Driving
 

Do you love it or hate it? What kind of driver are you? Any tickets/arrests? Did you get your license right at 16? What car(s) do you drive?

I got my license at 16. Took driver ed in a 1990 Chevy Corsica, and then my dad bought me a 77 Monte Carlo. :p After that, had an 84 Monte, a 97 Monte & now I drive an 03 Hyundai Santa Fe.


I don't mind driving, but I'm not a fan of city driving, esp. if I don't know exactly where I'm going. There are also certain highways that I refuse to drive around here (the 198 & the 33.) I hate them. But the 90 is fine. My husband and I love road trips, it's not unusual for us to take a few trips a year to camp or visit friends 6 or 7 hours away. In 2000, we drove to the Grand Canyon & back - so cool to see the country.

I'm also a driving dork - I almost always obey traffic laws - if it says "no turn on red" then I don't. I don't run red lights, I actually stop at stop signs, I always use my turn signals, etc. I am a mini-speeder, I'm usually 5 over in the city & 10 over on highways. I do not drive if I've been drinking a lot (if I am driving, I cap it at 2 drinks.) I did drive drunk once, and thank God nothing bad happened. I was 19 & stupid. Never did it again, it was so scary.

I'm pretty laid back for the most part, I try not to rage, but it happens. My biggest peeve is people not doing the speed limit, esp. in the left/fast/passing lane - I will tailgait if they're not up to speed. On the other hand, if I'm speeding and some jerk's on my ass, I will slow down to exactly the limit. Just for spite. :cool: That will probably get me shot one of these days.

I got a speeding ticket about 12 years ago (doing 54mph in a 40 - I was late getting home.) but that's it. No arrests, no parking tickets. I've never been in a major accident, and the 2 fender benders I have been in were the other guy's fault.

I don't drive. I'll be 26 in May and I'm still without a license. I've acquired my learner's permit three different times (had them expire with little or no use three different times) and taken Driver's Training once. I always pass the permit test with no problem and did well in both Driver's Education and Driver's Traning, but I've yet to even attempt the behind-the-wheel license test.

The few times that I have driven, I've hated it. My blood pressure skyrockets and my hands cramp up from clutching the wheel too hard out of nervousness. I've also nearly gotten into at least one accident, almost ran over my own cat, and nearly hit a goat during a hale storm. So, I've just made myself become quite familiar with the bus routes in my town.

I suppose I really ought to do something about the situation, but my hectic work schedule makes finding the time and opportunity to learn quite difficult.

I've been driving since I was 12, have had my license since I was 17. Last ticket I received was in 1989, havent has as much as a parking violation since.

I drive slower than probably 95% of everyone else in the world, and yes, my wife drives faster than I do. I am almost always in the slow lane unless I get annoyed with a driver who is driving 40MPH in a 65MPH zone (Or if I am on a turnpike I drive 65-70MPH in the 80MPH zone) and feel the need to pass.

I'm somewhat anal in regards to that if you're riding with me you better have your seatbelt on, because if i get pulled over and receive a ticket for it (Oklahoma has a compulsary "Seat belt" law) I will make sure to click the belt around yer spleen.

For the record, I HATE riding in a car...If I am not driving I suffer motion sickness (Deb knows that all to well :nod: )

Hm, I'm a fairly good driver, I think. I got my license when I was 21 (hey, you can't get em here until your 18 anyway) and so far I haven't been involved in any accidents or hit anything. I've also never been honked at, or been involved in something that could be considered a WTF moment for other drivers. I usually am the one honking and screaming WTF though. I'm always in a hurry, and other drivers easily irritate me. :lol:

That said, I love driving though! I've had a few speeding tickets over the years (about two, but not big ones...all about 3 or 4 miles above the limit) and about 4 or 5 parking tickets. (As I said, I'm always in a hurry and too lazy to find a decent parking spot.)

I usually get a cab when I go out, but there have been times I've gotten behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol (or pot). I was never actually drunk, but tipsy...yup. :o

But, I will say this: European drivers are better than American drivers. It's true. :wavey:

I have a love/hate relationship with driving.

I'm a good driver, my reflexes and such are excellent - I've always prided myself on that. But I hate driving here because there seems to be some unspoken rule of driving 5-10 miles below the speed limit. It infuriates me.

That said, I do follow traffic laws, except for the speed limit thing which I'm guilty of usually doing around 5 over...but I'll accept going the actual speed limit - it's going slower that pisses me off.

I've only been in one accident...it was recently and it totalled my car...which was six months away from being completely paid off :mad:

Other than that I've only had a few speeding tickets, and one for not stopping at a stop sign..in a parking lot. Oh actually - when I first moved to Rochester I got stopped...for turning on red when there as a sign that said not to. I didn't see the sign, in my hometown there are no such signs...I'd honestly never seen one....the stupid part is I did it right in front of a cop. I saw the cop, I didn't see the no turn sign - so I was genuinely surprised when he pulled me over.

I got my license at 16 and my first car was a little hatch-back 1988 Toyota Corolla named Oda Mae.

Then I bought a Mazda Protege - that's the one that got totalled, and now I drive a 2005 Toyota Corolla named Doris. She rocks.

I love driving. But by myself. I HATE people riding with me because they are only there to get on my nerves and tell me how to drive :mad:


which leads me to the next part. i'm not a good driver :laugh: I've never been in an accident (that was reported) that was my fault :angel: i've had 2 tickets. one was only a few miles over the limit. The other one was back in august when i was trying to save the squirrel :distress: that was a speed trap, though (like it makes it any better :laugh: )

I'm a pretty laid back driver. I don't get rage much unless I'm hungry.

The reason I guess other people consider me a horrible driver is: I hardly ever pay attention to what I'm doing :o I'm usually doing about a million things. I DO tend to speed quite a bit, but I ALWAYS use my turning signal. even when i'm pulling out of my driveway. I've had my fair share of road fueds-mostly other people started it, but I guess it was due to my poor driving :laugh:

When i took my driver's test, I did pretty good, but scored the best on my parking. Parallel parking, to be exact. I also took my test in a straight shift, so THAT was fun. But I passed, and that's all that mattered!!! I'll go ahead an apologize if I ever see you out on the road somewhere :laugh: oh, and this wasn't asked, but I ALWAYS wear my seatbelt (****..I HAVE to :laugh: ) but it's a good habit to get into and even if I'm running a block down the road, i put it on! :nod:

^^

Ooh that reminds me..I am an excellent parallel parker. Seriously...I love to do it - because I can :laugh:

There have been instances where I'm not driving but whoever is will get out and make ME parallel park the car...it's something that has never been hard for me...and I take great pride in my parallel parking skills :D

My Dad...
 

wouldnt let my Mom drive, so she was reduce to "backseat driving" - and YES (!!!) she had a license for it too.

The following is a true story. As much as you want to believe it not to be it did indeed occur. My Mom was legendary for her driving prowless. Hell, I was once in her car as she laid rubber at a stop sign....With a Muskogee PD car directly behind us. She laughed at the cop as he wrote her a warning, guess those 36 DD's may have had something to do with that...Anyways, below is the story:

Mom didnt get her license until she was 34 years old. Her first traffic ticket was for doing 180+MPH in a 55 MPH zone on a state highway, yes, you read right - 180MPH in a 55 MPH zone...All this without a driver's license or permit (Mom bought herself a 1976 Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am with a medical malpractice settlement. Her first driving lesson was learning to drive atbreak neck speeds on the Muskogee/Broken Arrow turnpike. Mom had the 454 Chevy 8 block modified so the top speed her TA would get was about 210 MPH according to the OHP.).

Once Mom passed her driving test, which she nearly aced, she had a challenge made to her from the OHP trooper who pulled her over. This trooper has a 1980 Pontiac Firebird 'Bandit Edition' Turbo which he claimed could beat Mom's TA in a drag on the highway. Mr.Pooper-Trooper even wanted to sweeten the offer by racing for pink slips, so Mom, being the NO BS person accepted his offer.

The local unit, which this trooper belonged too, cordened off (Can you say "illegally"? Knew ya could!) a stretch of highway 64, Which becomes highway 2 between Porum & Briartown, for the race.

Mom LUNCHED Mr.O-Hip and his black Turbo turd, so much that this trooper was near tears knowing he had just lost his 'prized' car to a woman driver. When he approached Mom to give her his pink slip, Mom told him to keep it, She said "I dont want that piece of crap...It drives too slow". His fellow trooped ripped him a new one for the whole episode.

Awww, the memories of the **** that was my childhood...God it was definitely different than most.

^^

:lol: :lol: Man..just when I think you're mom can't get any cooler you pull a story like this out...that woman was awesome :laugh:

Great story...

:laugh: ME TOO!!! sometimes I'll do it, even when there is another space that has plenty of room!! my grandfather taught me how to do it and I love it!! Except when i hit the curb :laugh: I only do that every once in awhile!! I think it surprises people when I do it well, because everything else I do is so horrible. They are like.."ooh ****" and start making their peace with God or something....

My Mom...
 

was the coolest person I have ever or will know.

Who else would take apart a Maytag dryer, by reading the schematics, to remove a faulty thermostat and to install a brand new thermostat because the thought having a repairman do it was a joke? Of course, my Mom.

Who else would take her oldest son to school in the TA, just to flirt with the highschool boys and give 'em a cheap thrill, just to hear my oldest brother's friends ask "Who's that groovy chick in the TA?", just to see the look on their faces as Bill told 'em, "That's no groovy chick, that's my Mom".

Hell, Mom used to take her TA out to the parking lot of the USS Batfish (A WWII submarine that is drydocked in our hometown Muskogee, OK.) and show high schoolers how to do a proper burnout/donut on the pavement without burning the rubber off the tires.

She also like to hit the road (At a high rate of speed) leading to the railroad tracks near our home, in her car just to see how high off the ground her car would go in the air - of course after knocking off 2 separate sets of spoilers Mom decided that at $300 a set that her "daredevil days" were over with.

Mom was smart for a 10th grade dropout. She dropped out of school to care for her much younger sister, Nora & my older sisters- Besides Mom was too smart for school anyways. She easily passed her GED test in the late 80's without as much as opening a book to study (She was going to enter college at the age of 45 to become a sociologist/social worker - but her health issues started to manifest)

Brian "My Mom loved her initials B.S. - Because she said those initial were accurate" j.


ps- Everyone who knew My Mom says I am the identical male clone version of her, personality wise & look wise & personality wise - Minus the 36DD rack :shrug: :lol:

3 or 4 miles over? :shocked: Wow, they're pretty strict over there. They usually don't bother you here unless you're going more than 5 or 6mph over, unless you're near a school or a road repair zone.

BTW - DO NOT include Bulgarians in your statement. They're crazy. I was there 3 weeks visiting my family & almost got killed 3 or 4 times. They like to cut out into traffic in front of people too - but nobody seems to care. :shrug:

Very strict. :shocked: Part of the reason why I say that we are generally better drivers. We are forced to be!

No, you're right. Mostly western Europe. :laugh:

i like driving a lot. especially stick shift. don't always love city driving ... but highways? yes. and as the ledgies who went to the cleveland show can attest, i'm a pretty good driver. :angel: except when we're being almost carjacked outside a gas station. :cool: i do like to drive fast, though, so i had three tickets by the time i was 20. :laugh: haven't had one since, though.

i got my license when i was 17, and my parents bought me a car when i was 19, a 96 saturn. sadly it's sitting in the driveway with a leaky radiator. it's been a good car tho.

two of my tickets were for speeding (38 in a 25 zone and 75 in a 60 zone), and one is for turning right on red at a five-way intersection. and i wasn't turning to the next street over, i crossed the median. and there was a cop literally directly behind me. yes, i am a moron. :laugh: i've also had numerous parking tickets, but only one from the city. the rest are from the bastard university.

i've hit 2 parked cars, but didn't make a mark. i've only been in one car accident, but i wasn't in a car when it happened ... :laugh: yes. i got hit while crossing the street. not fun. :rolleyes:

I would have a driver if I could afford one.

I would not have a car if I could get away with it.

I put less than 10,000 miles on my car a year.

I started driving a month before my 16th birthday. Mom and dad bought me a 1984 Mustang for my 16th birthday, and couldn't wait to give it to me, so they let me have it a month before! I was so cool! Anyhow, I drove that until I was 18, and totaled it. Then I bought a 1989 Cutlass Calais. Piece of ****. Swore I'd never buy another used car, so I bought my first brand new car in 1998. It was a Saturn SC1. Then, my husband totaled that, so I bought a 2003 Saturn Vue. That's what I'm driving now.

I actually enjoy driving. Unless it's on 465 during rush hour. That tends to piss me off. I have road rage pretty bad. I tend to lose it, especially when people don't do the limit or cut me off. I try to limit that since 9 times out of 10 Sara is with me. But I catch her road raging from the passenger seat sometimes... and she's 8! It's hilarious.

I am a speeder... I get frustrated if you're not doing at least 5 over. I'm always in a hurry, but I'm not sure why! It's been quite a while since I've had a ticket. Last ticket was for speeding. I drive a stick and I love it! I was taught to drive on a stick, and I think it's how everyone should learn how to drive. I will definately teach Sara on a stick. I'm teaching Samantha now, and boy is that a trip. Now I know how my parents felt!!! :o

omg. i feel so bad for my parents. :laugh: i can't imagine how hard it would be to let a 15-year-old drive my car! i get nervous when my brother drives, and he's 19!

^^
My mom refused to teach me, which is all good as she may actually be one of the worst drivers on the planet. I literally fear for my life each time I drive with her. And she is not allowed to drive my car. Ever.

So I went to a driving school...with five of my best friends..when we weren't getting in trouble for talking too much we learned a lot :D

It always amazes me how young you guys can start driving cars out there!

I passed first time aged 18 and I love driving. It's just other drivers that I don't like!;)

I'm a driver. I've driven east coast to west coast, florida to new york. and most states in between.

I like driving on interstates and highways the most. I like to drive fast. And I'm a passer. I don't like being behind another car, even if they are going an appropriate speed. Open road, baby.

I've been in no less than 12 wrecks, but most of them are ridiculous things like.. oh say, the 4 separate times I've been knocked while sitting at a stop sign. Or a red light. In parking lots. No serious accidents, thank god.

I didn't have a permit when I was 15, but I got my license without a test as soon as I turned 16. I've been through a few cars, pimpin' buick, mustang, saab, and now an eclipse, which I've had since '03, and all the miles on it are MINE.

I keep the inside of my car very clean, but the outside needs a washing. Road salt.

Yeah, and none of that 'parents teaching kids' crap here either. It's driving school for at least 40 lessons, 35 bucks a lesson, 300 bucks for the exam, which you usually take twice, because hardly anyone passes the first time around. It's very expensive, and very strict. :shocked:

damn. we have driving school too, if you want to get your license before you're 18. costs about $300 bucks, and i think you do a total of 4 hours in car with an instructor. you're supposed to do 50 hours with your parents before you can take the test.

omg, you have brenda in your signature.

best. sketch. evar.

Parents saving up for their kids' drivers license is as common here as parents saving up for college. :laugh:

Only 4 hours?? Damn, it took me close to a year to get my license.

We had more than four hours in car with driving instructors...I don't remember how much more though...then we had to do this horrible traffic cone course to pass the class.

The guys teaching us were the nephews of the owners and were dicks. I vividly remember while learing to drive hearing, "hey...is this special driving class??" "What are you...special ed?" always to that effect...made one of my friends cry a couple of times.

I remember one time they took us to an aunt's house and made us all wash all of their cars :rolleyes: Said it was part of car ownership and we had to learn....

This driving school is no longer open :laugh:

What do you mean "except?" That was your best driving move - running that red light while I was screaming "just go, Carrie, he's going to start banging on the window!" You saved my life. :angel:

Gah, that reminds me of one of my first jobs. I was working in a theme park and we'd all come in in the morning and if there was nothing to do, they'd hand out the dirty jobs, stuff that wasn't really in your contract. One day one of the big boss guys walks up to me and he throws me the keys to his BMW and requests that I clean it. I'm like "Uh, no. That's not why I got hired." Save to say, he wasn't pleased and he always made sure to let me know he never forgot that.

Ofcourse, then I started sleeping with his son, and all was well. :lol:

Does anyone drive a stick shift any more? :shrug: When I was car shopping recently, people looked at me like I had three heads when I requested a manual transmission. Driving an automatic is so boring... and I never feel like I am totally in control of the situation.

Everybody drives a stick here. Automatics are almost unheard of, unless specially requested.

I feel like I've just been told a story by Blanche Devereaux :p

Blanche and I go way back. :wavey:

:lol: well thanks for not telling a Rose story, I much prefer Blanche's :wavey:

I like hearing about the good ole days in St. Olaf.

:o

^^^That's me.:o
Angry driver here. GET THE FUKC OUT OF MY WAY, if you can't drive the fukcing speed limit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm on the horn constantly.
I used to love to drive. I now HATE it, as traffic has become so bad, all the time.
Like Strand, if I could afford a driver(a fukcing FAST one!!!), I would.

My two Uhauls are sticks! I hate em......it's too hard to eat while you're driving!!!:D

seriously. i weep with laughter every time.

:laugh:

well, you have to have your temps for 6 months before you can take the test. it's not like, bang boom, here's your license! :laugh: nonetheless, it still sounds harder in europe.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

i told my friends about it, and they were like, "you mean you stopped at all for a red light in downtown cleveland???" :laugh:

i do! :wavey: i love driving stick.

I love driving, have to have a stick shift, and am somewhat of an asshole driver. But you kind of have to be, here. But I guess I go a little beyond. For instance, when I had my little red sporty car, and would take it to Stinson Beach - which is one of the funnest drives ever, totally hilly and windy (wine-dee) and cliffside - I would honk at slow people who didn't turnout on the turnouts. Actually, that sounds assholish, but who's the real asshole? I submit the real one is the person who doesn't turn out on the turnouts, even though there is obviously someone right behind them who wanted to go fastah. (Candle. Burns bright. wants to drive fastah! Well, do you know, all the reasons..why-hy. WHY-HY!) :shrug:
I'm also the kind of person who goes really fast in between everything, even if it isn't warranted. I don't care. Like all my other motive endeavours, it's all about speed, coordination, and speedy coordination. Everything is really a sport to me, driving is no exception.
I must add that my speedy coordination has done well for me, no accidents.

To me, driving is like a video game. A singing video game. But I must also say that I observe all the rules, especially the stopping behind the line rules. Also, every other form of transportation is like a video game for me, as well. Dodge, Zoom, and Weave is my motto. It's funnest on rollerblades, but anything is good.

I also love riding in cars. That has been, and can be, a fun date for me. Like "What should we do?" "Lets drive in your car and listen to the radio and sing! :blob1: ". I love it.

But ... I thought you guys in the Netherlands rode bikes everywhere? Or is that just Amsterdam? All I know is, I almost got run over at least 3 times in 4 days by people on bicycles when I was there last year! ;) :)

But yet I never see you two in my part of the state!!!! :( :laugh:

I love driving a stick and that's all I've ever driven. I feel like I have more control plus it's fun.

I got my licence on my 16th birthday and have been driving ever since. I like to go to new places and I can listen to my music in the car as loud as I want to. I do like to drive fast but I try not to drive as fast as I used to. I have received 5 tickets so far and 4 of those were speeding. I've been is several acidents, two of which were my fault. The last accident was a big deal. I got sued but fortunately the case got settled.