This week’s letter comes from K. Golding who zeros in on annoying driving habits. On the eve of Memorial Day weekend and the official start of summer travel season, it’s a fitting time to vent our frustrations. And we certainly concur with what our writer has to say this week. So be safe out there on the roads and think about your fellow travelers.
Meantime, K can pick up her winner’s prize, a pound of Strictly Organic coffee at our offices, 704 NW Georgia.
What ever happened to the procedure of having a safe distance between you and the car ahead of you? I drive from Tumalo to Madras or Salem at least once a week and am tired of running into a line of cars with six feet between each other doing 40 miles an hour behind some guy with a trailer – most prevalent on the Santiam, but you see it on 97 also.
It is not the guy with the trailer that I am upset with, but the people behind him. The road has areas that are marked with a dotted line, and these are legal and safe for passing in. If you are not going to pass the slow vehicle at least give those who will pass enough room to safely do so in the safe passing areas. I keep coming up on 6 to 10 cars all going 40 miles an hour bumper to bumper for miles on end. There are plenty of safe passing zones, as long as you are only passing one or two cars at a time. If a driver does not feel safe passing at least give those of us who know the road and the safe passing areas room to pass and continue the trip at a safe 55-60 mph. This does not mean speeding up as you are being passed or turning on your high beams after someone passed you just because you don’t think it was “safe.”
Same goes with the “Right Lane Ends” signs, doesn’t anyone know that it means if you are in the right lane you have to move left (turn signal anyone?) and those in the left lane have the right of way. Yes, I am always nice and let them in, but it just makes you wonder if these people have a clue as to what is going on in the world.
K. Golding.
This article appears in May 21-27, 2009.
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K Goldberg: You need to understand that you are mainly dealing with transplants and pilgrims from Cali. Their driving skills are limited to bumper to bumper freeways, they have no clue about safety or being courteous drivers.
The only concern they have is for themselves and getting to their destination first at all costs. They believe the world revolves around them and everyone else just needs to get out of their way.
I along with many other locals will opt to stay at home on Memorial Day and let them have the road all to themselves.
csante: Yes, everything wrong with the world is the fault of those damn “Calis,” including the recession, faulty plumbing and your hemorrhoids. This old schtick is getting mighty, mighty tired.
Some of the worst drivers I’ve ever seen are right here in Central Oregon. Between the testosterone-overdose cases in their jacked-up giant trucks and the old geezers with their heads up their ass, you take your life in your hands every time you venture forth on Central Oregon roads.
HBM: Yes as usual it’s those damn hicks with their jacked up trucks and the old geezers with their heads up their asses who endanger all who travel the roads in Central Oregon. Iâ ™m certain not one of them are from Cali they are to crude and old to be from there. Seems to me the transplants certainly got more than they bargained for when they moved here and had to drive with the old farts and back wood retards with no class.
I will say the same tired old schtick as many have said before me HBM, the roads out of Central Oregon do run both ways. Hopefully they will make their mass exodus out of Bend to leave it the ghost town that you gleefully proclaim it will be. Then they can run their rude arrogant asses down the Cali freeways bumper to bumper, back to the land of the brilliant beautiful people with class. Oh by the way you wouldn’t happen to be from Cali ?????
Think you got it tough. Try driving an oversized truck for a living[sort 🙁 of]in C.O.
Did the 66 year old man in the pickup who crossed the center line on 97 and plowed into a carload of kids come from Cali? How about the drunk hick over at the Prineville reservoir?
Since when did a person’s origin make them smarter, more sensitive, a better driver, a harder worker, etc. ad nauseum? Some of us should get a grip!
Did both you guys (C and H) miss the memo about the fact that cars and air travel created a society where people move to new places. This happened a while ago.
There are morons from Cali, Bend, and everywhere else. There are also great people from Cali, Bend and everywhere else. Plenty of them. Blaming origin only keeps folks from solving things.
Someone wrote about driving safe…and then BAM! Sad. Doesn’t matter where you are from. If you expect perfect-ville (great term), you will be dissapointed everywhere. Those folks then have to find someone to blame I guess. Lame tactic though. Go dig a hole instead, you will at least get some excercise that way.
Well said HBM and Stephen. csante, you really should think before you speak. It’s a shame fools like you don’t come muzzled. It always amazes me that idiots like you come out of your cave just to open your mouth and spew such stupid comments. Take your own advice, the road runs both ways. You should head out if you don’t like your new community the way it is because it isn’t going back to your little backwood hick town EVER!! You are an embarrasment to anyone that is from here. By the way, even people from California aren’t lame enough to call it Cali, only the tools like you do.
By the way, I am very impressed by your new stance on the subject HBM. When I first moved here four years ago you seemed to have the same clueless opinion as csante. Either that or I just misunderstood you. Either way I appreciate your wiser approach to the topic.
“When I first moved here four years ago you seemed to have the same clueless opinion as csante. Either that or I just misunderstood you.”
I think you misunderstood me. I’ve never been a Californian-basher; having moved here from the Bay Area myself (more than 23 years ago) that would be pretty damn hypocritical.
I hate the pretentiousness that some of the local nouveau riche display, but they’re just as likely to be from Portland or Seattle as from California. And I hate the sprawling, poorly managed growth that has trashed so much of our landscape, but I blame that less on the Californians and others who moved here than on the local builder/developer/realtor axis that pushed for it and the local politicians who allowed it.