle
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3/4 Throttle
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If you do it today you MIGHT regret it. If you CAN'T do it tomorrow you WILL regret it.
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Bar Shake
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Bar Shake
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Quote:
I might have gotten closer and knocked on the window. Nah, probably wouldn't have heard that either.
Depends on how hard you knock .
Contra todo mal, mezcal; contra todo bien, también
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: Aug 2006
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Is that why you carry the 5 D-Cell maglight? For knocking hard?
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Check Pants
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Check Pants
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Posts: 5,590 |
Quote:
I do feel kind of sorry for the lady. I'd hate to lose my freedom to drive myself, but this lady was oblivious to everything going on around her.
The last time my grandpa got his license renewed I rode along. He messed up a lot of the sight stuff and I was thinking "this doesn't feel right" as the examiner completed the paperwork. Granted he just poked around the little town we lived in, but he got my adrenaline going a few times. He eventually quit driving on his own accord. I think knowing and choosing when to hang up the keys is a tough one.
JH
"It's not what I say that's important, it's what you hear" Red Auerbach
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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And most of us here are not that far away from being old folks too.
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Bar Shake
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Bar Shake
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Quote:
Is that why you carry the 5 D-Cell maglight? For knocking hard?
That's what this is for .
web page
Contra todo mal, mezcal; contra todo bien, también
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: Jun 2005
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old sparkplugs & nuts & bolts do the same job well!
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,362
Oil Expert
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Oil Expert
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I usually find planting a size 12 bootprint nice n hard in their door works well for getting attention. Not quite as permanant as breaking off their mirror but does give them a start.
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,500
Learned Hand
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OP
Learned Hand
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Quote:
I saw a car with an old lady driving and it was weaving all over the road. I pulled alongside and saw she was knitting !!! I shouted "pull over" and she said "no SOCKS!"
Brummie, that was bad man, real bad. No more jokes for you....
Learning from my mistakes... again and again.
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: Jan 2005
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3/4 Throttle
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3/4 Throttle
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Quote:
I just saw the lady we need to put on a wanted poster.
She was a mid-60s lady with thick glasses driving a Japanese mini SUV thingamajig (badly) while talking on a cell phone WITH HER DOG ON HER LAP.
Now! Now! Easy on those mid-60s people.
Dave
04 SpeedMaster, Windvest Screen, Leatherworks Bags.
F&AM, WM 3 times
Rifle & Pistol Competitor
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 Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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3/4 Throttle
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3/4 Throttle
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Why Old People Shouldn't DriveBecause there are too many danged youngsters (under 40 types) clogging the roads, radios blaring crazy music; driving very badly; and in general, stinking up the place! Be warned: old folks in Arizona carry (that would be "carry firearms" to those of you who live in Commie/Socialist states like New York, Conn., Maine, Rhode Island, Kalifornia, Minn., Ill., ect)!
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Learned Hand
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OP
Learned Hand
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Quote:
Because there are too many danged youngsters (under 40 types) clogging the roads, radios blaring crazy music; driving very badly; and in general, stinking up the place!
I'll admit if she had come any closer to me my pants would have been stinking up the place!
Learning from my mistakes... again and again.
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: Jun 2006
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Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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Our Liberties We Prize and Our Rights We Will Maintain
If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and will never be.----Thomas Jefferson
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Adjunct
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Adjunct
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Ballpeen Hammer is a nice negating instrument.
BUT if the interaction (OH S@#t event) is not too serious I remind myself all too soon I'll soon be the over 60 person driving. However I feel soccer moms on cell phones with a full crew of screaming pre-teens is very dangerous also. Not to mention last week merging onto a left exit from the interstate that leads to a left entrance, to the next interstate I spotted a (hate to say but its the truth) young blond women, cell phone in hand, almost gave me an enema. The worst drivers young women talking on cell while smoking. DRIVE SAFE EVERYBODY.
Last edited by Jonathan; 08/16/2006 10:01 AM.
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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I will say this, there are good drivers and bad ones, but i don't think that any age group is neccessarily better than the other. Young people will take risks in traffic that their reflexes allow them to do with relative ease, while older drivers drive more slowly (except my mother) taking little risk. I would be willing to bet that you would find a higher incidence of bad drivers vs. good based on a geographical basis. What age kids learn, what they are taught, etc... Bottom line, keep a cool head and take calculated risks if you have to, but there are motorcyclists that seem to find every person in an suv or van that will cut them off and then there are others who have an occassional close call but nothing too serious. Just have to drive for yourself and those around you. Something to be said for assuming no one see's you. Whew, that said, i like the idea of breaking off the mirror. 
~Topher
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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About 8 out of 10 accidents around here involving cars and bikes are young women aged 17 thru 30, I live next to an active military base and there are a lot of young women around here, and its not just that they don't see you, but they also don't care if they take your right of way because they're not afraid of the consequenses if you hit them. I dont know how many times ive been looked right in the eye and then they pull right out in front of you.New York now has an awareness campaign under way, its a 30 second public service announcement on motorcycle awareness. After a graphic car/motorcycle right of way violation, they state "Motorcycle accidents aren't accidents at all,too many are crashes caused by inattentive drivers who just pull into oncoming traffic with little more than a glance. I'm dmv commissioner Nancy Staples asking you to please watch for motorcycles." the commercials will run statewide during the summer months.
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Bar Shake
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Bar Shake
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,681 Likes: 1 |
Good point Trash. We all will be there someday. I'm also more afraid of those on cell phones regardless of age. But teenage girls on a cell with several friends in the car give me the heebie jeebies 
"Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at seventy miles per hour can double your vocabulary" Author unknown
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: Aug 2006
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Buddy of mine got ping-ponged on I95 last year. Same thing with the SUV pulling into his lane only he couldn't get out of the way. The SUV pushed him, he ended up headed toward another truck on his other side (the ping-pong effect) hit it and then managed to recover. He just looked at both and got the hell out of there (he's a ricer so probably at about 150 mph) I don't blame him for that, my adrenaline woulda been pumping too.
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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Quote:
About 8 out of 10 accidents around here involving cars and bikes are young women aged 17 thru 30, I live next to an active military base and there are a lot of young women around here, and its not just that they don't see you, but they also don't care if they take your right of way because they're not afraid of the consequenses if you hit them. I dont know how many times ive been looked right in the eye and then they pull right out in front of you.
Stone,
You won't believe this, but when this thread started I was telling my friend (a woman in her 20's - who is sitting right next to me, BTW) exactly what you have said (more or less verbatim) and then your post came up.
I experience the exact same thing more often than I find comfortable and I agree, it seems like they don't care and pull out right in front of you.
Small world eh?
Bedouin.
Blessed are those eyes that have seen more roads than any man! (Homer).
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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Only thing worse than a young lady on a cell phone is one thats also late for a tanning appointment or to get flowers painted on her toe nails. They just can't be bothered by some idot on a motorcycle thats in the way.
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Adjunct
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Adjunct
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Quote:
I do feel kind of sorry for the lady. I'd hate to lose my freedom to drive myself, but this lady was oblivious to everything going on around her.
Dude you're being too nice here. When a person gets to be a certain age they should be tested to see if they still have it. May sound harsh? Well I'm going to the hospital this week end to visit a friend that had senior citizen(with his head up his rump)pull in front of him. He has already had 4 surgeries including half of his foot amputated. If you can't drive any more you have no bussiness going 40+ in a 3000+ pound vehicle. I have always felt driving is a privilege( because privileges require repsonsilbility )not a right. Hey I know it sucks to get old but it also sucks to get hit by a geezer in a 3000+ pound machine at 40+ miles an hour.
She's a Lady and the Lady is 100% mine !
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Adjunct
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She had her hearing aid turned off so all the car horns beeping at her wouldn't bother her...<G>
Mary
Krashdagon aka Snappy
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Adjunct
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Try driving anywhere in Florida where the blue hairs are driving every other car on the road. I've been forced to the shoulder four times in the last year. I saw a bumper sticker the other day: "When I retire, I'm moving north and driving slow!"
Randy:
'05 TBA Green/silver AI out
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Oil Expert
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Oil Expert
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Quote:
Chances are, the toy poodle (or pomeranian) in her lap was driving. You know how dogs hate motorcycles.
ROTFLMAO!
Keith
Houston
Ridin'Texas
'04 Speedmaster
AI removed, Pingle, UNI Filter, 1 shim, straight-through slash-cut TORs, Stage 1 DynaJet, 140 mains, 3 turns, 16/42 final drive, 115K
2020 T120 Black
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Oil Expert
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I see it every day, as a lot of LEXUS owners are in that age group, and many are at the point where they need to get off the road.
I've been there long enough to know too many who have already lost a spouse - maybe the one who used to do all of the driving! It is real sad. You get to know these people - like you are part of the family (I want them to think of, or depend on me as such, with their car problems). I see them come in after first diagnosed with cancer, or after a stroke, or heart attack, and 4 months later, or 6, or 12 - always seems like yesterday - here they come again looking like they have aged 10 years or more! Real sad.
I keep telling our management that we need a collision center estimator in our building, as 8 of 10 cars have some request for touch-up or estimates of some degree. Most touch-up requests are really way beyond that, but the ones that are hard to keep a straight face with are those who seriously think you can simply "pop" their front or rear bumper back into shape after they have hit something hard enough to cave it in.
LEXUS has a really cool feature avilable on the LS and GS models that warns you when you are too close to another object (PARK ASSIST), with warning tones and a visual display in both the instrument panel and the navigation screen if so equipped. It doesn't help some of these folks at all! Of course 1/2 of them turn it off, or don't know they have it, or how to use it. I'll send a driver out to pickup their car for service, and it comes in with a request for an estimate from the collision center, and guess what? My loaner car comes back needing an estimate from the collision center!
And just exactly WHO gets the best insurance rates? The good driver discounts? WHO is responsible for our insurance rates SKYROCKETING? I know the young male teens are certainly responsible, but no less so than a lot of our seniors. If so many of our insurance company executives weren't there already themselves, they would change the rating system. My $.02
Keith
Houston
Ridin'Texas
'04 Speedmaster
AI removed, Pingle, UNI Filter, 1 shim, straight-through slash-cut TORs, Stage 1 DynaJet, 140 mains, 3 turns, 16/42 final drive, 115K
2020 T120 Black
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Re: Why Old People Shouldn't Drive
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,877 |
Im just curious, do the few big claims raise rates more than the many small claims? I mean those teenage males manage to do lots of damage, but not as often as lots of the girls I knew in HS. They would hit lots of things, just not as hard.
Also I think that things like the park assist give people a false sense of security. "I don't have to look behind me cause I have park assist." Well that will tell you if there is a stationary opject, but if you back out of a spot in a parking lot and someone is coming, boom!
Benny
Black & Silver '02
Too many mods to list
Not enough miles ridden
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