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Old 10-31-2009, 06:05 AM
 
Location: Home is where the heart is
15,402 posts, read 28,895,556 times
Reputation: 19090

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Quote:
Originally Posted by ScranBarre View Post
So what is YOUR solution when a McLean business executive on his cell phone in a Suburban gets right up on YOUR rear-end because the dawdler in the passing lane in front of you won't move over? Should I slam on the brakes so he hits me?
The solution is to relax and go with the flow. I've been driving for a half century now, and in all those years I've only been in a fender bender twice. That's a lot better than most aggressive drivers can say. When you learn how to relax it's very rare that you actually need to SLAM on the brakes. High drama and histrionics don't make you a good driver, they just make you a wreck.
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Old 10-31-2009, 09:02 AM
 
12,905 posts, read 15,616,422 times
Reputation: 9393
Quote:
Originally Posted by normie View Post
The solution is to relax and go with the flow. I've been driving for a half century now, and in all those years I've only been in a fender bender twice. That's a lot better than most aggressive drivers can say. When you learn how to relax it's very rare that you actually need to SLAM on the brakes. High drama and histrionics don't make you a good driver, they just make you a wreck.
Very good advice. I've been commuting from Woodbridge to the DC area for many years and from Maryland to DC before that. I've never even been in a fender bender. My coworker, on the other hand, who drives VERY aggressively (weaves, jack-rabbit starts at lights, etc) and has an aggressive peronality overall, has totalled two cars since I've known her (6 years) and has wrecked another. That are not all her fault; however, a little less aggression on her part and they could have been avoided.

As for the tailgater in the suburban, what often works when they are that close is for you to have an immediate need to use your wiper fluid and wash your windows for a minute or so. If they are close enough, it gets all over their window too!
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Old 10-31-2009, 09:29 AM
 
Location: Sterling, VA
1,059 posts, read 2,956,793 times
Reputation: 633
I have been driving for over 50 years now and also have been hit from behind twice, once when I had to stop suddenly because of an accident in front of me and another time when I was stopped to make a left hand turn and the driver behind me was just not paying attention to my turn signal. I have noticed many times that a person who is weaving in and out, aggressively changing lanes, will often be stopped at the red light when I catch up with them so all that aggressive behavior was for naught.
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Old 10-31-2009, 10:10 AM
 
Location: Marshall-Shadeland, Pittsburgh, PA
32,613 posts, read 77,446,152 times
Reputation: 19101
Quote:
Originally Posted by Denton56 View Post
So you speed as fast as necessary, and tailgate, because you imagine another driver wants you too?
As someone who's been rear-ended before in a very unpleasant experience I will do whatever it takes to try to get the offender off of my bumper, even if it means bullying the person in front of me to move out of the passing lane so I can get by them, move over, and let the jerk fly on by.
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Old 10-31-2009, 10:13 AM
 
Location: Marshall-Shadeland, Pittsburgh, PA
32,613 posts, read 77,446,152 times
Reputation: 19101
Quote:
Originally Posted by ngadude View Post
And, it still will be interesting to see if you really do move away as your plans seem to keep changing weekly based on your posts on here.
For the UMPTEENTH TIME that phrase "I've decided to stay in NoVA long-term" on the other thread was merely to set up a hypothetical scenario of asking what sort of housing I could afford if I did want to stay here long-term (which I do not). No, I didn't make that clear enough, but you and several others keep pouncing upon that even after I EXPLAINED it. Why?

Last edited by FindingZen; 10-31-2009 at 01:07 PM.. Reason: if there's an issue with a member, discuss privately or contact a moderator
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Old 10-31-2009, 10:14 AM
 
Location: Home is where the heart is
15,402 posts, read 28,895,556 times
Reputation: 19090
Quote:
Originally Posted by Margery View Post
I have noticed many times that a person who is weaving in and out, aggressively changing lanes, will often be stopped at the red light when I catch up with them so all that aggressive behavior was for naught.
Not only is it for naught, it ends up hurting your immune system. Aggressive driving can stir up a lot of toxic juices in your body. It puts you on an emotional roller coaster, and that just makes you more vulnerable to H1N1 and all the other bugs going around. You can literally make yourself sick over traffic--but that's not very smart.

ps. If you do make yourself sick over traffic... realize that it's not the traffic that made you sick. It was your reaction to traffic.
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Old 10-31-2009, 12:31 PM
 
Location: Brambleton, VA
2,136 posts, read 5,299,545 times
Reputation: 1303
Quote:
Originally Posted by normie View Post
The solution is to relax and go with the flow. I've been driving for a half century now, and in all those years I've only been in a fender bender twice. That's a lot better than most aggressive drivers can say. When you learn how to relax it's very rare that you actually need to SLAM on the brakes. High drama and histrionics don't make you a good driver, they just make you a wreck.
I visited Buenos Aires a few years ago, and the way people drive there would make your hair curl. I was so sure that we were going to have an accident every time we took a taxi, but then I realized that we hadn't seen any accidents, despite the fact that people ignore lane lines, drive their cars right up into any vacant space in traffic, weaving around, ignoring stoplights, etc. All the drivers know that's how it works, and they go with the flow.

Route 7 is NOT an interstate. There are a lot of lights, and the speed limit drops in congested areas. If someone wants to go super fast from Reston to Tysons, they should cough up some change and do 70+ on the Toll Road. I have almost never seen vehicles pulled over for speeding on the Toll Road during rush hour.
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Old 10-31-2009, 12:38 PM
 
257 posts, read 564,558 times
Reputation: 80
Quote:
Originally Posted by ScranBarre View Post
As someone who's been rear-ended before in a very unpleasant experience I will do whatever it takes to try to get the offender off of my bumper, even if it means bullying the person in front of me to move out of the passing lane so I can get by them, move over, and let the jerk fly on by.
Why don't you move over a lane and let him pass? I've been driving in major cities for the last 10 years, and still have the first car I bought in that first year. To date, I've had contact with two other cars -- one who made a left turn when he didn't have the right of way, and the other was a rear-end that was so minor there was no visible damage.

I can't weave in and out of tight traffic -- I can't see well enough to do it (I see 20/40 which is legal for driving) -- and I firmly believe that keeping extra space between cars has made me a safer driver.
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Old 10-31-2009, 02:50 PM
 
257 posts, read 564,558 times
Reputation: 80
Quote:
Originally Posted by ScranBarre View Post
However, I firmly believe sleeping less to make my commute easier has been leading me to become sick so often. I've been sick more times in the six months I've been here than in the past three years combined in PA. I wish there was an alternative to 7
Take the toll road?

Quote:
(and don't say "the toll road" because we don't all have deep pockets to pay $2.50/day for the tolls).
TBH, it's $3.50/day -- don't forget the $0.50 each way it costs to get on and off the parkway.

With 22 work days each month, your tolls would only be $77. You say you're not "slummin' it", so wouldn't your health be worth that?
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Old 10-31-2009, 02:53 PM
 
257 posts, read 564,558 times
Reputation: 80
Quote:
Originally Posted by cdmurphy View Post
Route 7 is NOT an interstate.
It is a divided highway. I'm not sure if that means the "slow drivers stay right" applies there.

Quote:
I have almost never seen vehicles pulled over for speeding on the Toll Road during rush hour.
That's 'cause the toll road itself is backed up pretty good during rush hour. My experience is the opposite -- I see cops and people pulled over left and right on the short drive I have between Reston Pkwy and Rt 28.
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