http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a395/NewClassic/Forum%20Stuff/Driving.png
Alright, this rant will be broken down into two parts, each having its own discussion prompt. You're welcome to respond to one, the other, or both. The choice is yours.
[HEADING=2]Don't Teen And Drive[/HEADING]
Here's something I've never understood about people. Statistically speaking, Caucasian male teenagers between the ages 16-23 are statistically more likely to cause, influence, or be a part of traffic accidents. I'm alright with this, and have come to terms with that fact (Although, I'm admittedly very bitter about paying nearly a hundred a month extra simply because I am below the age of 24). What boggles me is that the age group carries an un-spoken undercurrent of bad and/or reckless driving. My friend of some number of years, roughly 5 years (Late Elementary/Primary and early Middle/Secondary school) ended up spending the day with me some period of time ago. After the time had elapsed, I offered a ride, and got a skeptic look in return. It was a gauging stare, the kind you level at a rope bridge swaying dangerously over a cliff-face, or a sleeping wild animal that could awaken and slaughter you.
http://blogs.cars.com/photos/mother_proof_may_08/teendriver.jpg
The moral of the story is, he ended up demanding to see my license, examine it for signs of being fake, and ended up not getting into my car anyway. Why? Because, dear NewClassic, you are between the ages of 16-23, and male.
This bothers me, though because it is a standard that has some grounds in reality, but no understanding for a case-by-case. The worst part of it is it's very much dismissible. If I were to claim every black man is also a drug dealer, thug, and "gangsta, homey," I would be labeled racist. If I were to label every teen a bad driver, I would be commended for my good judgment and forethought.
And should any teen make mention of this standard, even if they're a better driver, logically and historically, than the older person leveling it, it's still invalid due to age. This phenomenon positively boggles me. It's a societal double standard.
The reason, I think, is because it isn't a factor of driving ability or driving history, but rather a function of age. Your ability to drive is hinged entirely upon your age, not your personal record or history. I can understand using it as a good rule of thumb in a pinch, but accepting it as fact in every single case? C'mon now, guys.
Why not adopt a new standard? Like how many wrecks one has caused, or how many cars one has totaled, or whether or not the person puts on their seatbelt on when they enter the vehicle? It boggles me that Socrates, or or Alexander the Great, or Caesar would immediately get picked out as better drivers than I, when they existed before the automobile, for age alone.
Does this bother anyone else, and is it a standard that you think is fair? If not, what would you do to fix it?
[HEADING=2]Drunk Driving, Stupid Driving, and Your Driving[/HEADING]
I'm something of a recreational driver. There's something about the open road, a nice ambient track playing softly in surround sound, and the whisper of tire on asphalt that just makes driving an occasionally very relaxing hobby. Albeit, somewhat expensive. (Something that's been changing as of late, which is good.)
During my vehicular ramblings, I notice a lot of bad drivers. A consistent failure to follow the letter, intent, purpose, and even general area of the law. I see people change lanes completely blindly, cruising across an intersection with neither hand on the wheel, tourists with maps splayed across the steering wheel, and other such things.
http://www.funtoosh.com/f_images/girls_after_car_accident.jpg
The problem is this is exactly the sort of driving that causes so many accidents? So why the hell is it so common? I'll accept the occasional phone conversation, as I have answered my phone on the road on a few occasions, or maintained a conversation while driving. The problem, though, is when people fail to maintain a decent equilibrium for the concept of the fact that driving is a muscle-memory driven thing and can be done, on occasions, without absolute focus, but is also a very heavy, very fast piece of machinery that will kill you just as hard as any weapon, and will do so instantly, relentlessly, and leave you no other alternative but death.
So, breathe deep, folks, and pay attention on the road. Driving is a responsibility as well as a travel method. The standard where you will expect so much from others, yet so little of yourself needs to change. When you're driving, you're putting the life of everyone around you on the line. Pedestrians, other drivers, yourself, your passengers. In a situation of life or death, you need to pay attention.
I understand that it's important that you get directions, or that you need to eat before getting to work, just be smart about it. If you can, pull over while you finish the conversation or eat, slow down when road conditions require. Driving isn't just a method of getting from point A to point B, it's a journey. Treat it like one, and don't busy yourself so much you forget that you're a small, squishy little ant in a large metal box screaming down the road and incredibly fatal speeds.
http://www.audacityteam.org/wiki/images/6/60/AudacityNeedsYou.jpg
Don't have the audacity to pretend you're above the law simply because you believe yourself to be, but also don't be so stuck-up that you can't see that no one is a perfect driver.
At the same vein, take yourselves and the laws more seriously. No matter how arbitrary they may seem, the laws exist because they serve a function, and that function is to minimize damage, injuries, and fatalities, and maximize the efficiency of driving. Don't forget that you're not just driving for yourself, but every other car on the road as well. Pay attention when you're on the road. It's not hard, and it may very well save your life, your wallet, and/or your family. Remember, if you get in a car wreck, the terrorists win.
So, what do you think, Escapist? Do you think more drivers should focus or their driving, or that those who say we're becoming too distracted should can it, and that we're doing well on our own? Any thoughts about laws disabling people from using cell phones on the road?
Alright, this rant will be broken down into two parts, each having its own discussion prompt. You're welcome to respond to one, the other, or both. The choice is yours.
[HEADING=2]Don't Teen And Drive[/HEADING]
Here's something I've never understood about people. Statistically speaking, Caucasian male teenagers between the ages 16-23 are statistically more likely to cause, influence, or be a part of traffic accidents. I'm alright with this, and have come to terms with that fact (Although, I'm admittedly very bitter about paying nearly a hundred a month extra simply because I am below the age of 24). What boggles me is that the age group carries an un-spoken undercurrent of bad and/or reckless driving. My friend of some number of years, roughly 5 years (Late Elementary/Primary and early Middle/Secondary school) ended up spending the day with me some period of time ago. After the time had elapsed, I offered a ride, and got a skeptic look in return. It was a gauging stare, the kind you level at a rope bridge swaying dangerously over a cliff-face, or a sleeping wild animal that could awaken and slaughter you.
http://blogs.cars.com/photos/mother_proof_may_08/teendriver.jpg
The moral of the story is, he ended up demanding to see my license, examine it for signs of being fake, and ended up not getting into my car anyway. Why? Because, dear NewClassic, you are between the ages of 16-23, and male.
This bothers me, though because it is a standard that has some grounds in reality, but no understanding for a case-by-case. The worst part of it is it's very much dismissible. If I were to claim every black man is also a drug dealer, thug, and "gangsta, homey," I would be labeled racist. If I were to label every teen a bad driver, I would be commended for my good judgment and forethought.
And should any teen make mention of this standard, even if they're a better driver, logically and historically, than the older person leveling it, it's still invalid due to age. This phenomenon positively boggles me. It's a societal double standard.
The reason, I think, is because it isn't a factor of driving ability or driving history, but rather a function of age. Your ability to drive is hinged entirely upon your age, not your personal record or history. I can understand using it as a good rule of thumb in a pinch, but accepting it as fact in every single case? C'mon now, guys.
Why not adopt a new standard? Like how many wrecks one has caused, or how many cars one has totaled, or whether or not the person puts on their seatbelt on when they enter the vehicle? It boggles me that Socrates, or or Alexander the Great, or Caesar would immediately get picked out as better drivers than I, when they existed before the automobile, for age alone.
Does this bother anyone else, and is it a standard that you think is fair? If not, what would you do to fix it?
[HEADING=2]Drunk Driving, Stupid Driving, and Your Driving[/HEADING]
I'm something of a recreational driver. There's something about the open road, a nice ambient track playing softly in surround sound, and the whisper of tire on asphalt that just makes driving an occasionally very relaxing hobby. Albeit, somewhat expensive. (Something that's been changing as of late, which is good.)
During my vehicular ramblings, I notice a lot of bad drivers. A consistent failure to follow the letter, intent, purpose, and even general area of the law. I see people change lanes completely blindly, cruising across an intersection with neither hand on the wheel, tourists with maps splayed across the steering wheel, and other such things.
http://www.funtoosh.com/f_images/girls_after_car_accident.jpg
The problem is this is exactly the sort of driving that causes so many accidents? So why the hell is it so common? I'll accept the occasional phone conversation, as I have answered my phone on the road on a few occasions, or maintained a conversation while driving. The problem, though, is when people fail to maintain a decent equilibrium for the concept of the fact that driving is a muscle-memory driven thing and can be done, on occasions, without absolute focus, but is also a very heavy, very fast piece of machinery that will kill you just as hard as any weapon, and will do so instantly, relentlessly, and leave you no other alternative but death.
So, breathe deep, folks, and pay attention on the road. Driving is a responsibility as well as a travel method. The standard where you will expect so much from others, yet so little of yourself needs to change. When you're driving, you're putting the life of everyone around you on the line. Pedestrians, other drivers, yourself, your passengers. In a situation of life or death, you need to pay attention.
I understand that it's important that you get directions, or that you need to eat before getting to work, just be smart about it. If you can, pull over while you finish the conversation or eat, slow down when road conditions require. Driving isn't just a method of getting from point A to point B, it's a journey. Treat it like one, and don't busy yourself so much you forget that you're a small, squishy little ant in a large metal box screaming down the road and incredibly fatal speeds.
http://www.audacityteam.org/wiki/images/6/60/AudacityNeedsYou.jpg
Don't have the audacity to pretend you're above the law simply because you believe yourself to be, but also don't be so stuck-up that you can't see that no one is a perfect driver.
At the same vein, take yourselves and the laws more seriously. No matter how arbitrary they may seem, the laws exist because they serve a function, and that function is to minimize damage, injuries, and fatalities, and maximize the efficiency of driving. Don't forget that you're not just driving for yourself, but every other car on the road as well. Pay attention when you're on the road. It's not hard, and it may very well save your life, your wallet, and/or your family. Remember, if you get in a car wreck, the terrorists win.
So, what do you think, Escapist? Do you think more drivers should focus or their driving, or that those who say we're becoming too distracted should can it, and that we're doing well on our own? Any thoughts about laws disabling people from using cell phones on the road?
