LVSteve
Member
Well, all good things come to an end. Here in Vegas we actually had a spring this year, but now the heat has come and brought back a laundry list of driving stupidity. Let's start on the freeway.
Old and/or badly maintained vehicles don't do well in the heat. So now we have smoking, rolling road blocks to contend with. Most are yard maintenance or minor contractor's trucks towing trailers that run close to or above the max towing capacity of the pickup. The one yesterday sounded like a dump truck full of nails and was being driven with all the windows open. This is to let the heat out because the A/C is off and the heat is probably on in an attempt to stop the motor overheating. The crew inside were sweating buckets and the driver was hunched, grim faced over the wheel like a NASCAR driver on a short track...at 45 mph. Wonderful.
Still, that was better than the flat bed about a mile up the road. That one sounded 1000 metal trays being dragged down a gravel road. It was running at 30 mph with the hazards on, except the left rear turn signal was out, so none of us could work out if it was leaving the freeway or not. I called NHP on that one as it exceeded my BS threshold.
Still, even newer cars can become obstacles if the driver is lacking in will. Many Americans still seem to believe that hearing the engine is an indicator of imminent destruction. Now, when it's hot we run the A/C, which saps engine power. The heat also makes the engine less powerful. Therefore, we need more throttle to maintain speed uphill, but this makes the transmission down shift in many vehicles. GASP!! We can now hear the motor. OH NO!!!
So this is why on even gentle freeway upgrades you find yourself in the left lane behind a 4-cylinder car or a poorly driven minivan that surges forward like it is going to maintain speed, only to slow again as the driver jerks their foot away in terror at hearing the motor. Traffic gradually slows behind one these wastrels until we are 20 under the speed limit and the passing on the right begins to pick up. This unnerves Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms No Throttle causing more ankle distress but apparently it freezes the left hand, preventing it from applying the right turn signal. This continues until a break in the traffic allows the nervous ninny to access the right lane, or better still, an exit.
But even getting off the highway doesn't end the stupidity and selfishness. Oh no, sir. I stopped at Smith's (Kroger to many) on the way home, and as I walked to the front door I spied a lady in a Hyundai SUV with a disabled placard stopped in the fire lane near the entrance. I've seen this before with folk picking up their significant other coming off shift. Fair enough for 2-3 minutes.
Oh, did I mention that this spot is in the shade? After 15-20 minutes I came out and she was still there, motor running, dog half out of the window, still in the FIRE LANE. She was probably waiting for whoever was doing her shopping. That dog don't hunt for me. I can just imagine a fire truck rolling up, horns blaring, scaring Ms Ignorant's dog out of the car, getting her in a puther WHILE HER CAR IS STILL BLOCKING THE FIRE LANE AND ACCESS TO THE FIRE HEAD (or whatever they call it). Just...NO!!!
Old and/or badly maintained vehicles don't do well in the heat. So now we have smoking, rolling road blocks to contend with. Most are yard maintenance or minor contractor's trucks towing trailers that run close to or above the max towing capacity of the pickup. The one yesterday sounded like a dump truck full of nails and was being driven with all the windows open. This is to let the heat out because the A/C is off and the heat is probably on in an attempt to stop the motor overheating. The crew inside were sweating buckets and the driver was hunched, grim faced over the wheel like a NASCAR driver on a short track...at 45 mph. Wonderful.
Still, that was better than the flat bed about a mile up the road. That one sounded 1000 metal trays being dragged down a gravel road. It was running at 30 mph with the hazards on, except the left rear turn signal was out, so none of us could work out if it was leaving the freeway or not. I called NHP on that one as it exceeded my BS threshold.
Still, even newer cars can become obstacles if the driver is lacking in will. Many Americans still seem to believe that hearing the engine is an indicator of imminent destruction. Now, when it's hot we run the A/C, which saps engine power. The heat also makes the engine less powerful. Therefore, we need more throttle to maintain speed uphill, but this makes the transmission down shift in many vehicles. GASP!! We can now hear the motor. OH NO!!!
So this is why on even gentle freeway upgrades you find yourself in the left lane behind a 4-cylinder car or a poorly driven minivan that surges forward like it is going to maintain speed, only to slow again as the driver jerks their foot away in terror at hearing the motor. Traffic gradually slows behind one these wastrels until we are 20 under the speed limit and the passing on the right begins to pick up. This unnerves Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms No Throttle causing more ankle distress but apparently it freezes the left hand, preventing it from applying the right turn signal. This continues until a break in the traffic allows the nervous ninny to access the right lane, or better still, an exit.
But even getting off the highway doesn't end the stupidity and selfishness. Oh no, sir. I stopped at Smith's (Kroger to many) on the way home, and as I walked to the front door I spied a lady in a Hyundai SUV with a disabled placard stopped in the fire lane near the entrance. I've seen this before with folk picking up their significant other coming off shift. Fair enough for 2-3 minutes.
Oh, did I mention that this spot is in the shade? After 15-20 minutes I came out and she was still there, motor running, dog half out of the window, still in the FIRE LANE. She was probably waiting for whoever was doing her shopping. That dog don't hunt for me. I can just imagine a fire truck rolling up, horns blaring, scaring Ms Ignorant's dog out of the car, getting her in a puther WHILE HER CAR IS STILL BLOCKING THE FIRE LANE AND ACCESS TO THE FIRE HEAD (or whatever they call it). Just...NO!!!
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