From: woods@robohack.UUCP (Greg A. Woods)
Subject: Re: sdebar re passing or right (was sidebar re 401 (: -))
Organization: Elegant Communications Inc.
Distribution: can
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 06:24:09 GMT

If I ever figure out why Ontario drivers are the most obnoxious,
sloppy, self-righteous drivers I've ever been on the road with, I'll
let everyone know, then we can get on with life, the universe, and
everything.....

Speeding rarely helps save any noticable amount of time (except on
streets with poorly synchronised lights).  In heavy traffic, beating
your fellow driver to the off ramp by 4 car-lengths is the ultimate in
sillyness.  Even on a long trip, a continuously higher average speed
doesn't save all that much time.

Are a few minutes worth a life?

Someone in this thread said (with sarcasm I hope) "Get a life."  Well
thank-you very much, but I have one, and I'd like to keep it too!

There was an excellent documentary about speeding that was shown on
TVO several months ago.  Though many of you speeders might find it
over-bearing, you should watch it with an open mind, and think of what
it describes.  The facts speak for themselves, and this film, while
somewhat out-dated was very factual and (IMHO) un-biased.

In article <3136@isgtec.isgtec.com> robert@isgtec.com (Robert Osborne) writes:
> I will be so bold as to suggest that you need an attitude adjustment
> and that maybe, just maybe,  it is not as hard for you to get
> into the left lane as you judge it to be.

Never, Ever, try to fit your judgements of safety on someone else, esp.
when your bias is so obvious.

That includes your judgement that it's safe for you to drive faster
than the average traffic flow and or faster than the speed limit.

If you're speeding, and tailgating, and have no reason to speed, then
who do you think is causing the most problems with traffic flow?

> This principle works both ways;  you are also a law breaker and,
> in my opinion, the more dangerous one.  You are interrupting traffic
> flow.   Morons are weaving in an attempt to get around you.

There wouldn't be an interruption, or near so much danger, if everyone
obeyed the speed limit *first* and the move-right law *second*, and
only changed lanes when absolutely certain that 1) everyone nearby
knows you're about to change lanes, and 2) it's safe to do so, and
last, but not least, 3) keep their speed up near the limit when
possible, and make it obvious with 4-way flashers when they can't.

Even passing on the right (on a 4+ lane highway) would be relatively
safe then.

Regardless of the details, I will *not* take the responsibility for a
weaving moron, though if blocking him is safe, legal, and will help
cool his jets, I will try that, if for nothing else but other driver's
safety (and of course the minor "power trip" that results -- it's
especially neat when you can do it while riding a motorcycle! :-).
Unfortunately it's a rare situation where this is safe, and even then,
they rarely cool their jets, even if you try not to make it obvious
that you're deliberately blocking them.

Of course the average Ont. driver followed the law to the letter,
they'd still need to learn to get on and off of multi-lane highways
safely and efficiently too, as well as how to anticipate traffic.

I'd bet the only way that would even begin to happen would be if
everyone was forced to either take stress management courses, and/or to
help pull accident victims from the wreckage.

BTW, bad Ont. habits are contagious too.

The only thing worse than people who speed because they don't think it
causes any harm, are people who smoke and think it only harms themselves.
-- 
						Greg A. Woods

woods@robohack.UUCP woods@Elegant.COM  VE3TCP	UniForum Canada & ECI
+1 416 443-1734 [home] +1 416 595-5425 [work]	Toronto, Ontario; CANADA