Loosing Faith in Human Nature

[Steve Dwyer]

I've had two recent incidents while driving when I was treated rude and given the finger. When I drive I do not crawl and I try to be as defensive and courteous as I possibly can. Both incidents involved what appeared to be men in the late 20s or early 30s. There's no point in going into specifics here aside from saying both people were either not looking or impatient. When you're given the finger it implies contempt on the part of the giver. Why is it some drivers when they do wrong must react as though you are at fault and not them. When I was brought up, giving someone the finger was the most disrespectful gesture some could give another. Today the "f" word is used more commonly in sentences among younger people publicly as the standard of expression. My father never used the "f" word and once said using it implies ignorance, I never forgot that. I guess I need to adjust my threshold of sensitivity and just accept these ignorant F _ _ _ _ _ G maniacs on the road today. Now I'm becoming influenced by the lost nature of people today.

Steve

[Dan McEntee]

   Among other things, traffic laws need to be seriously reviewed and  toughened up. Far too many people think they are the King of the Road, and existing laws and rules of the road are not meant for them. I don't think drivers education has been taught in schools for a long time but todays drivers need to see the gory movies of accident victims like I did. Todays drivers think  it is their right to have a car and drive the way that the want to. We have a big problem here of people people buying cars, and then not paying the taxes and license fees on them, and drive around with flimsy temporary tags that are almost always many months expired. Lots of show room drag racing these days also. It's possible to buy a really fast, hot car right from the show room floor, and then pretend they are in the next "Fast and Furious" movie! Lots of tears here recently over three teen age kids, might not have been old enough for a license, rat racing around in a hot carat 6AM, lost control and ran into a house. Killed all three, and we are supposed to feel sorry for the family and put money into a fund for their funeral. Call me an asshole, but not me! Another similar accident where the car got airborne and was going fast enough that it got high enough to hit the roof line of the house they hit. Killed those occupants als0 , which were very young teens. Dangerously excessive speeds, weaving in and out in traffic like they are i a big hurry to get to their funeral. I am feeling the same way and you, people are just beyond stupid!! Most don't deserve the privilege's of driving. I think the laws should have some real teeth, and if you get ONE STRIKE against you, you are OUT!! No excuses. Some of the excuses people put down on facebook are just hilarious, but the hilarity of it stops if someone gets killed and that is usually just some innocent citizen minding his own business. Forget worrying about gun laws and violence, far more people are getting killed by the idiots we have to drive on the same streets with. Limit who can buy these street legal hotrods with 800 horsepower unless they have insurance in place and proof of financial responsibility in case they kill some one!. I like racing and fast cars, but there is a time and a place for everything, not the neighborhood streets at midnight to three in the morning!
  Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee

[Ed Carlaw]

Sad part is is if you show any kind of reaction to them their second reaction could turn into a deadly road rage incident. You see it more and more all of the time. Ed.

[john e. holliday]

As I have done in the past years is when some one flips me off I say I don't want to know your IQ.  There are so many that don't drive the speed limit or really stop at a stop sign.  Was told if the person caught speeding if it it was not more than 5 MPH over the limit the judge usually throws it out of court with no fine charged.  I get on to the wife as she doesn't come to a complete stop at a stop sign.  Her response is if no traffic why come to a complete stop.  Also vehicles with only high beam as low beam is burned out.  Used to have check points once in a while to check a vehicle to make sure it is safe and driver is legal.  But no more as it takes too much time from the officers riding around in their cars.  Yes, I've been stopped for break light or turn signal not working, but I got it taken care of immediately.  Had to go to the station and get vehicle checked again.

[Tony Drago]

 4 way stop intersections. They can be really interesting at times.

[Steve Helmick]

Our police have no-bail release, no-arrest, no-talking to minors policies. All policies affecting the police officers ability to do their jobs. There's little reason for the police to do anything, when they see the District Attorney's refuse to prosecute and the courts turning the miscreants loose with zero bail and zero jail time. Who do we have to thank for these policies? Liberals. Nobody in their right minds would do such stupid things.  Steve

[Dan Berry]

It's a combination of bad parenting and tools driving like the cars in the ads.

[Dave_Trible]

Nowadays they do all this in pansy cars-We had MoPars and 327's..........   Something new under the sun?

Dave

[Mike Griffin]

What Steve and Dan said.  They nailed it.

Mike

[Air Ministry .]

Look Steve . You'll Hurt their FEELINGS .

[John Skukalek]

Steve I will offer one way to think about your experiences with ignorant drivers. By getting upset because they gave you the finger, aren't you saying that you care about what they think?  Consider the source. Don't care.


Also I liked your comment about not using the f word. My Dad was the same way. He didn't see the need to use profanity. I am the same way. There are more effective ways to communicate. Don't get me wrong I know that I am not perfect.   

[Steve Dwyer]

John, Not at all. I couldn't care less about what they think but more so I wonder what sort of people they are. Years back I'd find myself irritated and near hostile but today they're actions no longer offend me in any way. I'd like to think at my age I have experienced and overcome most of life's challenges rising well past the minimal level of maturity of these offenders. I'd prefer to give them latitude but find myself more curious about what sort of person they are. I ask what kind of botched life they must have, what degree of stress and disfunction would result in such poor emotional control to flip someone off while driving. Sadly it's not only on the highway but throughout everywhere we turn. Much of our society is misguided and lost.
Steve

[Air Ministry .]

Itseither Clint Eastwood , or this lot. Sid Vicious & Co ,  products of the new British Empire , C/o Sir Richard Brandson His first / wave /of sucess along with the exorcist sound track .CHARMING .

[katana]

" Among other things, traffic laws need to be seriously reviewed and  toughened up."
" Forget worrying about gun laws and violence, far more people are getting killed by the idiots we have to drive on the same streets with.
" Limit who can buy these street legal hotrods with 800 horsepower unless they have insurance in place and proof of financial responsibility in case they kill some one!"

Interesting combination - Driving / car ownership and Gun laws / ownership. Both in the wrong hands, have the ability to kill the owner / passengers or bystanders! Both seemingly have
little training requirements necessary for operation! And both are generally considered to be 'your right' to own and operate. I wonder if automobiles had been around when the
Constitution was formulated, they would have had their own amendment? To my mind they are both equally valid and / or worthless as regards retention arguements in a modern world
without additional sensible control or regulation? 

[Gerald Arana]

Many,many times on the way to a contest, 500miles one way, I am cruising on cruise control set at 72 mph or 68 mph, depending on the state.. Along comes some ass hole doing 90, instead of passing me, gets on my tail, I slow, he finally takes the hint, goes around me, then gets right in front of me and applies his brakes.  Too bad I left my .45ACP home...

If the SOB knew how to drive, he would have been in the passing lane and have passed me and be long gone, but NOOO, he has to be an idiot..This happens a lot...

Then there is the local ass hole that passes me,gets right in front and takes the very next exist, about 1/4 mile down the road..He couldn't stay behind me for 20 more seconds?

You got that right Ty! The only one you missed (which really pisses me off) is the guy that passes you and damn near clips your left front fender getting back in your lane when there isn't anybody in the passing lane for miles in front of you..............And that's the reason I don't carry a gun. 

Keep a stiff upper lip, Jerry

[Gerald Arana]

Interesting combination - Driving / car ownership and Gun laws / ownership. Both in the wrong hands, have the ability to kill the owner / passengers or bystanders! Both seemingly have
little training requirements necessary for operation! And both are generally considered to be 'your right' to own and operate. I wonder if automobiles had been around when the
Constitution was formulated, they would have had their own amendment? To my mind they are both equally valid and / or worthless as regards retention arguements in a modern world
without additional sensible control or regulation? 

FWIW, we have too much regulation now. None of which the criminals pay any attention to. The law abiding citizens should'nt have to have MORE reg's to cripple them/us.

Jerry

[Air Ministry .]

Most of the other ones are supurflous . Cant be ONE person who knows all the  Govt. laws , in ONE country .  N Z theyre thinking of creating a post to stop the government creating more posts ( positions in Govt.  )

Though ' profesionals twist even this to their own ends . If Every Car on the Motorway for the next mile or more departs the fast lane upon entry of the Norton , one day . I take it , that The LIVING GOD ( force ) -
( ^  Typically , say No Other Gods . NOT Before ! )          -   got his oar in ,
 as we'd say . often , answers ' coming from the ethers ! are obviously ' gifted ' from the beyond , The Olde seek and you will find . Might take a few years though . Decades sometimes . Unready ? Who Me ? 
One Day , I got ' The Vibe ' . Not entirely pleased , shall we say . The 50 foot rooster tail of grit was drifting over the cars , oops . THAT vibe was from about fifty cars tho . We all make mistakes , Some are best not repeated .

It is a bit of a jungle on the roads , unless you asusme mastery . And have the patiance of a Saint . as they say . Funny thing was , they saw you , dressed rough . yellow wet weather gear & white helmet , a lot resented
and shoulded or blindsided you . Had blokes deliberately  lane creep over staring firmly straight ahead - pretending the diont know what theyre doing . Pale Yellow car drivers were worst for that sort of thing . 

Some car drivers even , dont like driving cars . Some resent all motorcyclists - to the point of open hostility . or Did . Not a recipie for a good driver .

[Rusty]

" When I was brought up...."    That is the problem.   About 2 generations ago children stopped being "brought up."   Their peers, media, internet and liberals took over.

[Motorman]

You just need that bumper sticker that says "I'm retired, just go around".


MM

[Brent Williams]

Were any of you more experienced gents a complete paragon of virtue in your youth or middle age? 
Just cautioning against the tendency of the pots to admonish the kettles, or a tendency to view the behavior of a previous age with rose colored glasses.
I am positive that as it is today, there was a plentiful supply of jerks to go around back in the day as well.

[Dan McEntee]

Were any of you more experienced gents a complete paragon of virtue in your youth or middle age? 
Just cautioning against the tendency of the pots to admonish the kettles, or a tendency to view the behavior of a previous age with rose colored glasses.
I am positive that as it is today, there was a plentiful supply of jerks to go around back in the day as well.

  I knew some one would come up with this one!! I can say without fear of being hit by a lightning bolt that me, nor anyone I hung out with did the kind of crap that we see going on today. Build a hot rod, take it out on a back road somewhere where there is no traffic and see how she runs?? Hell yeah! But not on neighborhood streets !! I have just finished up a 50 year career in the work force, and have driven untold miles on the highways and city/county roads in just about every kind of rush hour and weather conditions you could imagine, and I never did any of the hijinks I see when I have to drive in rush hour now. Exceed the speed limit out on the open road when taking a trip to make good time? Again, hell yeah, but still within reason and taking road conditions and any municipalities I go through. Running red lights?  I may push a yellow light if traffic is light, but I learned about running red lights witnessing some pretty nasty accidents. People seem to do it today as a right of passage or something. And I'm not talking about the light changing just as they get into the intersection, I'm talking about full fledged red light for several seconds and then come blasting through. Cell phones were not around for the better part of my term here on this rock. My biggest sin as far as distracted driving would be trying to eat a hamburger while driving. In the last 10 or 15 years I worked, not only did I see cell phones abused, but reading books, newspapers, applying make up, shaving, tying a neck tie, flossing teeth, getting dressed and/or undressed, searching purses and brief cases, and even catching a few extra winks at stop lights!! People today just have NO RESPECT for anything or any one. Just about every store I go in, doesn't matter what part of town or neighborhood, has more and more merchandise locked up to try and prevent theft, shelves have almost next to nothing on them to help limit what thieves can steal, and what is out on the shelves is a jumbled mess because people don't give a damn about putting something back where they picked it up from after they have looked at it, and the stores can't hire anyone to work the floors to try and keep things in order. Makes no difference what store you are in. I don't know about you, but things were NOT like that when I was growing up and for the better portion of my adult life. I could really see it coming the last few years I worked part time in retail at a local hobby shop. I did that for 35 years or so, and we took pride in neat shelves, lots of inventory to choose from, and for the most part courteous customers. It's easy doing this kind of work when people appreciate you and have some respect for the store and your efforts, but people these days act like they have never heard the word, RESPECT! Aretha Franklin had a hit song about it, so you would think it would mean something. I saw a movie short in between features on Turner Classic Movies the other night, that was made in the mid 1930's that had to do with good kids going bad and turning into juvenile delinquents. At the end of the story, a judge admonished the parents and the audience that bringing up children right starts with BOTH parents in the home, and that is where the kids are supposed to learn manors, and respect, and develop common sense. That was almost 90 years ago but it could not be more true today, and is glaringly apparent today that this problem has gotten far worse that most can imagine. I have said it many times to many people, it ALL begins and ends in the home! The biggest detriment to society today is the lack of two parent families, and stability in the home, all across the board demographically. Things will get worse unless there is a dramatic shift in morals in the world. Until then, get used to high insurance prices, nothing in the stores because thieves just walked out with $4000 dollars worth of goods and no one was allowed to stop them, and lots of confusion and surprises on what you might come across in the restrooms all across the country!
 Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[Mike Griffin]

  I knew some one would come up with this one!! I can say without fear of being hit by a lightning bolt that me, nor anyone I hung out with did the kind of crap that we see going on today. Build a hot rod, take it out on a back road somewhere where there is no traffic and see how she runs?? Hell yeah! But not on neighborhood streets !! I have just finished up a 50 year career in the work force, and have driven untold miles on the highways and city/county roads in just about every kind of rush hour and weather conditions you could imagine, and I never did any of the hijinks I see when I have to drive in rush hour now. Exceed the speed limit out on the open road when taking a trip to make good time? Again, hell yeah, but still within reason and taking road conditions and any municipalities I go through. Running red lights?  I may push a yellow light if traffic is light, but I learned about running red lights witnessing some pretty nasty accidents. People seem to do it today as a right of passage or something. And I'm not talking about the light changing just as they get into the intersection, I'm talking about full fledged red light for several seconds and then come blasting through. Cell phones were not around for the better part of my term here on this rock. My biggest sin as far as distracted driving would be trying to eat a hamburger while driving. In the last 10 or 15 years I worked, not only did I see cell phones abused, but reading books, newspapers, applying make up, shaving, tying a neck tie, flossing teeth, getting dressed and/or undressed, searching purses and brief cases, and even catching a few extra winks at stop lights!! People today just have NO RESPECT for anything or any one. Just about every store I go in, doesn't matter what part of town or neighborhood, has more and more merchandise locked up to try and prevent theft, shelves have almost next to nothing on them to help limit what thieves can steal, and what is out on the shelves is a jumbled mess because people don't give a damn about putting something back where they picked it up from after they have looked at it, and the stores can't hire anyone to work the floors to try and keep things in order. Makes no difference what store you are in. I don't know about you, but things were NOT like that when I was growing up and for the better portion of my adult life. I could really see it coming the last few years I worked part time in retail at a local hobby shop. I did that for 35 years or so, and we took pride in neat shelves, lots of inventory to choose from, and for the most part courteous customers. It's easy doing this kind of work when people appreciate you and have some respect for the store and your efforts, but people these days act like they have never heard the word, RESPECT! Aretha Franklin had a hit song about it, so you would think it would mean something. I saw a movie short in between features on Turner Classic Movies the other night, that was made in the mid 1930's that had to do with good kids going bad and turning into juvenile delinquents. At the end of the story, a judge admonished the parents and the audience that bringing up children right starts with BOTH parents in the home, and that is where the kids are supposed to learn manors, and respect, and develop common sense. That was almost 90 years ago but it could not be more true today, and is glaringly apparent today that this problem has gotten far worse that most can imagine. I have said it many times to many people, it ALL begins and ends in the home! The biggest detriment to society today is the lack of two parent families, and stability in the home, all across the board demographically. Things will get worse unless there is a dramatic shift in morals in the world. Until then, get used to high insurance prices, nothing in the stores because thieves just walked out with $4000 dollars worth of goods and no one was allowed to stop them, and lots of confusion and surprises on what you might come across in the restrooms all across the country!
 Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

Dan, all I can say is AMEN Brother.  You nailed it.

Mike

[Doug Moon]

I am teaching my son how to drive right now. In Texas you have to have 30 hours drive time logged before you can go for the test. May not seem like a lot but most drive distances for a 15 year old is 15 minutes. It takes a long time to log the hours and the confidence grows. We follow the rules at the Moon household when it comes to this so our kids can be best prepared for the road.You also have to have your permit to drive with an licensed adult for those 30 hours for at least 6 months. Me and my son drive every day. He loves it and cant wait for his freedom. It's hard to teach someone to drive. Right of way situations are many and vary greatly. That is one of the harder things to deal with. I believe this is the main source for most issues in congested city driving. I see so many drivers yield right of way when they shouldn't and the other driver is confused so they don't know what to do either. Its a mess at best. I have also learned while teaching him, my 3rd child, that I too need to be more defensive and courteous. I drive around Dallas for a living. It's a nightmare and frustrating to say the least. Our metro area is so congested and it breeds so much frustration and anger in anyone trying to be somewhere on time. It can be maddening at times. Another thing I have learned is that our children SHOULD be learning to drive manual transmissions. With a manual transmission and trying to learn the rules of the road checking the phone is just not an option. Not enough hands... Plus he says it is way more fun than "Mom's car"

[Doug Moon]

..

[Dennis Leonhardi]

  I knew some one would come up with this one!! I can say without fear of being hit by a lightning bolt that me, nor anyone I hung out with did the kind of crap that we see going on today. Build a hot rod, take it out on a back road somewhere where there is no traffic and see how she runs?? Hell yeah! But not on neighborhood streets !! I have just finished up a 50 year career in the work force, and have driven untold miles on the highways and city/county roads in just about every kind of rush hour and weather conditions you could imagine, and I never did any of the hijinks I see when I have to drive in rush hour now. Exceed the speed limit out on the open road when taking a trip to make good time? Again, hell yeah, but still within reason and taking road conditions and any municipalities I go through. Running red lights?  I may push a yellow light if traffic is light, but I learned about running red lights witnessing some pretty nasty accidents. People seem to do it today as a right of passage or something. And I'm not talking about the light changing just as they get into the intersection, I'm talking about full fledged red light for several seconds and then come blasting through. Cell phones were not around for the better part of my term here on this rock. My biggest sin as far as distracted driving would be trying to eat a hamburger while driving. In the last 10 or 15 years I worked, not only did I see cell phones abused, but reading books, newspapers, applying make up, shaving, tying a neck tie, flossing teeth, getting dressed and/or undressed, searching purses and brief cases, and even catching a few extra winks at stop lights!! People today just have NO RESPECT for anything or any one. Just about every store I go in, doesn't matter what part of town or neighborhood, has more and more merchandise locked up to try and prevent theft, shelves have almost next to nothing on them to help limit what thieves can steal, and what is out on the shelves is a jumbled mess because people don't give a damn about putting something back where they picked it up from after they have looked at it, and the stores can't hire anyone to work the floors to try and keep things in order. Makes no difference what store you are in. I don't know about you, but things were NOT like that when I was growing up and for the better portion of my adult life. I could really see it coming the last few years I worked part time in retail at a local hobby shop. I did that for 35 years or so, and we took pride in neat shelves, lots of inventory to choose from, and for the most part courteous customers. It's easy doing this kind of work when people appreciate you and have some respect for the store and your efforts, but people these days act like they have never heard the word, RESPECT! Aretha Franklin had a hit song about it, so you would think it would mean something. I saw a movie short in between features on Turner Classic Movies the other night, that was made in the mid 1930's that had to do with good kids going bad and turning into juvenile delinquents. At the end of the story, a judge admonished the parents and the audience that bringing up children right starts with BOTH parents in the home, and that is where the kids are supposed to learn manors, and respect, and develop common sense. That was almost 90 years ago but it could not be more true today, and is glaringly apparent today that this problem has gotten far worse that most can imagine. I have said it many times to many people, it ALL begins and ends in the home! The biggest detriment to society today is the lack of two parent families, and stability in the home, all across the board demographically. Things will get worse unless there is a dramatic shift in morals in the world. Until then, get used to high insurance prices, nothing in the stores because thieves just walked out with $4000 dollars worth of goods and no one was allowed to stop them, and lots of confusion and surprises on what you might come across in the restrooms all across the country!
 Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

 

I've raised 3 sons and couldn't be more proud of them!  There isn't enough space here to describe the respect their teachers, coaches, other parents and adults have for them.  Or the mother who asks their mother how they learned to treat her with so much respect.  It begins at home.

Yes, the Police brought my youngest home one night - he was out walking after a curfew he wasn't aware of.  He had asthma as a young boy, with daily nebulizer treatments and a rescue inhaler.  He started very long walks and bike rides, became a Marine and lamented there was one individual he couldn't beat in long runs.

There are a lot of really great young people today - mostly raised in stable 2-parent homes.  And the military has far too many young people who enlisted to get away from less than desirable homes.  Just ask a young service man or woman.

Dennis

PS: I always told my sons if they made a mistake, we could work it out - as long as they didn't tell me "everyone else was doing it".  Because they're NOT "everyone else"!

[Dan McEntee]

I am teaching my son how to drive right now. In Texas you have to have 30 hours drive time logged before you can go for the test. May not seem like a lot but most drive distances for a 15 year old is 15 minutes. It takes a long time to log the hours and the confidence grows. We follow the rules at the Moon household when it comes to this so our kids can be best prepared for the road.You also have to have your permit to drive with an licensed adult for those 30 hours for at least 6 months. Me and my son drive every day. He loves it and cant wait for his freedom. It's hard to teach someone to drive. Right of way situations are many and vary greatly. That is one of the harder things to deal with. I believe this is the main source for most issues in congested city driving. I see so many drivers yield right of way when they shouldn't and the other driver is confused so they don't know what to do either. Its a mess at best. I have also learned while teaching him, my 3rd child, that I too need to be more defensive and courteous. I drive around Dallas for a living. It's a nightmare and frustrating to say the least. Our metro area is so congested and it breeds so much frustration and anger in anyone trying to be somewhere on time. It can be maddening at times. Another thing I have learned is that our children SHOULD be learning to drive manual transmissions. With a manual transmission and trying to learn the rules of the road checking the phone is just not an option. Not enough hands... Plus he says it is way more fun than "Mom's car"

      The upgraded the laws in Missouri for learners permits also. It's a three stage process now and you can't get your full license until you are 18 years old. I think this is a move in the right direction, but it's astounding how many young people just ignore that. They just start taking the car out on the sly. Or they just steal it. I think I mentioned it already, but 6 teenagers killed in my area, high speed accidents, and no one involved had a license. I can think of two others earlier this spring, one just a block over from me. Two or three more kids ( 14 and under) killed in their parents recently purchased ex police SUV, out at 4am, joy riding in it at high speed, lost control, and absolutely splintered a utility pole, on a street where the speed limit is 35 MPH. I just could not believe how shattered that utility pole was, and the vehicle was almost unrecognizable.  It's hard for me to understand how these kids, really just kids, get these kind s of ideas? The news presents it as a tragedy, and it truely is one, but I have trouble feeling sorry for anyone in these incidents, which so easily could have been prevented. Is it more TikTok Challenge crap? if so, that stuff needs to go away. It is not harmless fun from what I am able to tell. But even with all that said, it still falls back on their parents. How did they not know their kids run around all night stealing cars and breaking windows. It begins and ends in the homes.
  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[Chuck Matheny]

An entire generation of "Single Child", drug addled  Millennials have come of age.
Who couldn't have forseen an uptick of anti-social, self centered and self indulgent people as a result...?
What I've noticed is much less traffic enforcement than ever before.
Seeing people roll right through 4 way stop intersections and solid red lights has become a weekly sight for me instead of what used to be very rare.

[GallopingGhostler]

As I have done in the past years is when some one flips me off I say I don't want to know your IQ.

IQ in the posted speed limit range? Other day, someone rode past me on the freeway, flipped me off then cut me off so I had to brake, continuing to hold their middle finger up stuck out the window shouting then took the next exit.

  At first I was angry. Then it just dawned on me. This is not this young man's first time to do this nonsense. He will somewhere get the attention he deserves. If an LEO pulls him over, he will be merciful. He does that to the wrong person, he could be severely beaten up, maimed or even .

[Dan Berry]

I'm not certain what happened.
I am positive that I typed 'liberal parenting' but 'bad parenting' is what showed up.
Very strange.

[Arlan McKee]

Nowadays they do all this in pansy cars-We had MoPars and 327's..........   Something new under the sun?

Dave

I don't think you guys realize that a newer 6 cylinder, non-turbo or supercharged Mustang would easily outrun a 1967 Dodge Charger RT 440ci from 0-60 and in the Quarter mile. Nothing that had a 327 would have a chance either. All while getting 28 mpg on the interstate.

[Sean McEntee]

One word: Feminism

[Dwayne Donnelly]

I don't think you guys realize that a newer 6 cylinder, non-turbo or supercharged Mustang would easily outrun a 1967 Dodge Charger RT 440ci from 0-60 and in the Quarter mile. Nothing that had a 327 would have a chance either. All while getting 28 mpg on the interstate.

While I still love the old stuff nothing beats a new car, as you said, a new V-6 puts out more HP than most V-8's of the day in a car that handles and stops, AC and a sound system that puts anything made back in the day to shame. Heck my moms econo box has a better stereo than I had in my house...lol

[Wayne Collier]

" When I was brought up...."    That is the problem.   About 2 generations ago children stopped being "brought up."   Their peers, media, internet and liberals took over.

I agree that this is a problem.

I often think about who was it that didn’t bring them up.

[Miotch]

At least you have some faith in humanity.  I think I lost mine somewhere around age 14.  It's probably lying around somewhere with my hopes and dreams.

One problem I see is the sheer number of drivers now compared to when I got my license in 1977.

In Tulsa, our MSA was 430,000 in 1978 and we had about 600 Tulsa police officers.  Our MSA today is 1,024,000 and we have 742 city police officers.  And while the MSA obviously includes adjacent suburbs, I'd put money that all of those drivers come into the Tulsa city limits at some point.

Drivers are worse; drivers are more distracted with cell phones; drivers are more hateful; there are a whole lot more of those drivers; and we don't have the resources to patrol them even if the authorities decided to make a concentrated effort to do so.

Every time I get in my car, it's like being in The Purge.

[David_Ruff]

Elon Musk attributes this culture to the woke mind virus.

[Marty Hammersmith]

     I quit riding motorcycles several years ago after having three head on incidents in a 6 week period. All three times the other person crossed into my lane. They teach us to make eye contact with the other driver. Can't do that when they're looking down! I was lucky and guessed which lane to be in all three times. One of the three times they passed me in my lane. That was enough.

     Just like the original poster, I see the finger, the quick to anger attitudes of so many on the road today. I don't let it ruin my day but I do usually shake my head and feel sorry for people who have so little in their life that something so trivial or perhaps not even real can set them off. And, there is a lot of it. I'm 60+. Sometimes I wish I could be about 30 again. Other times I'm glad I'm on the back half of my life. This world is getting crazy. I feel for my adult children.

[David_Ruff]

     I quit riding motorcycles several years ago after having three head on incidents in a 6 week period. All three times the other person crossed into my lane. They teach us to make eye contact with the other driver. Can't do that when they're looking down! I was lucky and guessed which lane to be in all three times. One of the three times they passed me in my lane. That was enough.
     Just like the original poster, I see the finger, the quick to anger attitudes of so many on the road today. I don't let it ruin my day but I do usually shake my head and feel sorry for people who have so little in their life that something so trivial or perhaps not even real can set them off. And, there is a lot of it. I'm 60+. Sometimes I wish I could be about 30 again. Other times I'm glad I'm on the back side of my life. This world is getting crazy. I feel for my adult children.

Yep.  I quit riding last year when a buddy got hit and broke pretty much every bone.  I am 71 and that helped my decision.  I don't miss it.  I just mess with CL and go to the range. 

[Arlan McKee]

Head down Cell phone use and texting while driving should carry a penalty that is the same as DUI. There is not a single stretch of road that I drive on that I don't see a driver texting or holding their phone in front of the wheel. That's also the reason you have to honk to get someone to go when the light turns green.

[David_Ruff]

Guarantee if I were a police officer,  I would hammer every one of those cell phone blind drivers.

[RC Storick]

4 way stop intersections. They can be really interesting at times.

I don't think the concept of right away is taught cause I know it's not to my left

[Steve Helmick]

In Washington State, schools don't teach driving anymore, and haven't for 30 years or so. Parents teaching driving isn't encouraged, because kids have to go to a commercial driving school to get an insurance break. They don't teach much, near as I can tell.

There are lots of driving rules that nobody knows. At least here, if you're going down a hill and the street is narrow (because of cars parked on both sides, etc.), the car coming up the hill toward you has the right of way.

Another favorite rule is that you're supposed to signal to turn or change lanes, but if you're in a "forced turn lane", then no signal is required. So, you're driving along and there's a left turn only lane or right turn only lane, you should signal to get into it, but once in it, no more signaling is needed. It's logical, because the function of turn signals is to inform other drivers of your intentions. Yet so many don't signal to change lanes into the forced turn lane, and then turn on their turn signal and let it blink in your face while stopped at the light. ID 10 Ts!

My residential neighborhood is a cluster with cars parked on both sides of the street. It's clear that there are many adults living in each house. Driveways? Nah. Garages are for storing stuff. We're cursed with a couple of neighbors who insist on parking on the wrong side of the street, but there's zero parking enforcement. I left a list of addresses with the PD, but they never sent the meter maid.

Occasionally, I'll hear somebody rip through a magazine of 9mm at 2-3am. They're within a mile of City Hall and the PD, but I never hear a siren respond. IMO, the PD doesn't want to get involved in anything that could be dangerous, so they wait and put up barricade tape and those cute little A-frame markers where the spent brass was found. But only after the fact, and maybe after the coroner's van has arrived.  Steve

 

[Paul Smith]

We have plenty of for-profit "driving schools" around here.  More driving schools than gas stations.

Illegal aliens take a lesson or two, then take their "diploma" the nearest Secretary of State office and get a US drivers license. 

In most cases, the driving schools are co-located with used car lots and cut-rate insurance offices  These insurance offices sell three-day policies that enable the driving school "graduates" get year-long license plates.

[Robert Zambelli]

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