Driving habits of rural folk

[newbury]

Yeah, that happens everywhere. The road is curvy so they drive slow. It straightens out, so they drive fast, which happens to be where the passing lanes are.

No, the road isn't "curvy" it's a parkway run by the NPS, probably would be safe at 70.

<snip>
Being a relocated yankee, the obvious is that southerners don't know how to drive in the snow. News flash... doesn't matter if you were born in Maine or Florida, people don't know how to drive in the snow unless they make a mistake and learn never to repeat what they did in the first place (and I've had an accident in the snow and I learned from my mistake about 30 years ago).<snip>

And southerners that never see snow or ice DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES to make the small mistakes and recoveries and learn. My teens and early 20's were spent in northern Vermont. Plenty of deep snow, ice, etc. Fond memories of going out on windswept frozen ponds and driving around and recovering. Became automatic.

Here's what I can tell you as I was your age a while back... right before you go to bed at night, look back on your day and ask yourself if there's anything you should (not could) have done differently in your dealings with everyone you met that day. If you're good with it, then sleep well. If not, make a note of it and work on it tomorrow, and sleep well knowing you're at least making an effort to treat folks the way you'd want to be treated. That's about all there is to it. Golden rule and all. Do unto others... that kind of stuff.

Do you have that on a tapestry or T-shirt? Maybe a coffee mug?

Last words of wisdom....

Old codgers are old codgers no matter what their age.

Synonyms for codger
Synonyms
character, crack, crackbrain, crackpot, crank, eccentric, flake, fruitcake, head case, kook, nut, nutcase, nutter [British slang], oddball, oddity, original, quiz, screwball, weirdo, zany

I think you have it wrong - old modifies codgers. Their are codgers of all ages, us old ones are worse and have had more practice.

Just yesterday I did the trip to Fulton, normally 50 to 60 mph for 16 miles. But got behind a Ford Ranger at about the 5 mile out mark and was forced to got 40 to 45 for the next 11 miles. The one potential passing point had oncoming traffic.
Oh well.

 

[coobie]

Last words of wisdom....

Old codgers are old codgers no matter what their age.

Synonyms for codger
Synonyms
character, crack, crackbrain, crackpot, crank, eccentric, flake, fruitcake, head case, kook, nut, nutcase, nutter [British slang], oddball, oddity, original, quiz, screwball, weirdo, zany

You forgot one "CURMUDGEON"

 

[CobyRupert]

Funny how we divide people into categories, so that we can then dismiss the ones we don’t identify with.
Rural vs city, young vs old, etc...
I know that I’m not the same driver when I’m commuting to work or an appointment, versus when I’m not on a schedule.
There’s always a huge difference when we’re focused on the destination rather than the trip (a metaphor for life too).

 

[ruffdog]

Funny how we divide people into categories, so that we can then dismiss the ones we don’t identify with.
Rural vs city, young vs old, etc...
I know that I’m not the same driver when I’m commuting to work or an appointment, versus when I’m not on a schedule.
There’s always a huge difference when we’re focused on the destination rather than the trip (a metaphor for life too).

Yep...they call it tribalism and it is rampant nowadays. I hope that with time, people will tire of all the hate and finger pointing.

 

[MossRoad]

Funny how we divide people into categories, so that we can then dismiss the ones we don稚 identify with.
Rural vs city, young vs old, etc...
I know that I知 not the same driver when I知 commuting to work or an appointment, versus when I知 not on a schedule.
Thereç—´ always a huge difference when weæ±*e focused on the destination rather than the trip (a metaphor for life too).

It's natural for people to group things. It's a very efficient way for the brain to organize. Like a filing system. It's also a survival mechanism.

 

[LouNY]

Well I just got home from a drive, went 20 miles from home to Salem Farm supply and 20 back home.
Took about 45 minutes each way for me doing around the speed limit and sight seeing on the way,
lots of corn fields chopped and being chopped, lot of corn drying down awfull fast now.
Just for curiosity sake I looked it up on map quest driving directions and they had come up with 35-40 minutes for the trip,
so not bad.
Also I did slow way down to make all of the turns off of or on too the different roads,
around here many of the roads have a swale or are just so broken up that the intersections are quite rough.
Also I had two two hundred foot ag bags in the back of the pickup don't need them trying to move about.

 

[jaxs]

Yep...they call it tribalism and it is rampant nowadays. I hope that with time, people will tire of all the hate and finger pointing.

That statment is so profound I couldn't let it pass without comment. People can and will get past it only if a hand fully of highly visiable people stop :stirthepot: to advance personal agendas knowing full well they are harming all mankind in the process.

 

[Jim Nelson]

Speaking of getting old and grouchy,I gave up driving on freeways a couple of years ago due to some vision problems and my wife drives anytime we need to go out of town to Dr.'s etc. She is a very petite, 75 year old, retired librarian who is normally pretty calm and quiet but there are times in traffic that she will really give the idiots HE11. I sometimes get a chuckle because I used to get an earful when I let loose on them.

 

[strantor]

In case I haven't well documented my gradual shift of opinion, I'll spell out where I am now. This thread has led me to realize the following:

1. My gripe is less with my fellow rural folk, and more with people who drive distracted. Or just plain badly. Or people who intentionally sour the driving experiences of everyone around them because they're awful people.
2. Being mid-range range on the aggression meter means other, more aggressive people probably gripe about me as much as I gripe about those less aggressive than myself. And the people less aggressive than me, probably think I'm trying to kill them as often as I think other lunatics are trying to kill me.
3. Other people hate being lumped into groups as badly as I do, whether it's natural or not; nobody likes it. I'll try to be more cognizant of that even though it's already something I'm working on.
4. Some people simply can't be pleased. I should strive to not be one of them, and to not suffer their acidic words.
5. I wouldn't trade my place in the country (yes, I said it again, the country) and sometimes foul commute, for anything.
6. Some things just aren't worth complaining about. But often we don't realize that until after we've already complained about them. This is one of those things.

I withdraw my complaint and I will be content with the hand I've dealt myself. I apologize if I've offended anyone who wasn't already out looking for something to get offended about. I will try to be the commuter who I wish everyone else was. Thank you all for helping me grow personally.

 

[MossRoad]

:thumbsup: