tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post3098594170692378590..comments2024-03-28T07:09:31.798-07:00Comments on Chant du Départ: Rhody Rants (1 of n)OldAFSargehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-72408046725374219092014-05-08T18:24:14.768-07:002014-05-08T18:24:14.768-07:00Okay Juvat. You win the Internet today.
Everybody...Okay Juvat. You win the Internet today.<br /><br />Everybody else, take the rest of the day off. How could you possibly top that?OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-76300607236605610762014-05-08T17:39:31.842-07:002014-05-08T17:39:31.842-07:00Not a G-Rated comment about to start. Russ's c...Not a G-Rated comment about to start. Russ's comment sparked this memory, so blame it on him.<br />My wife and I took a day off to take care of some chores in San Antonio. We're driving down I-10 just past Boerne (Burn-ey) and traffic is pretty steady at 75 (the speed limit thank you very much), come over the top of a hill and brake lights as far as the eye can see. Work our way through the slow down to find the cause. Lady driving in the left lane in a new VW Beetle with a book on the steering wheel. Turn to the wife and say "I've seen it all now!". Accelerate back up to speed and go another couple of miles and again brake lights. Work my way through that slow down, and pass a guy, in the right lane, shaving. Mind you, I've seen my share of guys shaving while driving, but never with shaving cream and a safety razor. Turn to my wife and say, "Honey, I was wrong before, but now I've seen it all". Driving around San Antonio is comparatively uneventful, chores complete and we're headed home. At the time, the intersection between Loop 1604 and US 281 is controlled by lights and it takes 5 to 10 cycles on a good day to get through. I'm behind a white pickup truck and there's only the driver in it. We make it through the intersection and in the merge, I get about 5 vehicles behind him. We're merging onto the freeway and there's brake lights all over the place as the freeway traffic begins to pass him. I'm wondering what's going on, but he's traveling slower than freeway traffic, so I pull out to pass. I'm just about to pass, when I hear an "OH, My XXX" from my wife.. I turn to look at her and she's staring at the pickup. I shift my gaze to it and see the driver and a totally naked well-endowed young woman sitting facing him in his lap. At that instant in time, I realized that whatever else happened in the remainder of my life, I had truly seen it all!juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-80131299836849359232014-05-08T11:01:58.778-07:002014-05-08T11:01:58.778-07:00Don't blame you, Cajun.Don't blame you, Cajun.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-85818202956592557142014-05-08T10:37:44.531-07:002014-05-08T10:37:44.531-07:00Yep, and I WON'T go back...Yep, and I WON'T go back... Old NFOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16404197287935017147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-79787807491181726712014-05-08T09:24:47.302-07:002014-05-08T09:24:47.302-07:00Forgot to mention. I know Texans who don't con...Forgot to mention. I know Texans who don't consider the Dallas-Fort Worth to be "not part of Texas". (Of course, many of them say the same about Houston, San Antonio, the Gulf coast. Perhaps cities are evil?)OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-7530176403685328042014-05-08T09:23:14.472-07:002014-05-08T09:23:14.472-07:00The only place I've ever driven in Texas (more...The only place I've ever driven in Texas (more than just passing through) was the San Antonio area. Ya know, my descriptions above would fit the drivers in many areas. I think the per capita bad driving is just higher in Rhode Island. More loons, smaller area. Heck, you could plunk all of Rhode Island down in NYC and I doubt anyone would notice!<br /><br />OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-88026097437211558962014-05-08T09:19:47.300-07:002014-05-08T09:19:47.300-07:00Ah, Newport. That explains it.Ah, Newport. That explains it.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-20119026581136073872014-05-08T08:08:52.408-07:002014-05-08T08:08:52.408-07:00What Russ said. I went to Fort Worth every month f...What Russ said. I went to Fort Worth every month for years and drove from DFW or Love to visit a place there. The ones on the various versions of 35 were the worst. Except for all the others who were worse.HMS Defianthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10024721130102173694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-23119315728470194492014-05-08T08:07:14.711-07:002014-05-08T08:07:14.711-07:00Well it was Newport. It's just possible that a...Well it was Newport. It's just possible that all the guys in their high end cars were a little afraid of somebody with so little to lose. I liked to see the fear in their eyes.HMS Defianthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10024721130102173694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-76209613973259494182014-05-08T07:55:35.116-07:002014-05-08T07:55:35.116-07:00I know you said you're driven in Texas and may...I know you said you're driven in Texas and maybe you didn't drive there long enough to see the crazies but all your points are perfect descriptions of Texas drivers. At least in the Dallas/Ft Worth area (actually Houston, too). And the worst drivers I ever saw when I lived in Denver usually had Texas plates. The only wreck I ever had was from a Texan reading a newspaper while driving down I-35 at 70 mph!! rkinionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05432551832152096206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-59864801043659233462014-05-08T05:26:34.085-07:002014-05-08T05:26:34.085-07:00Seattle? The individual was probably high on caffe...Seattle? The individual was probably high on caffeine!<br /><br />Blissful driving in RI? How times have changed.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-48315528477439616322014-05-07T23:00:28.478-07:002014-05-07T23:00:28.478-07:00Ah Satori. I only knew blissful driving when I liv...Ah Satori. I only knew blissful driving when I lived in Rhode Island. When I hit the road I didn't have a care in the world. A 76 Plymouth Volare bought second hand from an air force guy will impart the feeling and the sense of complete invulnerability. Worked the whole time I was there. A couple of years later while parked outside the Elliot Bay Book Store in Seattle it was rammed in the back by a VW beetle that then backed up, honked twice and drove off. Alas my car was shoved 4 feet up onto the sidewalk, mowed down a parking meter and was totaled. It's never been the same since then. I cared about all my other cars...HMS Defianthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10024721130102173694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-3437485211828631002014-05-07T16:59:12.663-07:002014-05-07T16:59:12.663-07:00Last time I was there I thought it was the snow tr...Last time I was there I thought it was the snow trying to kill us. You're saying the drivers are out to get us too?<br /><br />Most alarmed I am!OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-91629166244382660442014-05-07T16:58:23.198-07:002014-05-07T16:58:23.198-07:00Spoken like someone who has driven there.Spoken like someone who has driven there.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-33697000201640650652014-05-07T16:50:45.670-07:002014-05-07T16:50:45.670-07:00Michigan. Those drivers are trying to kill me.Michigan. Those drivers are trying to kill me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-61332887596412002272014-05-07T16:05:21.055-07:002014-05-07T16:05:21.055-07:00Worst ones are Boston, hands down...Worst ones are Boston, hands down...Old NFOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16404197287935017147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-31991201318500414412014-05-07T12:10:43.990-07:002014-05-07T12:10:43.990-07:00That's right, you took your life in your hands...That's right, you took your life in your hands by crossing the Mississippi headed east last year, in an automobile.<br /><br />I'll bet you still have nightmares about that!OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-9145836005795128982014-05-07T10:44:22.224-07:002014-05-07T10:44:22.224-07:00Wow! A whole new perspective on California driving...Wow! A whole new perspective on California driving.<br /><br />I've been in a car traveling from Hanford to Sandy Eggo and back and was never "terrified" of the surrounding traffic. Most of the California driving I've seen is around Lemoore, not exactly an urban area. Fresno drivers reminded me a lot of Rhode Island drivers. My experience west of the Rockies is limited to being a passenger.<br /><br />Perhaps the Sandy Eggo region is "special" for reasons other than the great weather?OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-87561701789782619102014-05-07T10:08:23.414-07:002014-05-07T10:08:23.414-07:00Clue-free drivers are a pet peeve of mine, they se...Clue-free drivers are a pet peeve of mine, they seem to be every-freakin'-where. I was SO glad to get back home last year after my cross-country jaunt between NM and DeeSee. There's a LOT to be said for living in a sparsely populated region of the country... including few cops. It's an 80 mph world out here in the great wide open.Buckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05319116022465066060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-31039387978077185772014-05-07T09:53:13.206-07:002014-05-07T09:53:13.206-07:00A few years ago I resolved to become more defensiv...A few years ago I resolved to become more defensive in my driving (defending my life and my vehicle's fenders), from the plethora of idiots we have here in California. I would agree that there are a lot of good drivers here, used to higher speeds and the skill required to change lanes safely at 70+ MPH, their good habits seem to get diminished by the ones who cut across multiple lanes on the freeway sans blinker or even a mirror check, the ones who have no comprehension of the need to accelerate to freeway speeds when on the on-ramp, the jerks who believe that right on red is ok if there's enough room to sneak in even if it requires the right-of-way person to significantly decelerate, and the massive quantity of people who drive far too slowly, usually in the left lanes, leaving ample space between themselves and the cars in front of them, because they are periodically, if not continuously looking at their cellphones. Cellphones are great, but not on the road, and Californians can't seem to resist the desire to look at Facebook, texts, or whatever while they're driving. Tunahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04930237104692982421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-9253423632808384342014-05-07T09:37:22.903-07:002014-05-07T09:37:22.903-07:00In Rhode Island, attending a driver's educatio...In Rhode Island, attending a driver's education class is mandatory in high school. But it's all classroom, no practical "behind the wheel" education.<br /><br />And the classroom stuff doesn't seem to stick.<br /><br />Your last line there Skip, that's a classic.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-64885866414622819462014-05-07T09:35:20.729-07:002014-05-07T09:35:20.729-07:00Come to think of it, I don't think I've ev...Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen a car with Oregon plates.<br /><br />Forewarned is forearmed. (Or something like that.)OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-47299142488330747952014-05-07T09:28:38.358-07:002014-05-07T09:28:38.358-07:00I have to agree with WSF on the Oreganders.
They s...I have to agree with WSF on the Oreganders.<br />They seem to be even worse when they visit other states.(not necessarily your) Uncle Skiphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02705753220273516841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-13154901624076898582014-05-07T09:26:01.036-07:002014-05-07T09:26:01.036-07:00A former resident of our part of California decide...A former resident of our part of California decided the motto here should be <i>We'll turn in front of you</i>.<br />If I were to change your references from RI to CA, a lot of folks here could relate to it because they've experienced it.<br /><br />I have an issue with the placement of YIELD signs along the roadways here.<br />They been situated such that a driver can easily interpret it to mean the other car is supposed to yield.<br /><br />Once upon a time high school students received six weeks of classroom Driver Education (that was the title of the class) in the freshman year and two weeks of behind the wheel training in the sophomore year.<br />The idea was they would then get a "learners" permit at 15 and a half years and be prepared to get their license at 16.<br />That was much too practical and was eliminated way too many years ago.<br />Now many drivers here don't even bother with a drivers license, insurance, or even using their own car.(not necessarily your) Uncle Skiphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02705753220273516841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-52333892636099329212014-05-07T09:25:49.786-07:002014-05-07T09:25:49.786-07:00They have cars in Maine? I don't think I ever ...They have cars in Maine? I don't think I ever really noticed that but you may be right. It's the low density of Maine drivers which fooled me.<br /><br />As to Connecticut, you are spot on. When I see CT plates, I try to get out of the way. When traversing I-95 from RI to NY, I wish I could keep my eyes closed. There is always some frightening thing going on.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.com