The driving experiences thread

[mr3urious]

As a regular bike rider, I frequently get stuck behind city buses stopping near bus stops, and this is a real pain because there are often no inward curbs near those stops that allow cyclists to pass through, forcing me to use a sidewalk and risk hitting a passenger or risk getting hit by traffic going around the bus. Also, I hate when people in wheelchairs (mostly old, homeless veterans) feel the need to travel in the bike lanes, even when there's an obvious sidewalk nearby. Just because you're disabled or served our country in the past doesn't entitle you to use that lane!

 

[D'Snowth]

As far as buses go, I too get annoyed when I'm stuck behind a bus that makes frequent stops down the same stretch of road - I remember one time being stuck behind a bus, right at an intersection where I needed to turn, but I couldn't go around it because not only was everybody else behind me already going around, but traffic in the left lane was too heavy for me to attempt going around anyway. Ended up sitting through three green lights because of the bus.

As for people in wheelchairs and motorized scooters, yes, they do that here too: not even the bike lane, they'll just get out in the middle of the road and expect you to drive around them.

 

[Oscarfan]

I was prepped very well to get my license at 17; I had passed the drivers test, did my 6 hours (which was a horrid experience), got my permit. Around the time I was allowed to drive, NJ passed some law that student drivers or permit drivers or whatever needed to have these little red decals placed on their license plates to indicate that "This is is a learning driver." However, we never got around to getting these until a month or two before my driving exam, so I didn't actually do any driving until then, so I wasn't prepped for the exam and pushed it back...a year.

Even then, I failed (parallel parking, of course) and never got around to retaking it until the spring of my senior year high school.

I've been in one accident involving a crowded intersection and since I was in a mini-van, I wasn't able to see an oncoming car when other cars were blocking it. No major damage to either of are cars (our door and axel got dented and that was pretty much it).

And aside from a couple of instances, I never even dared to drive on the highway until the past few months and I'm like "this is easier than I thought!"

I love driving, but I do wish I knew how to ride a bike. I like taking walks, but I can really only go so far because I realize "Oh man, I have to walk all the way back," so I do more driving instead. If I could bike, it would combine the fast mobility while getting some fresh air.

 

[D'Snowth]

I'm probably too fat to ride a bike now. Gosh, I probably haven't ridden a bike since I was maybe nine or ten, maybe . . . that was when we ended up moving to neighborhoods that lacked other kids to play with and basically places to play outside, which is probably why I ended up becoming an indoor kid shortly before I became a teenager.

 

[fuzzygobo]

I was prepped very well to get my license at 17; I had passed the drivers test, did my 6 hours (which was a horrid experience), got my permit. Around the time I was allowed to drive, NJ passed some law that student drivers or permit drivers or whatever needed to have these little red decals placed on their license plates to indicate that "This is is a learning driver." However, we never got around to getting these until a month or two before my driving exam, so I didn't actually do any driving until then, so I wasn't prepped for the exam and pushed it back...a year.

Even then, I failed (parallel parking, of course) and never got around to retaking it until the spring of my senior year high school.

I've been in one accident involving a crowded intersection and since I was in a mini-van, I wasn't able to see an oncoming car when other cars were blocking it. No major damage to either of are cars (our door and axel got dented and that was pretty much it).

And aside from a couple of instances, I never even dared to drive on the highway until the past few months and I'm like "this is easier than I thought!"

I love driving, but I do wish I knew how to ride a bike. I like taking walks, but I can really only go so far because I realize "Oh man, I have to walk all the way back," so I do more driving instead. If I could bike, it would combine the fast mobility while getting some fresh air.

Those little red decals were long after my time. But I was opposed to them being issued. If you're a teenage female, it makes you an easy target for molesters and perverts to spot you.
My hats off to you for getting your license early. In NJ, having a car is essential. If you can't drive (or have to rely on others) you're severely limited to where you can go or what you can do. But getting your license gives you freedom and increases your options. I'm proud of you.

 

[mr3urious]

And speaking of decals, how about those stick figure family decals families stick on the back of their cars? For those who don't know, they're pretty much the 21st century equivalent of those "Baby on Board" signs or those suction cup Garfield dolls from back in the '80s. Some people think they're not a good idea to slap on your car because they're a magnet for child molesters, but I don't see that as a problem at all. To me, they're just corny and obnoxious.

http://www.familystickers.com/

 

[Schfifty]

Has anyone here ever had to actually pull over for an emergency vehicle before? I haven't yet, but I'm curious if anyone's had any experiences of having to pull over with a fire truck/ambulance darting by while you're driving.

Plus, what if you're driving on a two-lane street and there's several cars in yours and the opposite lane? How do the emergency vehicles get by when you've pulled over? Just by driving in the middle over the yellow dividing line?

 

[D'Snowth]

Thing of it is, they don't dart down the road, they go just as slow as they please . . . which isn't very comforting, considering that in life or death situations, where every second counts, you'd like to see a little more hustle. They say they drive slow to prevent any on-road accidents or collisions, which would probably cause even more fatalities, but whatever.

Plus, what if you're driving on a two-lane street and there's several cars in yours and the opposite lane? How do the emergency vehicles get by when you've pulled over? Just by driving in the middle over the yellow dividing line?

Yeah, pretty much. Or the middle turn lane.

 

[MikaelaMuppet]

I attempted to learn how to drive, but the second time around didn't go too well.

 

[fuzzygobo]

Has anyone here ever had to actually pull over for an emergency vehicle before? I haven't yet, but I'm curious if anyone's had any experiences of having to pull over with a fire truck/ambulance darting by while you're driving.

Plus, what if you're driving on a two-lane street and there's several cars in yours and the opposite lane? How do the emergency vehicles get by when you've pulled over? Just by driving in the middle over the yellow dividing line?

On the interstate, you do pull over to the shoulder to let the ambulance through. Only time I've ever seen fire trucks on the interstate is if there was an accident there.

Sometimes rescue or fire trucks have to go through red lights, and they'll blast their horns to get through an intersection. They'll slow down so THEY don't hit anybody, but it's an unwritten law. Any vehicle with lights and sirens, especially if a life is at risk, have the right of way. And for the most part drivers respect that.

Sometimes they might drive over the double yellow line, but in their line of work, every second counts. I have classmates who are cops, firemen, and EMT's. They all say the same thing: people will pull over or yield to them any way they can. The person they're rushing to save might be someone you know.