How do you handle curves on LA freeways? (Los Angeles, Santa Monica: neighborhood, DMV)

[impala666]

I will guess you drive a big bad-ass CL 600 or something of that kind.
When you drive a car like that you will p**s people off and driving at 45 mph even more so.
You seem to need to lighten up get out on the town and socialise a little.

[jackie100]

Originally Posted by impala666

I will guess you drive a big bad-ass CL 600 or something of that kind.
When you drive a car like that you will p**s people off and driving at 45 mph even more so.
You seem to need to lighten up get out on the town and socialise a little.

I wish I drove a CL600. I can't afford it, I'm too poor. I just drive a CLK which is much cheaper and smaller. It's a coupe and a two-door. I'm going to be stuck with my car for a long time because I paid for it in cash so there's no payments. The economy is bad, I won't get a new Benz for a long time

[impala666]

Originally Posted by jackie100

I wish I drove a CL600. I can't afford it, I'm too poor. I just drive a CLK which is much cheaper and smaller. It's a coupe and a two-door. I'm going to be stuck with my car for a long time because I paid for it in cash so there's no payments. The economy is bad, I won't get a new Benz for a long time

Much cheaper is relative to a guy who earns $6/hr.
But look on the bright side if you do ever crash you will have a much higher chance of avoiding injury.

[Fleet]

One of my cars is a big 1976 Cadillac Limousine.

I have driven it quite a few times on freeways... the 118, 170, 5, 101, 134 and 210.

I have never had a problem with it on the freeways. On those transition roads connecting one freeway to another which have a "50 mph speed limit" sign, no problem with those. In fact, I sometimes have to slow down to 50 mph because I can enter those at 60 mph with no problem.

[ambient]

Here's how I handle them:

1. Turn the wheel to the right or left (depending on direction of the curve).
2. Turn the wheel to the left or right back to neutral position (depending on the direction of the curve).
3. Continue driving in a straight path.

[Narfcake]

While I do see some phobias, there are some other aspects which this thread hits upon that aren't specific to just Jackie, but to many folks out there on the roads.

Originally Posted by jackie100

My car is pretty fast (I never drive it fast though but I'm sure it could go fast if someone else drove it) ...

Originally Posted by jackie100

Thanks for the detailed info.

Biggest issue I see here ... NOT KNOWING YOUR OWN CAR. Seriously. For something one spent so much $$$ on, you'd think that they'd know a few more things about their own vehicle.

If you've never read the instruction manual, do so. It's not there to just occupy space in your glove box, but rather, a book that's chock full of information about your own vehicle, its features, and how to operate them properly.

BTW, that includes the pedals. On ramps = step on the gas, not "I'm afraid to go past a quarter throttle because then my car actually accelerates".

Originally Posted by jackie100

Well, to me the 605 to 5 is curvy because I'm a scaredy-cat driver...

... which again points out not knowing your car. This is the physical aspect. Folks get scared of curves because they don't know where the front corners of the car is. They don't learn how much space is between them and the sides.

That's not saying one needs to know if they have 1/4" on each side to squeeze through an alley, but you sure don't need to be occupying the other lane just because there's a temporary barricade that's 7 ft. away on your right!

I've never been a skilled driver to begin with so that's probably the issue. I have never felt comfortable going 70 mph or parallel parking etc. I just have driving issues. I am most comfortable driving inside streets.

I'll save my ranting on state driving tests for another time ...

Anyways, a performance driving school would be a good idea. Don't let the concept scare you ... performance isn't just about going 0-60 in the fastest time possible, or being able to go well in the triple digit speeds. It's about knowing what your car can or cannot do, so that you as a driver gets a much better understanding that it's not just getting from point A to point B, but that you have are responsible in piloting 2 tons of steel.

[Fontucky]

Few drivers are more annoying than the slow on ramp merging driver.

[JohnG72]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

Few drivers are more annoying than the slow on ramp merging driver.

You mean like the mcgenius' I pass in my 106 HP TOYOTA YARIS?

Seriously, how does anyone have less power accelerating onto the freeway than I do in that car? Yet I pass people and find myself tailgating them onto the freeway.

Nothing is worse than doing 40mph in no traffic up the 405 heading towards West LA. Its like people have a retarded switch that prevents them from stepping down with more force on the gas peddle.

And then there was the old guy a couple weeks ago...I saw him entering the freeway and I let up off the gas so that I'd slow down and he could go in front of me. Of course he slams on his brakes and I did the only thing I could to prevent an accident which was to floor it. He came to a complete stop...on the freeway onramp and pulled over onto the shoulder LOL. And I'm sure the dummy is telling people all about this maniac in a Toyota Yaris who tried to run him down and how people in LA won't even let you on the freeway.

Which brings me to another peeve and a clear indicator that people lose brain cells at some point in their lives.....I think maybe about 10% of LA drivers realize that they do not need to slam on the brakes. I'm pretty sure they have no clue that you can slow down by simply removing your foot from the gas peddle.

[Narfcake]

Originally Posted by JohnG72

You mean like the mcgenius' I pass in my 106 HP TOYOTA YARIS?

Seriously, how does anyone have less power accelerating onto the freeway than I do in that car? Yet I pass people and find myself tailgating them onto the freeway.

The issue is not using the extra power that they have under the hood. They get scared at anything over a quarter throttle. They get scared that the transmission downshifted a gear. They get scared that the engine is turning over 3000 rpm.

So what happens is that they lumber onto a freeway doing 30mph while the flow is going at 65mph ... and blindly wonder why they feel like they're about to be ran over.

Nothing is worse than doing 40mph in no traffic up the 405 heading towards West LA. Its like people have a retarded switch that prevents them from stepping down with more force on the gas peddle.

A switch would imply that there's another mode ...

Which brings me to another peeve and a clear indicator that people lose brain cells at some point in their lives.....I think maybe about 10% of LA drivers realize that they do not need to slam on the brakes. I'm pretty sure they have no clue that you can slow down by simply removing your foot from the gas peddle.

The concept of engine braking is lost upon many folks these days. That's prolly because many folks these days have never driven a stick shift, so they have no concept of engine rpm vs. speed. To operate a car nowadays, all they need to know is that right pedal = go, left pedal = stop.

[Lifeshadower]

I deal with it by leaning my body with the curve and making sure I'm taking the curve (depending on its angle) at the right speed. It's not the hardest thing to do in the world.