from A Student
I drove out to the post office today. I turned right on to Center Road from Route 197. As I was coming off of 197, a white or silver F-150 was tailgating me as I was doing the posted speed limit (40). Once I got on to Center Road and started doing the speed limit (30), the tailgating continued, and the truck started driving in the middle of the road as if it wanted to pass me. As I came to a stop at the 3-way intersection of Bradford Corner and Center, I flashed my right turn signal for a moment, but then remembered that I was going straight, and turned it off. The driver of the truck decided he didn’t want to be behind me any longer, and as I came to a complete stop as usual at the stop sign, the idiot decided to swerve to the left, drive around me as I was at the stop sign, and blindly barrel through the intersection and go flying up Bradford Corner. This driver could have had a collision with another vehicle turning left towards me, a bicyclist/pedestrian/animal crossing the intersection, etc. And, if I hadn’t realized what they were doing, I would have started moving straight as they tried to turn right in front of me, and I would have collided with them. Of all the dimwitted actions other drivers have done to me, this one takes the top of the stupidity list.
If the driver of this truck reads this site, please pipe up. What was your motive? Where were you going that you had to perform such a dangerous stunt like that, potentially risking my life, your life, and the lives of others in the intersection, in order to save a minute or two to get to your destination? If you absolutely HAD to pass me and it were an emergency, it would have been much safer doing so going up the long, straight hill on Bradford Corner (which I didn’t even end up going down, as I indicated by turning my signal off).
In the past year, in addition to this, I have been passed twice on the double-solid lines at the intersection of Route 197 and Old Turnpike Road heading towards Center Road, once on the no-lines of Joy Road, and once on one of the lineless roads leading up to the transfer station (that one passed me to go to the transfer station; he must have saved himself 20 seconds to get there). I’ve also been passed on double-solids in Enfield and on Route 171, maybe more that I’m forgetting.
I’m not sure what the passing laws are about lineless roads in CT. The CT Driver’s Manual (which that truck driver has probably never read, maybe not even heard of) talks about passing procedures “Whenever signs or road markings permit you to pass…”. This, to me, indicates that no lines or signs = no passing. However, a bus driver (not Mrs. Leavitt) told me recently that it’s pass-at-your-own-risk without lines.
We really need more of a police presence here in Woodstock. Many drivers are absolutely out of control of these roads, including this truck driver and teens that Con has seen on Roseland Park Road, and it is dangerous for everyone.
Oh, and guess what? None of these issues I’ve experienced were the actions of teen drivers. Yet….
I think I’ll have to start driving with my video camera on the dashboard of the car. When stuff like this happens, I can send the video to the police… maybe they’d do something about it. Maybe not. But at least it would give me some satisfaction.
Slow down. Go the speed limit. Save fuel. Save wear on your tires and brakes. Make less noise for the houses you drive by and for nature. Save the pavement. Kick up less dust on dirt roads. Reduce your heart rate. Enjoy the scenery and live in the moment that you’re in, not rush to the next thing. Reduce your risk of throwing yourself and others into a disaster. But if you decide to drive like an a***ole, you deserve a disaster. There is something seriously wrong with society if we can’t bear going the speed limit and not reckless, white-knuckle, risk-inducing speeding.
See “Crime and Punishment in Woodstock” published in February 2006.
I have seen an increased presence lately. There was a state trooper parked over the by the church next to the fairgrounds (he later had someone pulled over on 171). Next day, they had someone pulled over by the post office.
Living and walking on 198, I could create a long list of how fast people go on that road.
A Student: I agree with you wholeheartedly on this topic. When driving on Roseland Park road in particular I find myself driving closer to the middle of the road when people come up behind me at a high rate of speed! I am looking at my speedometer and usually I am within five miles per hour of the limit (usually 5 miles higher) and yet, these fools insist that I should be going faster. I know the safe and prudent thing to do is just pull over and let them fly on their way, but why should I allow them to alter my driving since I am following the speed limit? I can see farther ahead than they can. I can see that runner/bicycle rider on the side of the road that is obscured from their view. Or maybe the motorcycle or oncoming vehicle that is pulling out onto the road from a driveway or side road. Yet they still insist on either passing or flashing headlights and honking a horn to make me pull over…it ain’t gonna’ happen!
I agree with you, too, Teacher.
I just read “Crime and Punishment in Woodstock”, and I agree with Ken about speed monitors. In fact, there was one on route 171 past the Xtra Mart, on both sides of the road right at the speed limit signs (35 going towards Putnam, 45 coming out). That particular place is in Putnam. The monitor was there for a few days a couple weeks ago, but it’s gone again.
Nobody dares pass me in Putnam when I’m doing 25 where that’s the speed limit… they’ll tailgate, but not pass. Perhaps it’s because of their large police presence?
I do think that a police officer would be good for Woodstock. There are enough reasons for me in that article (or were they all sarcastic? I couldn’t really tell). This is such a large town geographically that s/he would be very busy monitoring the roads, at least.
There are plenty of state troopers who patrol the main roads during the morning commute. Oftentimes there’s one officer who stops at the school and another one driving down 169, after I saw one or two along my bus route.
Troopers, however, can sometimes drive just as badly as the typical person. I’ve seen/heard of them speeding, tailgating, blowing through red lights, etc. without their lights flashing.
Welcome to the real world Student! I live on 169 near the curve by the fire station and town hall. I call it the “Autobahn”. Everynight I hear the squeal of tires as cars take the corner too fast. The posted speed here is 45 and on the hill its 35 but the average driver is doing 55+. Part of the problem is that cars are so well engineered that people (unless they look at their speedometer) think they are driving slower than they really are. As to your situation with the idiot that passed you, you can probably sum it up to one of these: Inexperience (teen driver) Alcohol, Drugs, and if the truck was a 4×4, a good measure of testosterone to boot. Best thing: pull over and let them go by. It can be hard on your pride to do it (I’m speaking for myself here too!) but you might save a life!
I disagree about pulling over for tailgaters – that is rewarding dangerous, bully behavior. I think all regular drivers should ‘gang up’ on tailgaters and basically make it so that an environment exists that does not tolerate this bully like behavior. It’s not only dangerous, it’s completely unfair for someone to drive as though THEY have more of a right to our roads then you do. This is a true pet peeve of mine. I do have a ‘method’ for dealing with them, sure to be controversial.
I see nothing wrong with quietly downshifting (no brake lights, you see) and slowing the car to do exactly the speed limit such that that bully drive must scramble to squash his brakes fast! because your car suddenly slowed in front of him. All drivers, as a matter of the law and of fundamental safety, must be ready for this kind of surprise (I’ve never had a close call, though I do admit it’s a radical solution – it’s also quite effective!); that is, PUNISH their bad behavior and find a way to communicate that if they merely BACK OFF! you will not suddenly slow down and force them to jack on their brakes.
Society is full of examples where bullies push aside regular people who merely allow it because it’s easier than confrontation or resistance. I cannot abide bullies and I cannot abide rewarding their bad, bullying behavior.
If ALL drivers did not tolerate tailgaters and other acts of ‘bully’ driving, then it would soon end. Those who allow it by acquiescing are contributing to it’s perpetration. That said, I fully understand and support the decision to play it safe (literally) and allow these idiots the entire road. I just hate the fact that this is what they are after in the first place and they achieve it through bad behavior…
I don’t necessarily see these idiots as bullies. Well, there are the odd ones here and there that are trying to push the buttons of the driver in front of them, but for the most part they are out of touch, over-stimulated and over-indulged.
To wax philosophical for a moment… our culture has, for the better part of the last half century, bit by bit, instilled in each of us how ‘special’ each of us are. Special people needn’t bother with the rest of us. Not only is everyone special, we have also done almost everything we can to avoid explaining how things work in real life. There is no awareness of how each of us fits into the fabric of life – the structure of society. Having said that, I see most of the idiot drivers out there as truly ignorant.
I have a little different take on driving ever since I was run down by a car when I was nineteen. My left knee was wrecked, the ball of my hip joint fractured, my pelvis broken, two teeth broken and a ended up with a good helping of road rash. I’ve paid for these injuries ever since and continue to even now over 35 years later. I look at vehicles with something near the same level of respect as a loaded weapon.
As a driver of a school bus I pull over as often as I can. I don’t do this so much as a courtesy as I do as a form of insurance against really dumb choices made by other drivers on the road. It keeps me from having to figure out what dumb thing somebody is going to pull at my next stop.
The woman who ran me down back in 1974 wasn’t paying attention. She didn’t notice the Greyhound bus I got off of nor the crosswalk I was walking in. In today’s world we have even more drivers not paying attention.
I’m not going to antagonize anybody I don’t have to. There isn’t anyplace I have to be that requires me to make a stop in heaven or hell first. As long as our culture (and each of us) spend more time on trying to distance ourselves from everyone else, we will only encourage this kind of behavior.
Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t like those idiots climbing up my backside out there on the road. I smile as they zoom by, knowing that one of these days I’m going to be the one to call 911 for the accident they are sure to be in.
PS… Like everyone, there are times when I catch myself not paying attention too. Sometimes I go to fast, sometimes I crowd the vehicle in front of me and sometimes I catch myself getting irritated with someone else because I have to slow down. I manage to be pretty focused when I’m in the bus and have made great strides in my personal vehicle… but it is definitely a process.
Con, I see what you mean. My Volkswagen has the Tiptronic transmission, and I use it in manual mode all the time so I can select gears without a clutch. I utilize my transmission very much when it comes to downshifting on hills. Perhaps people behind me get frustrated that I don’t have my brakes on because I’ve downshifted and they have to lay their feet on their brakes. I allow the car to go 5, maybe 8 above the speed limit if it’s a steep hill. However, I see hills as no excuse to go fast, but other people do and love passing me on them (legally or not). But as soon as I start going uphill or on level ground, the cruise control takes over again and I’m back down to the speed limit.
Now that I think about it, George, the driver of that truck could very well have been DUI or DWI. That didn’t occur to me once throughout the whole experience. Perhaps I should have called 911 and told them what happened and where the truck was going; if the driver was mentally impaired, stopping them could have saved lives down the road. If not… they’d get a talk from the police and hopefully never repeat that stunt. I just assumed they were being a jerk at the time, which is most likely, but you never know.
There was a comedian (I believe George Carlin?) who quipped that everyone who drives slower than me is an idiot, and everyone who drives faster is an a$$%01&.
I have no problem letting the latter go around me. I’d rather protect myself and my family than make them more irritated.
Well, there seems to be a speed monitor along one of the curves of route 171 (I think around the corner of Rocky Hill Road, but I don’t remember exactly where). Perhaps the Cafe has more of an influence than I thought; complain about speed one day, and a few days later, speed monitors appear.
I also ride a Motorcycle and literally have had to move nearly off of the road to avoid an oncoming, speeding car taking up all of the road. It’s infuriating – on a bike, it’s your own kneecaps that are your ‘bumpers’ and for some idiot to jeapordize your legs that way is inexcusable.
I believe that many drivers do not ‘speed safely’; that is, they are unaware of the actual physics of the car, what it can and cannot do and how to truly control it in a crisis situation. As a result, they end up hurling down the middle of the road (Old Hall; Roseland Park; Rocky Hill are a few favorites) right down the MIDDLE, with not enough time to react, leaving it to the other driver to react and swerve violently out of the idiots way.
I have no idea how these people will learn except the hard way. Drivers’ Ed does not seem to teach the physics of driving and what a car can and cannot do.
When ‘teaching/practicing’ with my nephew, I purposely put stacks of boxes in the back and a full cup of water on the dash and demand an emergency stop, all the while totally ignoring any internal noise or distractions from the boxes, water, etc. – teaching that these small things are nothing compared to a Tree they could smash into while trying to save that cup of water, etc. He found the exercise very helpful. These kinds of examples abound and don’t seem to be taught in Driver’s Ed, etc.
Every generation says this, but I really do believe that today;s young people haven’t the sense to drive fast ‘safely’ because they don’t really know if their car will make the sharp turn onto Rocky Hill Rd. to beat oncoming traffic (for ex.) or the like, while our generation learned that stuff well AND we had a significant Police Presense that is lacking…
More 2 cents worth. Thanks, Student, it’s a good subject for discussion.
One final quip from me about driving, that I think Con will like. I was coming back to Woodstock one evening after shopping in Southbridge. There is a long stretch that passes the cemetery in Southbridge. I noticed headlights quickly gaining on me. I was doing 50 which I think is technically over the posted limit there. This person got so close to my bumper that I couldn’t see their headlights anymore! They stayed on my bumper all the way into North Woodstock. I finally let off the gas and slowed down..no change, there they were, no more than 3 ft from my bumper. Just south of the dairy farm, I came to a complete stop..and so did they!! Now, I know I shouldn’t have done this, but I got out and stood there with my arms up saying “What the hell???” They finally put their car in reverse, backed up and then passed me. I’ll never figure that one out!!
George, that was route 198, correct? The maximum speed limit on it in Southbridge is 40. Then it goes down to 35, 30, and 25 at the end. It’s 45 in Woodstock.
It’s 30 on most lineless side roads in Woodstock, by the way.
If I MUST speed because I am LATE to something important, I might do 10 over the speed limit, but never anything more than that. I was doing 10 over the limit on 171 the other day and a shiny new Ford Mustang decided to pass me anyway, only to turn off of 171 moments later. Oh, by the way, that was the same day I discovered the speed monitor. What the perfect day for it to appear, the one day I’m speeding.
Once, at Cumberland Farms, a Mustang pulled up beside me and parked in a no parking zone. Do these sports cars driver think they’re exempt from laws?
Here’s a picture of the parking job:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_dfBBQk0C62Y/TB1czK_lV2I/AAAAAAAABRY/2kmBGg6sn6c/0420101715.jpg
Con, I agree that this is a good discussion. Let’s keep going!
I’m sure we’ll never run out of things to discuss or incidents to share.
Oh, on a side note, that speed monitor I came across on 171 seems to have disappeared already. That was short-lived. Maybe they didn’t catch enough speeders, which I would find surprising.
My heart rate literally increases whenever someone tailgates me. So the majority of the time I’m driving I can actually feel my heart thumping in my chest when I’m not even touching it. For my physical health, I suppose I really should start pulling over for people….
Student,
I don’t have a speeding story for you, but a completely different experience that poses what I feel is an interesting question about human behavior in our society. Hopefully others here will find it interesting as well.
It might be akin to what Becky was referring to in her post #6 above when she says, “To wax philosophical for a moment… our culture has, for the better part of the last half century, bit by bit, instilled in each of us how ’special’ each of us are. Special people needn’t bother with the rest of us. Not only is everyone special, we have also done almost everything we can to avoid explaining how things work in real life. There is no awareness of how each of us fits into the fabric of life – the structure of society.” … (see Newcomer’s new article. Admin).
I think my first post seems dangerous (my tactics of downshifting, surprising tailagator to hit brakes fast!), BUT failing to do anything is also very dangerous.
IF you had to stop for, say, a baby carriage (classic ex.), the tailgator is all but guaranteed to smash into you and perhaps push you into the obstacle you brake to avoid.
SO, somehow they must learn NOT to tailgate. It’s more than “I cannot abide bully behavior” but it’s a matter of serious safety, which is why the law exists in first place.
Again, I’ve noticed more and more close tailgaters than in prior years – George’s example of ‘can no longer even see their headlights’ is what I mean by close. THAT is extremely dangerous and I can’t fathom what they are thinking? It makes driving a bad experienced when someone is treating you that way; creates a nervous driver, rattles some, angers most, doesn’t achieve anything.
Why do they do it? It is belligerence like nothing else. That said, I would be far too afraid to do what George did – stop and get out. You really never know what kind of person is in the other car. I’ve wanted to do so, but have always decided against it.
I’ve always wanted a means of anonymous car-to-car communication: WHY are you tailgating? Please stop! etc. (but no profanity or escalating language leading to road rage – I know, a pipe dream, but something to think about).
Avoiding Road Rage is a priority, but we have to recognize that some of this driving ought not be tolerated in the name of avoiding making the other guy mad. THAT itself is giving in to an unsafe situation. Not sure where the middle ground is…
Thanks
PS – Speaking of ‘not knowing who is in the other car’, once while on the Cross Bronx Expressway I flashed High Beams at a carful of young men who were flying, crossing lanes without warning and cut me off.
Immediately when I flashed, they stomped their brakes and tried their best to ‘get at me’. I feared for my life and that of my dates (who ‘admonished’ my decision). I had to do some really evasive driving to avoid them trapping me, which they were trying to do. I can only guess what they planned to do if they got me stopped…
SO, when in Woodstock I act much, much different than when in NYC or the like. (just like I will not bother saying or doing a thing if bumped by someone on the NYC subway). Some of those people will do serious bodily harm and there’s no way to know who, etc.
A place to anonymously complain about other drivers and flag dangerous driving. Make sure to get the plate.
http://www.platewire.com/
Thanks,
Kevin
Thanks Kevin! This could prove to be a valuable asset for us. I’ve registered and will start using the site. I think it is just as important for us to acknowledge good drivers as well.
PS – The site is anonymous, purposely. You do have to register to use it. It is free, but donations are welcome if you feel so inclined.
This afternoon, I was being followed by a big silver/gray Mercury sedan on route 171. I was right on the speed limit, and it gave me more than enough following distance. After a few minutes, a black Acura SUV started tailgating the Mercury and riding on the divider line itching to pass, but the driver of the Mercury continued to give me plenty of distance. Thank you, whoever you are. It was nice sharing the road with you.