Unpopular opinions
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@mclaincausey Let's see how you feel after living in the DC area for 7 years in a manual
“Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the design is invisible” - Don Norman
@zeebeeleather
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I always thought couples riding tandem bikes a) look like fools and b) are taking a huge risk on their relationship.
I was sea kayaking in Oahu once and I swear this couple nearby sharing a kayak went from marital bliss to divorce in less than an hour.
Think it, be it.
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@goosehd I was a faithful manual driver since my very first car. I learned how to drive a stick at 16, and that's all I ever cared to own. DC broke me. There is nothing in the country like DC traffic. Los Angeles is bad, but DC is on a whole other level. I bought my first automatic in 2019, and I'll never look back. For the occasional times I want a little more control, I can switch my car into "manual" mode, or just shift with my paddle shifters, and for all other times, it's just easier on my body and better for my sanity to drive an automatic. Plus, my GTI has a dual-clutch system that can shift in milliseconds, so when I'm in the power band, shifting happens faster than any human could ever manage. I think manuals are one of the best anti-theft devices for cars these days, but at this point in my life, my comfort is more important than my pride or my ego.
“Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the design is invisible” - Don Norman
@zeebeeleather
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@seawolf in DC driving is hellish regardless of your transmission. L’Enfant’s city design is literally to slow the advances of armies, so the city itself is deliberately unfriendly to cars, and if I have to get on the beltway just shoot me.
In serious, DC has a wonderful metro. I just use that.
I include stop and go traffic in my opinion, as well as hills.
Think it, be it.
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@mclaincausey I took my wife sea-kayaking for her birthday a few years back. When we showed up, they asked us if we wanted tandem or solo, and without skipping a beat, I said "SOLO!" because I know a tandem would end in divorce. Also, I couldn't agree more about tandem bikes. Unless you're visually impaired and need a pilot, or looking to end your relationship, there is no good reason to ride a tandem.
“Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the design is invisible” - Don Norman
@zeebeeleather
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@seawolf I learned how to drive aggressively out of necessity on that beltway. Back in the early 90's it was stop and go with go being 70 mph back to stop (tires locked up and smoke coming off them). Then there was the get out and tailgate for hours as you only made a few hundred feet every 10 or so minutes...
Edit: the worst part was the guy who forgot what exit he needed and changed 4 lanes in a matter of seconds...that's where the aggressiveness was needed to protect yourself from getting sideswiped, rear ended, and trying to avoid doing the same to the guys around you.
"I don't give a shit what anyone else is doing, we will do what is best for us and our customers" - Giles P. :)
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@mclaincausey My job didn't leave me with much choice, as I was constantly zipping all over town. The metro is amazing, but it was an impractical choice for me at the time. Getting around the city in the middle of the day is a breeze. But the 4 hours of rush hour on either side of the work day were awful.
Driving a manual isn't bad in stop and go occasionally, and hills don't scare me one bit. But when traffic becomes a part of daily life for literal years, manuals can get fucked.
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@goosehd A good driver rarely misses their exit. A bad driver never misses their exit.
And yes, I've seen that so many times. Especially at the 270 split, and the morons, or particularly aggressive drivers almost always had Maryland tags. If I had to rank drivers in this county from worst to first, Maryland easily comes in at #50 with Florida at a very close #49. Even out here in CA, I'm never surprised when I see Maryland drivers acting like lunatics. Sorry @Matt !
I learned to drive in the Boston area. People say Boston drivers are bad, but they're not. They're assholes, but they're very good at driving.
“Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the design is invisible” - Don Norman
@zeebeeleather
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@seawolf said in Unpopular opinions:
A good driver rarely misses their exit. A bad driver never misses their exit
...that should be on a bumper sticker
"I don't give a shit what anyone else is doing, we will do what is best for us and our customers" - Giles P. :)
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@Tago-Mago said in Unpopular opinions:
@seawolf said in Unpopular opinions:
I'm never surprised when I see Maryland drivers acting like lunatics. Sorry @Matt !
Maybe he was one of the nutjobs behind the wheel?
That's extremely likely.
“Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the design is invisible” - Don Norman
@zeebeeleather
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God that is a huge pet peeve of mine. The minute that you make your problem someone else’s problem I start getting mad. It is a character flaw of mine not to simply let it go and not take it personally, but that kind of selfish and self-centered behavior triggers me.
“Sure, go ahead, clearly your time is more important than everyone else’s.”
Another peeve is when well-intentioned motorists let people in at the expense of people behind them. I’m sure they’re proud of themselves for their generosity, but no one elected them to pick winners and losers in traffic, and they’re robbing Peter to pay Paul, who will get his chance in his own due time without the arbitrary handout.
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@mclaincausey What most drivers fail to realize is that driving on a public road is a team sport. We all succeed when we work together. The reckless drivers that forget that they're operating a 3,000+ pound pieces of machinery which can go insanely fast with the press of a pedal need to gain some perspective (hopefully in a way that doesn't harm others).
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@Matt said in Unpopular opinions:
those who think they’re good at it
87% of german drivers rate their own skills as above-average (do the math)
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Similar to yours @mclaincausey I go completely fucking mental when the car in front slows down to let pedestrians cross the road, with zero regard for what is happening behind them. We have a junction close to here, where it happens all the time. The junction is on a main road which is about 50 yards after some traffic lights (so people are generally accelerating as they pull away from the lights). Some fools pull into the small side street, then stop suddenly to let pedestrians across (generally a nice thing to do of course), but if you are following them, you are left having to jam your brakes on so you don't rear end them, but that means that half of your car is left hanging out into the main road and the car behind you is definitely not expecting that to happen.....It's partly a road planning issue (I think the local chimps design the road systems in Gosport) because there is small traffic island in the middle of the side street, so there are often pedestrians on that island in the middle of the road.
