Miami Driving Scene (Road Rage, illegal driving, Moving violations, etc). (Orlando: neighborhood, car)

[Awsi Dooger]

Every time I sample one of these driving threads there's another aggressive driving simpleton who isn't smart enough to realize he's the problem.

I have to say the funniest recent experience I had was in early December while driving back from Orlando to Miami late at night and into the wee hours on I-95. When I left Orlando the weather was fine and I had no idea it had been raining further south. Once I reached the West Palm Beach area the lanes suddenly were a treacherous type of slick, that combo of wet in some areas but dry in others. That is far worse that a full fledged deluge. It had obviously rained a bit earlier but now it had stopped. Skies were clear. Roads were almost empty. I knew enough to slow down dramatically. Others predictably didn't pay any attention.

For the next 45 miles I saw one accident scene after another. For a while you could almost depend on the spacing, every couple of miles. Flashing emergency vehicle lights everywhere. Maybe I shouldn't have been so amused but once I saw the specifics it was the same type of accident repeated again and again. I didn't see anything that looked life threatening. With few exceptions they were one-car incidents, sports cars that had skidded and now were slammed up against the retaining wall facing in the wrong direction on the apron. Young guy standing alongside, often holding a cell phone. I really wanted to snap pictures as I cruised along safe and happy at 50 mph.

There were so many accidents that night the cruisers and emergency vehicles didn't begin to occupy all of them. It was like a crowded restaurant and waiting your turn for a table.

But that still didn't begin to threaten my all time favorite moment of witnessing an aggressive driving moron at his best. This was more than a decade ago in Las Vegas, specifically on Flamingo Road heading east just beyond the Strip, and alongside Bally's. It was late afternoon during spring and traffic was very slow. No big deal. The far right lane was apparently closed so three lanes were being forced into two. I was in the center lane. We couldn't see what was causing the blockage at right. A large moving truck was smack in front of me. Several cars had signaled from the right lane to move into the center lane. Then a genius behind us in the left lane was steadily blaring his horn as if alone was entitled to open spaces and free hamburgers.

After maybe 3 minutes this guy finally gave up on blowing his horn. He barged into the center lane from the left lane, smack behind me, and then zaps into the right lane and floors it. Then I hear a loud smack. I still can't see anything due to the truck. But several people on the right sidewalk notice whatever happened and start moving in that direction to help.

Then we move forward just enough to get a look. The idiot crashed his sports car head on into a row of newsracks. That's what was causing the blockage, the newsracks lengthwise in the right lane. It was an extremely windy Las Vegas afternoon, not uncommon in the desert. This time it was so bad that the girly magazine newsracks that are so common in Las Vegas, often tied together 5 or 6 wide, had blown off the sidewalk and onto Flamingo Road. Completely harmless unless you were absent multiple functioning brain cells, which describes many an aggressive driver.

I had walked and driven past that same set of news racks hundreds of not thousands of times but never respected them as much as I should have, until that hilarious afternoon. I can still envision that guy standing outside his driver's door and beholding the crinkled front end, unfortunately not as mangled as I would have preferred.

[tallrick]

Every time I see the news from southeast Florida it seems like there are two hit and run events. Is this due to the illegals in the area, or just due to the fact many people have no insurance and maybe no license either?

[Sugah Ray]

Originally Posted by tallrick

Every time I see the news from southeast Florida it seems like there are two hit and run events. Is this due to the illegals in the area, or just due to the fact many people have no insurance and maybe no license either?

Probably suspended licenses which would also mean no insurance.

[elchevere]

I noticed this last trip that I am no longer in CA as a pedestrian...drivers sure like to come as close as possible to pedestrians who are crossing the street and I almost got clipped once or twice...definitely need to pay more attention when walking !!

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by tallrick

Every time I see the news from southeast Florida it seems like there are two hit and run events. Is this due to the illegals in the area, or just due to the fact many people have no insurance and maybe no license either?

All of the above.

[pslhomie]

Originally Posted by miami_winter_breeze

Here let me tell you what's not fantasy. Back when I lived in California, my friend was involved in a 3-car accident. The short of it was, he made a complete stop behind another car, who in turn stopped for a red-light. The person behind him was distracted with their cell-phone plowed into his back. The force of the accident caused his car to lurch into the car in front of him.

There was witnesses, even the driver admitted it was his fault - the insurance still came down this way: the initial driver (who everyone would say was responsible for the entire 3 car pile up) was responsible for my friend's car, while my friend was deemed responsible for the car in front of him.

Preposterous you scream! How can a guy, who came to a complete stop be responsible for his car lurching forward from someone who slammed into him? It's insurance policy - front bumper to back bumper, automatic at fault.

That's because your "friend" was stopped too close to the car in front. The law states that you need to see the entire back end including the tires of the vehicle in front of you when stopped. He was probably like you 6 inches from the back bumper revving his engine and blowing his horn.

[miami_winter_breeze]

Originally Posted by pslhomie

That's because your "friend" was stopped too close to the car in front. The law states that you need to see the entire back end including the tires of the vehicle in front of you when stopped. He was probably like you 6 inches from the back bumper revving his engine and blowing his horn.

What makes you think he was 6 inches away? You have proven not to know much in this thread, so I'm curious on why you think you know something here

[StreetSmarts]

Isn't south FL great?

[perry335654]

Originally Posted by StreetSmarts

Isn't south FL great?

NYC is even better, just take a ride down Park Avenue in your car, like I did , and you will have accompanying Yellow Cabs try to run you over when they spot your out-of-state tags. Miami is a piece of cake next to that. The traffic on the New Jersey State Parkway is horrendous but the tolls every short distance keeps it from being worse.

[ruski]

Never had a problem with NYC yellow cabs. They are very good drivers. Pushy and aggressive, but very good.I used to rollerblade all over Manhattan, in between cabs, and never a problem.