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Notes -
I now interrupt your regularly scheduled WWIII/Nothing Ever Happens to ask a question:
So, the Bike discussion down below generated a lot of angst and heat, so I'd like to poll The Motte on our driving habits a bit (in the CW thread because I do fear we are going to get some strong feelings).
How do we feel about the following:
You should turn on your turn signal every time you switch lanes or otherwise would be expected to use it, even if nobody is around.
Stop signs and red lights need to be fully stopped at, even if nobody is around and you know there isn't a red light camera.
Speed limits should be followed to the letter when possible.
The left lane is for passing only, and also, if you are in that lane and not passing and someone cuts you off or rides your bumper, that is fine.
If someone does not make room for you and you need to come over (and properly signaled) you can cut them off guilt free.
I can break some of these rules (or others) but other drivers should not.
Any other possible driving scissor statements?
If you'd like to be mad at me: Yes, Yes, No, Yes with qualification, Yes, No.
my opinions;
no, although i do see the sense in the habit formation arguments others have raised. In my opinion though as long as you always signal when that signal is needed, then nobody cares if you dont signal when wildly changing 4 lanes on an otherwise uninhabited stretch of highway.
generally you have to stop to assess whether you needed to stop so i essentially agree you should always stop.
id ammended to say speed limit + 5MPH up to 45 and limit+10 for over 50, then yes everybody should be going no higher than that range of speeds. maybe speed limit +30 for low density highways.
i think i disagree? the left lane is the most sensible place for people who want to go fast and arent planning on changing lanes for a long time. If you are in the left and you dont want to go somewhere fast you are in the wrong place.
this is a tough one because generally needing to merge under duress is caused by a failure to plan your route. "oh crap i should have been in the right lane a quarter mile ago but now i need to dangerously merge immediately" is a bad excuse in the age of freely available GPS on every phone.
in general i think people that are better drivers than me can probably get away with breaking way more of these rules than i do, and people with less experience should probably try to follow much more closely than i. I guess this just boils down to "as long as you dont fuck anybody up with your bad driving then godspeed"
One of these happened to me just the other day. I needed to turn left at a big intersection of a 6 lane road with a 4 lane road, and im coming from the 4 lane. I need to cross 3 lanes of traffic to complete this turn, and the left turning signal is the evil RED ARROW of DO NOT TURN LEFT.
Normall, i respect the authority of the red arrow, its color a warning of the dire consequences of failing to comply with its mandate. But today, both sides of the road i needed to cross, all 3 lanes in each direction, were fully bricked up with stopped cars waiting for their light to turn green. I waited for 30ish seconds as no cars went anywhere and then drove in solitude across the forbidden zone. I imagine at least someone in the waiting traffic saw what i did, and i wonder if they saw me as kindof an awesome defiant paragon of truth, or maybe as some sort of rule breaking dastard who belongs under the jail.
But in reality i was just a guy who didnt want to wait 5 minutes to turn left, and i saw a situation where nobody else would be harmed by breaking the rules, so i took it.
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