Job Discussion Forums

[Sweetsee]

Tail-gating rules of thumb:

1) Can see the point where the vehicle's rear tires in front of you meet the ground when stopped.
2) One car space for every 10 m.p.h. when moving.

I often get cars behind me that are not visible in the side-view mirror, that's close. Once, a little car was so close behind me at a light, I had to nearly stand while leaning back over my seat to see him. I like to shift into "R" (for ram) sometimes to freak people out and watch their expressions.
But the other day I was waiting for a light and the person behind the first car was so close that we were all pinned there while the lead car waited the entire light to make a right turn across opposing traffic. Really, I guess I need to angle down my rear-view to avoid the stress.

Hmmm, guess I could be on the train...nah.

Tail-gating is a big no-no where I am from. Does this somehow reflect a countries psyche?

How about some things you experience on your commute?

[Mtnkiwi]

I was on my scooter at the traffic lights the other day. I moved back a smidge as I took off on the green, and felt my bike hit something hard. I turned to look, and sure enough, it was a car. I'm talking less than a millimetre here. The guy, who waved me off, was driving a private taxi. Clown.

[canuck]

One car length for every 10 m.p.h.? That's excessive. You should keep up with the flow of traffic. For example, if everyone is doing 20 kph over the speed limit, and you're the only one going much slower, you are the danger. Make sure you stay in the slow lane.

Driving a scooter in the city is dangerous! Good luck with that.

[abufletcher]

Uh...let's see...on the way to work hmmm? That'd be a 3 minute jog across the sports field. I haven't noticed too much tailgating!

[Mtnkiwi]

Driving a scooter in the city is dangerous! Good luck with that.[/quote]

You're right of course, bloody dangerous.

I ride my mtnbike to work half the time, my scooter the other half. I think that the bicycle is actually safer (even including the risk of pedestrians), but not always practical. A 50 minute bike ride takes a fair bit of energy and it can be hard teaching lessons for a full day afterwards. If I use public transport I'm adding 30 minutes to my commute time, and as my work begins at 8am, I just can't get up that early.

So, I'll take your good luck with thanks.

[Sweetsee]

Hi Canuck,

A bit lemmingesque isn't it? I simply find it amazing that expressway drivers often tailgate at speeds exceeding 100 k.p.h. And what I stated is a rule of thumb where I am from. In fact, it is probably the answer to one of the questions on the written test to obtain a driver's license. But thanks for your contribution to the thread.


Enjoy yourself,
s

[Gordon]

[Sweetsee]

Hi AC,

No, no. I said when you are stopped you can see the blah, blah, blah...
You see, it's not only safe but defensive. If something goes down, how do you get out of there, you have no escape, you would never do that where we grew up, oh no.

I don't know what it is here. I had a bus driver that was bearing down on me while trying to cross the street on foot, and I mean like he was really vibing and ended up practically on top of the guy in front of him. No kidding, he was determined to prevent me from crossing the street. Granted, I was not in a marked cross-walk, not that anybody seems to care around here, but don't get me started on that, again.

As far as highways go, of course I am with Canuck, to a degree. But I will tell you, this morning after having turned around on the UraToko Seine to return home and run a good chance of being late for work, I found myself in a little pack as we pulled onto the toll road, and everyone seemed to be in a hurry, like me. There were no cars insight ahead of us, Mt. Fuji just going off, a little hazy, and before I knew it we were doing one-twenty, which is a fair clip, and I have see the man working that road. Situation like that you don't want to be the last lemming in the bunch. But, like Canuck said you go with it. And then as we entered the bottleneck, whose existance I had to contemplate before making a very daring and highly uncharacteristic rip-off move. Cut a long story short--was able to clock-in with 2 minutes to spare. But that wouldn't of happened had I not pulled that move, which by the way was not illegal in any way. Having gotten in the habit of angling down my rear-view, I was denied the chance of seeing the reaction of the guy I snaked, feels like you are invisible. It was pretty sweet, but I don't make a habit of rushing, no way, opposite in fact.


Enjoy going home,
s

[Sweetsee]

Hey man,

Oh yeah, used to love getting slideways in my LTD II wagon when I used to live in Anchorage, getting pitched through intersections and deftly bringing it back around.


Gotta run,
s

[Sweetsee]

Two things caught my attention on the way to work today:

1) a station wagon with 5 monitors playing a DVD; one in the rear-view mirror, one on the dash and 3 mounted on the top of the rear seat, ostensibly for the viewing pleasure of fellow motorists.

2) young mother with stuffed animals completely obstructing any view from the rear windshield of her vehicle.



Happy friday all,
s