Happy day - - LoriMorales's Blog - Tehachapi News

Nov 12, 2007 at 01:11 PM : I second everything...

I second everything you said, Lori! Always good to remind people of simple driving rules.

And, just to add my two cents: Turn signals --- c'mon people, how hard is it to use one?

Nov 12, 2007 at 01:11 PM : Oh, I shouldn't...

Oh, I shouldn't even start. Bad driving is one of my worst pet peeves! I've noticed that California drivers seem to prefer passing on the right, but since I'm Californian, it doesn't really bother me. Now passing on the shoulder, that's crazy! But it always happens on the 15 on the way to Vegas (and every now and then in Oregon, but it's legal to drive on the shoulder there). It's odd to see the driving quirks from state to state.

Sigh... yes, it's a beautiful day!

Nov 12, 2007 at 02:11 PM : yo if all you old...

yo if all you old bitty's would drive faster then 25 miles an hour you wouldn't have to worry about me passing u on the shoulder. I think driving slow and making the cars in back of u drive your speed limit makes all you feel powerful. slow drivers are the cause of most crashes because you slow drivers drive so damn slow it pisses off the real drivers behind you. If u are afraid of you car then don't drive stay off the road. i'm sick of people who can't drive. if someone is on your azz then pull over and let that person by, don't try and teach me a driving lesson and hog the road.if you are scared to drive then stay home

Nov 12, 2007 at 02:11 PM : Hey trouble, you...

Hey trouble, you obviously haven't seen me drive. I can barely idle at 25MPH :o)

Nov 12, 2007 at 03:11 PM : yo weebles thats what...

yo weebles thats what i'm talking about.

Nov 12, 2007 at 03:11 PM : I remember coming up...

I remember coming up the back road from Rosamond an the driver in front of me flicked out a cigerrette an started a brush fire a year back, that was lovely driving there :)

SIGH....

Nov 12, 2007 at 03:11 PM : yo yobich...

yo yobich were talkin about drivin not smokin

Nov 12, 2007 at 03:11 PM : Geez, I must be the...

Geez, I must be the slowpoke- I only go 5mph over. My 100mph days are long gone. I've used up all my good karma. If I did that again, I'd be sure to get a ticket for reckless driving in no time! And I don't think I can take a class to get that off my record.

Yasobich- I once got detoured because a truck driver hauling hay flicked his cigarette out the window... the brilliance abounds in that guy...

Nov 12, 2007 at 04:11 PM : Yo Trouble...if...

Yo Trouble...if I'm doing the posted speed limit and you try to crawl up my tailpipe, I'm gonna brakecheck ya.

I think I have a sign on my car that is invisible to me, but idiots can see it, I think it reads:

"PLEASE pull out in front of me."

Nov 12, 2007 at 04:11 PM : yo joty brake cheeck...

yo joty brake cheeck me huh, and i'll put you into the wall

Nov 12, 2007 at 04:11 PM : Really? My big ford...

Really? My big ford F250 Hope you gots insurance pal....

Nov 12, 2007 at 04:11 PM : Driving?? ...

Driving?? Hahahaha... I call it flying low. Driving the fine piece of machinery that I drive (top speed of 60), I have my fair share of "incidents".... what about the flightpath called Highline.. when did it become a freeway?? Stop signs are just that.. "STOP", not coast through and hope the person in the other lane is paying more attention to you.

Ever try to have a student driver learn to drive a manual in town?? Is it that hard to keep a couple of car length between you and the car in front of you??

How about that Bear Valley Road in front of a school with double yellow lines?? Hmmm, last time I looked, it was 25mph when children are present. NOT 65...

Just because I am not burning rubber from the stop light/sign doesnt mean I am not going to get up to speed. It may take me longer than 1 block..

When did having a fireman's helmet sticker on your vehicle suddenly remove all liability from your driving?? Are you or your wife going to a fire in your personal vehicle???

Is it that hard to actually stop and look before turning on to Highline/Banducci from Brite Lake??

Guess L.A. has come to Tehachapi.. Thanks for the headaches....

Nov 12, 2007 at 04:11 PM : Haha, that's...

Haha, that's funny about the fireman's helmet sticker! I've had some horrible near-accidents with them! Same goes for a lot of off-duty police. They drive psycho, like they're still in their squad cars.

Nov 12, 2007 at 08:11 PM : I agree with the...

I agree with the reasonable driving complaints here. You've covered the in-town stuff well. Since I make the drive down to OC to visit the fam often, I'm going to voice some of my highway complaints:

1) If you're going to drive fast on the highway, please do it responsibly. Don't get up my 85 mph behind in the right (slow) lane and wait 'til you almost crash into me to pass on the left. Or worse yet, slam on the brakes and honk at me like I'm doing something wrong driving slower than you IN THE SLOW LANE.

2) If you are going to drive slower or the same speed as the cars in the right lane, then travel in the right lane. Nothing cheeses me off like 2 cars traveling at 60 mph right next to each other down the 14, not letting anyone pass.

3) Hey truck drivers, those "turtle races" are NOT amusing to the other drivers. If you want to take 3 miles to pass the truck in front of you (in order to increase your speed from 55mph to 57 mph), please wait until there aren't 20 vehicles behind you. This is especially bad on the 58 between here and Bakersfield. My uncle is a truck driver and this activity by other drivers shames him, so I KNOW you know better.

I would personally invest in a sign that says, "Travel in the right lane, pass in the left lane" if I thought people would actually follow it.

Nov 12, 2007 at 09:11 PM : Reminds me of...

Reminds me of something I once heard from a comedian...."My grandmother is a REALLY safe driver. She has never been in an accident. She's SEEN hundreds of them all around her, but never actually been in one..."

Driving Students are told to be Defensive Drivers. On multilane highways, people who both refuse to drive faster than the speed limit (when cars are backing up behind) and refuse to move to the right are Offensive Drivers. In my opinion, they wrongly think they are supposed to make others conform. Leave the "Sheepdogging" to the Highway Patrol.

Nov 12, 2007 at 09:11 PM : I'm guilty of...

I'm guilty of having a lead foot. I like to get to where I'm going and i hate to get behind a slow poke. People that drive the speed limit aren't the problem. Let me tell you what the problem is....Its the drivers that poke. The ones that crawl from stop sign to stop sign , Like their afraid to push down the gas pedal. The ones that start off slow and really never get going and if they do Finlay get to the speed limit they still seam to be poking. Sometimes its the car, Like this old crappy Geo i once owned. that thing was gutless, you push the gas pedal to the floor and nothing. But when it is a new model car it drives me nuts. What i like is when i get a chance to pass the poker they usually have this look on their face of ''what, where in the hell where did you come from''. Totally oblivious to their surroundings. And then you have the jerk that gets off holding up traffic. You know the one that watches you more in his mirror then he watches the road. These are the ones that i really like to pass because these are the ones that get mad. These are the control freak drivers. As long as they have you behind them they feel power, that their in control. But once you pass the jerk you take all his power away and it shows. I have been flipped off several times, they have shaken their fists at me and luckily i can't read lips because most will yell and curse at me as i pass. I used to flip them back off but now i just smile and wave at the guy going berserk, i find this pisses them off even more:) Have a nice nite.

Nov 12, 2007 at 09:11 PM : In defense of truck...

In defense of truck drivers, sometimes we fly up on another truck, get over to pass, then hit a hill and find out that we're heavier. And of course, by then, there is a solid line of cars in the right lane that won't let us back over. It happens. And when you're driving 11 hours a day in a truck that's governed, going from 55 to 57 can make a difference. (not that I ever went over 55 in California...) Sometimes it is inexperience or a bad call, but it happens to all of us every now and then. It would be nice if cars on the road understood the way that a truck needs to maneuver and drive. I can't even begin to describe the idiots I have encountered, cars and trucks alike.

Another thing, cruise control should standard in all cars and drivers should use it as much as possible on open road in good conditions. I'm waiting very impatiently for those self-driving cars... OMG Christiebdce, you hit it so on the head with the drivers that block the lanes by driving right next to the car they should be passing. I call it the "herd mentality", where drivers naturally herd together. And in cities, they have the "gap mentality" that if there's a gap, they feel that by filling it they will magically relieve a traffic jam. So in a city, I end up driving slower because everyone else is constantly filling the gap I leave in front of my vehicle. (Then they rear-end the person in front of them and I have to go around...)

Nov 13, 2007 at 07:11 AM : Madkow, I do...

Madkow, I do understand that some truck drivers are victims of that circumstance. I'm mostly talking about the ones driving on pretty much grade-less roads, or those who "turtle race" constantly. I once got stuck behind the same truck all the way up the 58 from Bakersfield. Every time I tried to pass, HE tried to pass the truck in front of him, and he never could. It was maddening. And of course there was a steady stream of people going the speed limit or higher in the left lane all the other times.

That reminds me of another complaint! If I am the first car behind a truck and put on my blinker when the traffic FINALLY clears, please let me over. You've seen me stuck behind the truck, and you KNOW that I'm not the slow one. For the love of Pete, please acknowledge my blinker and allow me to pass him!

And God bless those cool people who know there are jerks like that behind them (usually because it's been happening in front of them for miles) and will do some defensive driving for the poor sap right behind the truck. They get over to the left lane to block the other cars to allow the first driver to get into the left lane in front of them so they can pass. Those people are awesome! They will make the rest of the drive bearable.

Nov 13, 2007 at 08:11 AM : Christibdce I'm...

Christibdce I'm not sure if i understand what you are saying but if you are behind a truck in the slow lane and I'm in the fast lane behind a truck and when that truck finally merges back into the slow lane you want me to let you in front of me just because you have you turn signal on. lol. Sorry but i will not let you in front of me. You need to wait till all the traffic passes before you merge into the fast lane. Usually the person stuck in the slow lane can't drive. I have let cars merge in front of me in the past and most often they don't go much faster then the truck and those are the drivers that create the long line of cars. I don't get stuck behind trucks in the slow lane because look far ahead when i drive. I can tell when a truck is about to pass another truck and when i see it i pull into the fast lane to avoid being stuck in the slow lane. Hwy 58 is a prime example of people that can't drive..

Nov 13, 2007 at 12:11 PM : You know, most people...

You know, most people only look 2-3 seconds ahead... I think in a car it's supposed to be 7-8 seconds. In a truck it's 12-15 seconds. Makes life a whole lot easier when you look far ahead, you can cruise a long time without kicking off the cruise control because you can time passing better. The only excuse for not looking far enough ahead is when you're on a road with blind curves, in which case you should be going slow enough to stop at the turn if there's an emergency. Learned my lesson on that the hard way. Nearly wiped out a bunch of cars in NJ when the freeway was stopped around a blind curve, stopped because of an accident that would give any truck driver the shivers.

Nov 13, 2007 at 02:11 PM : Madkow my point...

Madkow my point exactly. And they want me to slow down and let them in front of me lol ain't going to happen. If they where driving defensively in the first place they wouldn't find them self's trapped behind a slow moving truck. And i bet most of these drivers find themselves in that position every time they drive Hwy 58. And is it fair to every one else behind me if i slow down to let you in, NO. In fact i find it funny that you think every one should slow down so you who wasn't watching where you where going can pull into the fast lane.lol

Nov 13, 2007 at 03:11 PM : To all you slammers...

To all you slammers .... that's right, you know who you are. You drive too fast (now I'm going 80 mph so don't say I'm the slow poke), weave in and out of traffic and come up on my bumper only to slam on your brakes until you can get around me. By the way, I would have moved over one lane to the right had you given me a moment - cause, guess what .... I don't want to be anywhere near you on the highway.

But I usually get my little, self satisfied giggle. I see you off and away just to come up on another car and slam on your brakes .... while I fly by you and driving like I have something to live for. Dambramished idiots.

P.S. Per California Driving Code: You should leave at least one car length between you and the auto in front of you for every 10 miles per hour you are driving. 80 mph equals 8 car lengths .... that's about 65 feet.

Nov 13, 2007 at 04:11 PM : What I don't get...

What I don't get is drivers thinking you can make up lost time by speeding. You can't. And I just love it when someone passes me on the 58 and disappears...and then guess who I'm next to at the first stop light in Mojave. It just cracks me up. Or you're driving along in the right lane and as you approach an offramp, some a**hole speeds up and around you to exit at that ramp, even though there was no one else behind you.

Question, do any of you think there should be an age limit as to when one has to stop driving?

Nov 13, 2007 at 04:11 PM : OOOOOhhhh...tailgaters...

OOOOOhhhh...tailgaters. I think there's a special place on Highway 666 for tailgaters. I hate, hate, hate 'em. Especially if I'm on the highway and there is a giant truck in each lane, and I'm in the left lane, waiting for my truck to pass the other truck and get back over to the right, and here comes a car being driven by some rectal orifice and rides my bumper as though that will somehow magically make the big truck disappear. Yeah, like that's going to happen.

Tailgaters are the reason we need those ray guns like on Star Trek :o)

Nov 13, 2007 at 04:11 PM : Joty...I don't...

Joty...I don't know if there's a number age, but I do think that past the age of, say, 75 or so that drivers should be required to take a driving test every other year or so. I've known a few seniors that really needed to be off the road, but there seems to be little you can do to make it happen.

Nov 13, 2007 at 08:11 PM : My grandma managed to...

My grandma managed to pass her driving test... don't know how, don't know why. She went to her test with an arrangement for my mom to pick her up afterward, for when they took away her license, but turns out she's perfectly capable of driving, according to the DMV. I know I sure wouldn't want to be on the road with her though.

Haha, Highway 666... it's Highway 491 now, and it's really a pretty nice drive. No tailgaters though.

Nov 13, 2007 at 10:11 PM : On a highway I drive...

On a highway I drive on the right because I actually try to stay within the speed limit. When I approach a slower vehicle I use my turn signal and pass on the left. Often, the vehicle I'm passing will speed up. If you come up behind me and get upset because I'm in your way, too bad. I didn't set out to spoil your fun today. I will move into the right lane when it becomes clear. Until then, please take a deep breath before you stroke out. I used to drive like you, like a middle-aged adolescent with something to prove. Then I grew up.

Nov 14, 2007 at 07:11 AM : On the...

On the Hwy I to try to drive in the right lane and if i come up to a slow car in the right lane i merge left and pass the car then i merge back into the right lane. And if i am in the left lane and i come up on a slower car in the left lane and there is nobody in the right lane then i merge into the right lane and pass the car. If i am passing another car i usually will speed up and get around that car. There is nothing more frustrating then getting behind two cars going the same peed limit. Only control freaks do that And if i am passing a car and i see behind me that a car is coming up on me fast , and because i pass cars faster then what the car i'm passing is going i can usually stay out of there way. I can usually drive 80-85 down the hill. But while i drive i adjust my speed according to traffic. Now coming up the hill is a different story because of the trucks, but i don't usually have a problem with passenger cars. But now if i am in the left lane and a faster car starts flashing their lights at me telling me to get out of their way then I'll turn into a control freak and drive the same speed limit as the car I'm passing just to piss off the driver flashing me.

Nov 14, 2007 at 07:11 AM : My dad was in his late...

My dad was in his late seventies when we wouldn't allow him to drive anymore. It broke his heart, but he knew he shouldn't be. He'd go out and just sit behind the wheel of his little Ford Escort in the driveway.

Nov 14, 2007 at 09:11 AM : Bigdog, I think you...

Bigdog, I think you and I drive exactly the same. I don't know if anything annoys me more than people flashing me to get out of their way. It's always people from northern CA, and I turn into the biggest bastard when someone flashes me (with their headlights... not the other kind of flashing ;) I'm so sad I never got flashed. Happens to my husband all the time, so not fair.)

Nov 14, 2007 at 09:11 AM : heheh i was driving...

heheh i was driving thru solvang one morning after work an i fell asleep a the wheel an woke up on the other side of the road just in time to swerve back but the car coming at me swerved off the side of the road an launched his car off a 10 ft cliff into a field of strawberries, i slammed on my brakes an went over to see if he was ok, he got out an laughed at me because he was sleeping too.

after that day i never got tired behind the wheel again

Nov 14, 2007 at 11:11 AM : A quick light-flashing...

A quick light-flashing is an acceptable way to ask if the person will move over. It is common communication throughout Europe and is being seen more here. It is a request, "please allow me to pass". Many regions in Europe do not allow right-side passing under any circumstances so if someone wants to pass they must do it in the left lane. I know some people can take a civil form of communication and turn it into a contest of 'who's the bigger bully', but that is not the original intent.

Nov 14, 2007 at 12:11 PM : Ah, Joty, that's...

Ah, Joty, that's sad. My mom is coming for Thanksgiving. It's a 1 1/2 from her house. She is 77. This is the first year she won't be driving up. She says it just makes her too nervous. So, my daughter will be leaving early to pick her up and then one of us will take her home. She has always been better at coming to visit than I am going to visit. So, I don't see her as much anymore. I hate leaving our mountain. But it looks like I'll be having to take more trips down it so I can see my mom more often.

As for the driving thing. I'm a natural born speeder. I try to get places quickly, then I feel foolish, when I'm sitting at a stop light with someone I cussed out and passed 20 minutes ago. My annoyances are with those that are in the left lane and just absolutely will not pull to the right when they see a car coming up. Or when you are on a two lane road behind a slow car who has 10 cars behind him and won't pull slightly to the shoulder to let others pass, sometimes they even speed up, when you try to get passed them. I like being on the open road, no cars in front of me or behind me. LA freeways make me insane.

Nov 14, 2007 at 01:11 PM : Flashing with the...

Flashing with the headlights is a surefire way to start road rage in a lot of people. In southern CA, it's just not acceptable, even though the intentions may be polite. I was driving 100 on the 5 one day and some bad-word chick behind me flashed me. So I slowed down and sat next to the trucks I was passing for a few minutes. I mean, come on, is it necessary to flash someone going 100? It's reeks of bitchy-ness. I'm much more comfortable with multi-lane freeways, because there are so many options to get around. LA is fun because it's so easy- impossible to get lost there.

Driving when you're tired is pretty scary. I know there were many times I would drive until my head dropped and I had to shake it to wake up. (Driving 70 hours a week can be pretty exhausting!) It's most frustrating when you don't have anywhere to pull over. The company I used to drive for was so wonderful about safety (somewhat because of an infamous lawsuit). We could stop at any time, call and say that we were too tired, and they would either give us more time on our load or transfer the load to another driver.

Nov 14, 2007 at 02:11 PM : I agree with...

I agree with TK about flashing your lights at someone that is in the fast lane going slow.

It is a request, "please allow me to pass" though when I flash my lights that isn't exactly the phrase that pops into my mind ;) Nothing is more annoying than driving back from bakersfield with someone infront of you that just won't get out of the way.

Nov 14, 2007 at 04:11 PM : Had to go into...

Had to go into Northridge today. Yuck .... but here's another rule everyone should know: When you are merging onto the freeway, those already on the freeway have the right of way. You have to MERGE ..... honestly, some people just kinda drive up (with cell phone in ear) and pay no attention to the car already in that lane, in that spot. Two solid objects cannot occupy the same space at the same exact time. Unless of course, you happen to have left home in your good ole time machine.

Some day I'm gonna run my 10,000 pound Lincoln right into that stupid little Audi/BMW/Lexus side panel. "Honest officer, I was just driving along in the slow lane and this car came out of nowhere." And --- I can cry on demand. So, Audi/BMW/Lexus driver will so get a ticket and have to make a call to their insurance carrier.

I'm in my early sixties - and just may have to give up driving. It's making me crazy and really, I much prefer my happy self, usually capable to laughing at life's challenges. Bad drivers are getting to me.

Nov 14, 2007 at 04:11 PM : Hey, I gotta ad my 2...

Hey, I gotta ad my 2 cents here, please slow down when there's fog and you can't see 10 feet in front of you. I was on the 202 the other night with extremely poor visibility and someone, probably TROUBLE, tried to ride my bumper the whole way home. Some of us have kids waiting at home for us, and I'd like to make it to my destination in one piece!

Nov 14, 2007 at 07:11 PM : Christine, I am so...

Christine, I am so there with you. I have a real life here!!!