From: joe@rider.cactus.org (Joe Senner)
Newsgroups: austin.talk
Subject: Re: speed traps on 2222
Date: 7 Nov 92 17:02:01 GMT
Reply-To: joe@rider.cactus.org
Distribution: austin
Organization: NOT

petonic@hal.com
]OK -- let's look up the word "dangerous":

let's it'll help me prove my point...

]<WEB>dan-ger-ous \'da^-nj-(e-)res\ adj
]<WEB>1: exposing to or involving danger
]<WEB>2: able or likely to inflict injury

this doesn't sound like a road to me, or a pinto for that matter. it
sounds a lot more like the definition of a person.

today I stood by a curve in a road. I stood there for hours. the road
wasn't hurting me so I left.

tomorrow I'll stand next to a pinto. I intend to stand there for hours.
hopefully this time I'll walk away bloodied so I can learn to agree with you.

]<WEB>syn DANGEROUS, HAZARDOUS, PRECARIOUS, PERILOUS, RISKY mean bringing
]<WEB>     or involving the chance of loss or injury. DANGEROUS applies
]<WEB>     to something that may cause harm or loss unless dealt with carefully;
                                                    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
see there mike, webster agrees with me. when DEALT WITH CAREFULLY (read: used
within your abilities) the 'something' is not dangerous.

]<WEB>     HAZARDOUS implies great and continuous risk of harm or failure
]<WEB>     and small chance of successfully avoiding disaster; 

earlier I stood by the road for hours. I guess the road wasn't hazardous
since I came to no harm and no disaters befell me, like the road sensing
my presence and flipping over on top of me.

]>only when used improperly. if you're incapable of correctly navigating 
]>that section of the road, then it's your fault. you should have chosen 
]>a route that you are capable of.
]You're assuming, of course, *perfect* conditions.  There's a first
]time on 2222 for everyone. 

how am I assuming that? what I said applies to any and all conditions.
that first time shows up when that person fails to recognize his limits
for the conditions.

]You're also assuming restraint on the part of the driver.  For whatever
]macho reasons, people don't drive within their abilities and *other*
]people's abilities.  Especially in Texas, where the ego reigns.

this is simply an education problem.

]No -- it's an entirely *healthy* attitude.  *You*, personally, aren't going
]to change many people's behaviour.

again I say that's a pretty pessamistic attitude. I'd be willing to bet
that someone once told bill clinton that he personally wasn't going to
change many people's attitudes. I might also say that's a pretty immature
attitude. do you also go around telling people, "don't bother voting, your
vote won't make a difference anyway". let's give up on things before we
try, the problem is to big to fix. you sound like a real go getter to me.

]This reminds me of my frustration when I first moved to Texas.  I came
]from L.A. and though the drivers were fast and fairly agressive, there
]was usually a reason for their actions.  They were also a hell of a lot
]more attentive.  When I first moved to Austin, I wanted to buy a junker
]Monte Carlo or something and teach these slackfaces how to drive.

there's that immature macho attitude showing :-)

]I'm entirely for making more stringent tests, and stiffer penalties for
]things like unsafe passing, lack of signals, tailgaiting (failure to 
]maintain safe distance), blowing off stop signals and signs, ...  In short,
]things that tend to result in accidents.

agreed. I've even started to compose my own version of what I believe 
should be the required process for obtaining a driving license in the
state of texas. I'll post it to the net before I send it to the DPS.

]They should loosen up the penalties on speeding since the speed limits
]cater to the highest comment factor in drivers.  Which is pretty low, given
]today's tests.

agreed. I think it's minnesota ?? that has a $5 excessive consumption
law. that would be ideal.

]I agree.  So let's do it.  But let's do that BEFORE making any rash
]changes on the road systems.  It would be a bloodbath, otherwise.

I don't want to make any changes to the road system, I want to STOP the
changes that are being made! they're being made because of poorly trained
drivers!

]>]Hell, drivers around here lack the muscle coordination and cohesive
]>]thought necessary to use turn signals, 
]>the only reason they don't is because they LEARNED not to.
]What ever happened to the Personal Responsibility kick that we were just
]on?  

I don't understand the point of your question. 

]I take 2222 pretty fast, but then I've got a SAAB turbo with excellent
]suspension, and I'm fairly coordinated and have good reactions.  I'm
]26, now...  by the time I'm 35, my reactions will have slowed.

in general that's true. put you and chuck yeager in F16's and my money's
on that old geeser yeager to be alive when the dogfight's over.

reacting quickly and reacting correctly are not the same.

]When
]I'm 55, if I tried to push the envelope out as far as I do now, I'd
]be a dead man.   

pretty pessimistic attitude of your own abilities, but then I guess you're
just a pessimist by nature...

-- 
Joe Senner -- joe@Rider.Cactus.Org                                 Austin, TX
Newsgroups: austin.talk