Random Rants

[WhiskeySandwich]

@seawolf i may have talked about this before here, but my theory is that its because this twin-city area is a melting pot of drivers from all over the country. There are huge contrasts in driving styles and a lot of the road infrastructure has not kept up with the demands of a growing population.

[seawolf]

@WhiskeySandwich 100%. Also, I'm not convinced that Maryland's driving education is much more than a short questionnaire about how drivers prefer their crab boils.

[WhiskeySandwich]

@seawolf well, i gotta disagree on that. I'm putting my son through it now. He had two weeks of classes, 3 hours per day. Tested with 100% and still failed his Learner's Permit exam the first go. Passed the second. Now he's gotta get 60 hours of logged hours in varying conditions - taught by me. So, It's true that skills may vary by teacher, but he won't be able to drive by himself for a minimum of 9 months practice, hours of classroom instruction, two exams, and a practical driving test to finish it off. I'm not sure what more should be done.

I could make similar comparisons to what it takes to legally take to carry a firearm in the US, as mentioned above, but I'll be cautious in debating the existence or absence, or what constitutes sufficient gun control laws out of respect to the political dichotomy.

I'm sure the requirements for both of these topics vary wildly from state to state though. I am very familiar with the requirements for both in Maryland though, and I would consider this state to be pretty sufficient.

[WhiskeySandwich]

@seawolf Oh and MD crab boils, must contain beer and Old Bay (spiced vinegar optional). 100% water leads to an unacceptably bland boil.

[popvulture]

I think it's good that it sounds like driving tests have gotten more stringent. When I was getting mine in Mississippi, I was the last year that could get a license at 15, and it was pretty f'n easy, probably too easy, in fact. I've had friends from the UK and Europe who've described how tough it is (and more costly) to get a license over there, and tbh I think that does a pretty good job of making the roads safer. I think one of the best examples is with motorcycles; seems like over here, it's not a matter of if you'll get in a crash, but when, which has been what's kept me from ever learning to ride. I have an Austrian buddy who splits his time between here and over there, and he was telling me one day that he has a bike over there that he rides quite a lot. I asked him if he'd ever rive over here. Never, he said without a blink. He said the level of safety on the road is incomparable. Anyway, I'm sure opinions widely vary on that, and I get it. Motorcycles seem like a shitload of fun, and the inherent risk just seems like something people are or aren't willing to live with.

I do have one (imo) not so hot take: punishment for using your cell phone while driving, especially looking down and texting / surfing, should be much more stronly punished. I'd be up for license suspension or something along those lines, not a measly ticket. I'd almost say that 75% of people I pass and look at while driving are looking down at their phones. Those f'n things are gonna be the death of us, for many reasons.

End rant, lol

[seawolf]

@WhiskeySandwich this is actually really comforting to know! For whatever reason however, 9 times out of 10 when I came across a lunatic driver in the DMV (DC Area, for those not familiar; DC, Maryland, and Virginia), they had MD tags. I’m sure people in MD said the same thing about VA drivers though. I’m really glad to hear that the training is so robust. There’s hope for the future!

[seawolf]

@WhiskeySandwich said in Random Rants:

@seawolf Oh and MD crab boils, must contain beer and Old Bay (spiced vinegar optional). 100% water leads to an unacceptably bland boil.

Is this the study guide for your driving exam? 🥰

[mclaincausey]

@popvulture having a learner’s permit at 14 was wild

Distracted driving means no cyclist sharing a road with cars should ever feel safe. It is safer IMO to be on an e-bike keeping pace with traffic in a car lane than it is to be in a cycling lane whose only separation from the car lane is a line of paint.

Perhaps there is a technology solution we haven’t thought of yet. Like the first mobile device detected in a car is automatically locked out while the engine is on, and if there are multiple mobile devices at least one of them must do so.

[popvulture]

Yeah I agree there could definitely be something there @mclaincausey . Probably a better solution than some draconian law, haha.

[popvulture]

Also y'all should step up to the big leagues and get yourself some Zatarain's

[Giles]

@mclaincausey said in Random Rants:

having a learner’s permit at 14 was wild

I often dine out on the story of Omani village life. The kids, as young as 7 or 8, drive pickups. It takes 2, one to kneel on the drivers seat and steer, and one to work the pedals. But, the worst that is going to happen is that they hit a goat or a camel. I will also now dine out on giving permits to children of 14......Kids that age do yet have the ability to process risk and the consequence of doing stuff.....

[WhiskeySandwich]

@popvulture absolutely. I'm increasingly cautious as the population density goes up in the area I'm riding. I stick to back roads usually. Luckily I'm in a pretty rural area, but I still avoid town if i can help it as well as rush hour. I think the biggest issue with danger on the road tho is being selfish. If you zoom out even a little, its clear that your drive is simply at the mercy of traffic. We're all just waiting in line. Even if we're all exceeding the speed limit, it will take however long it takes. Calm down, and whatever risk you're taking, it will not pay off. Any time you save by weaving like an asshole is lost at the traffic light lottery. The great equalizer of traffic.

@seawolf LOL right, I'm sure one of the multiple choice questions was A: Old Bay B: J&O C: Salt and Pepper All of the above
Even with MD tags there are a lot of transplants. Tons of military folks who end up staying, people chasing the money and stuff. I'm just saying there's a huge diversity of drivers here. It keeps me on my toes.

@mclaincausey 100% cyclists and runners are at risk. it's super nerve wrecking to be anywhere on a 8' wide shoulder regardless of speed limit. People are desensitized to rumble strips and treat them like duckpin bumpers. Another thing is that I regularly have oncoming drivers drift across the center line. This is my biggest worry. Driving into oncoming traffic is probably the worst thing you can do in a car....maybe try not to do that? lol

@Giles from my own experience, its true the brain isn't developed until the 20's... i can attest that decision making and impulse control are one of the last things. as a matter of fact, some might say I still have those issues

[mclaincausey]

@Giles I probably shouldn’t have been allowed behind the wheel until I was 25 or so. I’m not going to disclose anything specific here but some of the things that I was responsible for as a teenager behind the wheel were not great.

[mclaincausey]

@WhiskeySandwich it sucks man. When I have my kid on the bike I will take the sidewalk if I must to avoid it, very carefully and respectfully of pedestrians mind you. Fortunately we have a lot of dual use and dedicated infrastructure here that is separate from roadways.