Saturday, June 14, 2008

For the love of Pete . . . !!!

Let me preface this. I'm a good driver. I'm careful, watchful, and attentive. I actually stop fully at stop signs and before turning right at a red. I drive slow in neighborhoods. I'm law abiding.

Mostly.

On the freeway I'll do about 7 to 9 over the limit. On streets, about 5 over. Since I'm a patient guy, I'm OK with people doing the limit. I have no innate desire to go fast all the time. I've been accused of being a grandpa.

You get the picture.

Today must be mentally retarded driver day. I can't seem to go anywhere where some dork isn't doing about 5 UNDER the limit. And, of course, they're in droves so I can't easily go around them and be on my merry way. To make matters worse, they stop about 300 feet before the light . . . and in between one another!!

AAAAAAAAARGH!

OK. I feel better. Think I'll go mow.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Perhaps these "retarded" drivers are deliberately driving slower, not to annoy people like you, "Grampa".

Hypermiling: never over 55, slow and steady all the time, no idling, and as little breaking as possible. Treat hills like a roller coaster - slow up, coast down.

Ignore the impatient types who like to use their horns and fingers. Chances are you'll end up right behind them at the next traffic light, so it's not like they're saving any time going faster.

BTW- I took my ok 28 mpg car to an average of 35 mpg, with the occasional 40+ on longer trips. Instead of filling up every ten days, I only need to fill up every fifteen to eighteen days. If everybody practiced such restraint, we might leave some fuel for our grandchildren.

(A real Grampa)

Jimi5150 said...

Hmm. Doubt it. I should have added that a good many of these drivers were blathering on a cell phone or to another person in the car. They seemed anything but attentive.

But, I appreciate your defense of them. I, myself, don't get all blood pressured up to a point of using my finger or horn. But that doesn't mean I'm not a tad annoyed. And I also know tat speeding on streets gets you nowhere fast. Which is one reason I don't.

Well, except for the 5 over.

But, I do have a better way these people could save gas . . .

Lastly, there's plenty-o-oil for my grand kids and my grand kids grand kids. We simply have to be willing to get it.