Saturday, October 29, 2005
Driving in America
Unless you walk to work, you will have noticed Americans do not know how to drive! The government keeps funding the safety-nazis to protect us from ourselves claiming it's for our own good. They (the government) never seems to want to actually address or fix the problem. I suppose they usual don't make enough money if they do. However, my solution would not only give the government more money, it would cut down on expenditures as a result of vehicle accidents and the injuries or deaths that follow.
Bear in mind, my figures are from memory and not exact. Having said that, here's my idea.
In Germany, home of the autobahn, you DO NOT just go get your license! If you want to experience the privilege (YES! It IS a privilege not a right!) of driving a motor-vehicle, you have a long road ahead of you. First, you have to pay fees for your classroom and driving courses. If, IF! You are successful and are actually able to complete the full course without failing any part of it, you will receive your license for something like $1300 U.S. If you fail any part of the course, you must repeat it until you get it right and you have to pay for each re-taking of that particular section!
The course consists of several WEEKS of training! This includes not only classroom training of the rules and techniques but, of actual closed-course driving exercises. When you complete the course, you WILL know how to drive properly in all kinds of driving conditions. You will have actually learned how to skid a car and recover. You will know how to handle high-speed maneuvering and emergency-braking. You will drive on dry and wet pavement and know what do when dangerous situations occur. You will also be required to drive a manual-transmission!
I don't know about you but, my driver test consisted of pulling out of a parking space and pulling onto the street from the parking-lot and re-entering the lot at a lower entrance and pulling back into the space. THAT AIN'T MUCH! Practically anyone can do that within a few minutes of driving a car. My motorcycle endorsement was the same except the tester didn't ride with me. This is unacceptable! It's no wonder we can't drive.
I'm lucky I suppose. Myself and another friend were truly into driving. We actually wanted to know how to drive properly. We would use the old dragstrip below our neighborhood to practice our motorcycle skills and we used the local mall parking lot to hone our auto-skills. We worked on our own vehicles and knew how to fix problems without having to spend a fortune at the dealership.
I realize most people are going to balk at the cost of getting a license under these requirements. I know I probably would have done the same when I was a teenager. I have only one question for parents because the majority of teens will have to have parents who will pay for the licensing.
Which costs more? A license or a funeral?
Here are some questions for you to test your knowledge of proper driving skills. Are you aware it is illegal to drive in the left lane of a two or more lane road? The left lane is for passing and emergency vehicles only! When you are using an on-ramp, do you get up to speed or do you drive slowly until you get to the highway and then determine you need to floor it to merge? If it's the latter, you are a danger to yourself and others! Do you move to the shoulder (if there is one) and out of the flow of traffic to make a turn or do you wait until you are actually at the turn before you slow-down and turn. If it's the latter, you are slowing traffic and if the flow is heavy enough, you can create a virtual roadblock! Each person slows down because of you and the pause is multiplied by each vehicle behind you until it finally actually stops. How many times have you had to stop in a traffic jam on the interstate and never actually come to an accident or anything that would actually stop traffic? Now you know why.
Despite what the safety-nazis would have you believe, speed is not the problem. Do you really believe that Mario Andretti or Michael Schumacher are incapable of driving on the street at over the posted speed-limit? You might say "Well, of course not, they're race-car drivers!". Well, why does that make a difference? It makes a difference because they have actually had to handle a car in extreme situations not just pull out of a parking lot! They know what the car will do when it hits a slick spot and they know how to get out of trouble. More importantly, they know how to avoid danger and they are looking for it, not talking on their cell-phone!!
I urge everyone to do as I have done. Contact your local government officials whether it be by email or in person or good ol' snail-mail and let them know that we need to change. We need to save lives and money! Explain to them that this will not only save lives but, it will create jobs! People will have to be trained to teach the classes. Buildings and road-courses will have to be built to have a place to have the classes if you do not have a track in your area. Fines can be imposed that are much stiffer since you will have NO EXCUSE for not knowing proper driving etiquette. There are no losers in this. Only survivors.
Turbo Ghost
Bear in mind, my figures are from memory and not exact. Having said that, here's my idea.
In Germany, home of the autobahn, you DO NOT just go get your license! If you want to experience the privilege (YES! It IS a privilege not a right!) of driving a motor-vehicle, you have a long road ahead of you. First, you have to pay fees for your classroom and driving courses. If, IF! You are successful and are actually able to complete the full course without failing any part of it, you will receive your license for something like $1300 U.S. If you fail any part of the course, you must repeat it until you get it right and you have to pay for each re-taking of that particular section!
The course consists of several WEEKS of training! This includes not only classroom training of the rules and techniques but, of actual closed-course driving exercises. When you complete the course, you WILL know how to drive properly in all kinds of driving conditions. You will have actually learned how to skid a car and recover. You will know how to handle high-speed maneuvering and emergency-braking. You will drive on dry and wet pavement and know what do when dangerous situations occur. You will also be required to drive a manual-transmission!
I don't know about you but, my driver test consisted of pulling out of a parking space and pulling onto the street from the parking-lot and re-entering the lot at a lower entrance and pulling back into the space. THAT AIN'T MUCH! Practically anyone can do that within a few minutes of driving a car. My motorcycle endorsement was the same except the tester didn't ride with me. This is unacceptable! It's no wonder we can't drive.
I'm lucky I suppose. Myself and another friend were truly into driving. We actually wanted to know how to drive properly. We would use the old dragstrip below our neighborhood to practice our motorcycle skills and we used the local mall parking lot to hone our auto-skills. We worked on our own vehicles and knew how to fix problems without having to spend a fortune at the dealership.
I realize most people are going to balk at the cost of getting a license under these requirements. I know I probably would have done the same when I was a teenager. I have only one question for parents because the majority of teens will have to have parents who will pay for the licensing.
Which costs more? A license or a funeral?
Here are some questions for you to test your knowledge of proper driving skills. Are you aware it is illegal to drive in the left lane of a two or more lane road? The left lane is for passing and emergency vehicles only! When you are using an on-ramp, do you get up to speed or do you drive slowly until you get to the highway and then determine you need to floor it to merge? If it's the latter, you are a danger to yourself and others! Do you move to the shoulder (if there is one) and out of the flow of traffic to make a turn or do you wait until you are actually at the turn before you slow-down and turn. If it's the latter, you are slowing traffic and if the flow is heavy enough, you can create a virtual roadblock! Each person slows down because of you and the pause is multiplied by each vehicle behind you until it finally actually stops. How many times have you had to stop in a traffic jam on the interstate and never actually come to an accident or anything that would actually stop traffic? Now you know why.
Despite what the safety-nazis would have you believe, speed is not the problem. Do you really believe that Mario Andretti or Michael Schumacher are incapable of driving on the street at over the posted speed-limit? You might say "Well, of course not, they're race-car drivers!". Well, why does that make a difference? It makes a difference because they have actually had to handle a car in extreme situations not just pull out of a parking lot! They know what the car will do when it hits a slick spot and they know how to get out of trouble. More importantly, they know how to avoid danger and they are looking for it, not talking on their cell-phone!!
I urge everyone to do as I have done. Contact your local government officials whether it be by email or in person or good ol' snail-mail and let them know that we need to change. We need to save lives and money! Explain to them that this will not only save lives but, it will create jobs! People will have to be trained to teach the classes. Buildings and road-courses will have to be built to have a place to have the classes if you do not have a track in your area. Fines can be imposed that are much stiffer since you will have NO EXCUSE for not knowing proper driving etiquette. There are no losers in this. Only survivors.
Turbo Ghost
Comments:
<< Home
No way!!!Our diversity would never be able to gain access to clean decent areas to shoot at or spend welfare money. How's a 'brother to drive if he can't relax and show everyone where he at? I mean, we don't see many diversity peoples positioned in the drivers seat in such a manner that he could react to an emergency, let alone see out the windsheild. There's a reason I'm sure, why they drive in this manner. Other countries wouldn't accept it and I don't see why we do. I always though if a "reclining" person driving a 6000lb automobile with tiny tires and rims sticking out beyond the vehicles width collided with my vehicle. I would sue the crap out of them. But again, our diversity is beyond reason and they have the right to display themselves as they see fit. The rest of society must embrace this behavior or be bannished from civilization. Driving skills here in America HAHAHA that's too much to ask. We get snow and ice storms here. You should see all the carnage after a snow or ice storm hits. Myself, I avoid driving the first few days if I can. That way all the poor drivers will have found that solid object they've been looking for, for so long. We all pay for their poor driving skilz in insurance premiums. They can crash every day for a year and it's ok. No amount of bent sheetmetal will teach an IQ of 60 how to drive. Nice thinking though. I used to think along the same lines until diversity really took a set. Then all reasonable thinking is lost.
Post a Comment
# posted by 
: 3:49 PM
: 3:49 PM 
<< Home
