Things that irritate you

[threesheds]

Cactus spines in underpants....Cactus spines anywhere...must get rid of Cacti.

[Incredible_Serious]

Most people are blind to the fact that driving a car is the most dangerous thing you will do everyday .

You have clearly never started an argument with my wife

That's so inefficient, mate, starting a new argument every day, when there is always a perfectly good argument to go back to.... just ask her!

[GoMachV]

Women never forget an argument, so that is always on the table.

[Halgar]

I really wish they'd make getting a driver's license MUCH more difficult, cull some of the more dangerous idiots off the roadways.

If nothing else, I think that a regular class license should only allow you to drive (up to) a full size sedan or mid size truck or suv.

Oh, I go the other way on this one, I think it should be mandatory that everyone learn to drive/operate a large truck/suv, including towing trailers. This is the only way they're gonna learn to respect big vehicles on the roadways.

While I hate the idea for those of us that actually know how to operate a vehicle, I think there should be continuing education for ALL drivers with retesting periodically (written and driving) to see that drivers know and understand the rules of the road. It amazes me on a daily basis how many people do not know or understand that you can make a right turn at a red light, or how a 4-way stop works. I'm talking about the most basic of basic, common sense principles of being on the road.

[Halgar]

You think your street design is bad , ours follows 12th century field boundary's , 9th century foot paths etc and that's central London ! Once you get out in the sticks it's bonkers .

I've been to a few central American countries where the drivers are absolutely bonkers and there are few safeties for pedestrians. I can also assure you that there are places here in the States that are bonkers as well. For instance, you will NEVER find me driving in either LA or NYC. Probably the worst place that I'm aware of would be the middle east, where size/might has the right of way, there be some very crazy drivers there!

[R6cowboy]

Oh, I go the other way on this one, I think it should be mandatory that everyone learn to drive/operate a large truck/suv, including towing trailers. This is the only way they're gonna learn to respect big vehicles on the roadways.

While I hate the idea for those of us that actually know how to operate a vehicle, I think there should be continuing education for ALL drivers with retesting periodically (written and driving) to see that drivers know and understand the rules of the road. It amazes me on a daily basis how many people do not know or understand that you can make a right turn at a red light, or how a 4-way stop works. I'm talking about the most basic of basic, common sense principles of being on the road.

I'm taking a CDL course right now, started driving Monday. Even though I've always been very courteous to big rig drivers, I have a new found respect for them.

[threesheds]

We've got too many people driving with no training no licence no insurance no brains in bent cars. Also pricks on bikes and scooters. And not enough highway police.

[1911Colt]

Even though I've always been very courteous to big rig drivers, I have a new found respect for them.

In addition to respecting what the driver is doing controlling a big rig, I respect the fact that the guy is AT WORK. He has a schedule, state troopers targeting him, GPS reporting his speed to his boss, idiots camping out in his blind spots, etc. etc. No one needs more crap when they are working.

[Halgar]

Oh, I go the other way on this one, I think it should be mandatory that everyone learn to drive/operate a large truck/suv, including towing trailers. This is the only way they're gonna learn to respect big vehicles on the roadways.

I'm taking a CDL course right now, started driving Monday. Even though I've always been very courteous to big rig drivers, I have a new found respect for them.

This is my point exactly! I grew up on a farm with large machinery, as well as the family business was working on big rigs (we serviced the instrumentation in them). Being up close and personal with these things you get a finer understanding of how dangerous they are and how hard it is to operate them, let alone operate them within a sea of idiots. You have my respect on and off the road.

[GoMachV]

I respect truckers as they have a tough job and have to deal with idiots all day long. The vast majority of truckers are awesome.

However

Do they not cover how to pass other trucks in training? How do they figure they can pass another truck that is doing 64mph by going 64.1mph in a 80mph zone without pissing off the line of 25 cars behind them for 5 miles until they give up and pull back in. It is by far the most frustrating part of driving on I84. You have two lanes, and both are occupied by trucks going well under the limit.

That’s my only complaint about truckers. I bet they have waaaaay more about us ”4 wheeler” drivers.

[R6cowboy]

I respect truckers as they have a tough job and have to deal with idiots all day long. The vast majority of truckers are awesome.

However

Do they not cover how to pass other trucks in training? How do they figure they can pass another truck that is doing 64mph by going 64.1mph in a 80mph zone without pissing off the line of 25 cars behind them for 5 miles until they give up and pull back in. It is by far the most frustrating part of driving on I84. You have two lanes, and both are occupied by trucks going well under the limit.

That’s my only complaint about truckers. I bet they have waaaaay more about us ”4 wheeler” drivers.

That's simply someone being discourteous. A lot of trucks have top speed governors. I guarantee some of those times you're experiencing two trucks that have governors 1mph or so apart, and one of the drivers simply don't give a rats ass that's its taking a lot of time for the other truck to pass.

[juicedcoupe]

Oh, I go the other way on this one, I think it should be mandatory that everyone learn to drive/operate a large truck/suv, including towing trailers. This is the only way they're gonna learn to respect big vehicles on the roadways.

While I think that its a great idea, the practicality isn't there.

Having to resources to teach everyone to drive a one ton truck with a trailer makes no sense. Realistically, most people will never drive anything bigger than a mid size sedan. Even if they were taught, how long would they retain the knowledge if they never used it.

I've been driving trucks with trailers most of my life. Based on what I've seen, I'd say that I'm better than average. But my brother is on a different level. He can put a car hauler in a 8' slot on the first try.

[TRX-1-3]

I took a 40hr CDL driver's training at one point. The training was great. Spent the last eight hours driving with the trainer one on one. Learned a ton. He mentioned (a bit of self promotion, but also a very legimate point), he essentially said that although the bar to obtain a CDL driver's licsence is a bit higher, it's not that high. In theory, a driver could get a CDL and have very little experience and/or additional training and be turned loose on the road. I think it has alot to do with the outfit you drive for. They will set the standards and provide the training, or they might throw you the keys and say good luck.

Granted, the training I took was primarily for off-highway tanked vehicles with air brakes. Unpaved mountain roads, etc. I have never driven a tractor-trailer over Cabbage Hill in August. Or February.

[Halgar]

Oh, I go the other way on this one, I think it should be mandatory that everyone learn to drive/operate a large truck/suv, including towing trailers. This is the only way they're gonna learn to respect big vehicles on the roadways.

While I think that its a great idea, the practicality isn't there.

Having to resources to teach everyone to drive a one ton truck with a trailer makes no sense. Realistically, most people will never drive anything bigger than a mid size sedan. Even if they were taught, how long would they retain the knowledge if they never used it.

I've been driving trucks with trailers most of my life. Based on what I've seen, I'd say that I'm better than average. But my brother is on a different level. He can put a car hauler in a 8' slot on the first try.

I don't disagree that it would take some thinking and effort to implement something, but I think it would be doable. If 90% of the other bureaucracy can be dreamt up and implemented, then better driver's education and standards can be figured out.

Back when I preparing for my learner's permit, we had a driver's ed class in high school and drove with an instructor after school. This was NOT a mandatory thing, but it did help lower insurance rates if you had some sort of class. By the time I was legal to drive I'd been driving on my own for a good 5 or 6 years, as we lived in the country with miles and miles of gravel roads well off the beaten path. While I wasn't allowed to just jump in a car and go off, I did drive with older siblings and my parents sitting next to me. On top of this, I had been driving tractors and farm equipment literally from the time I could reach the pedals, so technically, I'd had a good 10 years of vehicle operation experience before ever trying to get licensed. I also was allowed to sit next to my father and steer the vehicle on the highway in my preteen years. From this I learned vehicle control, traffic rules, following distances, watching what was going on around the vehicle, etc. I'm what you young'ns would call an old fart and I don't have kids, so I have no idea what kinds of programs or requirements there are for new drivers. I can say that there are dozens of driving schools around here, so I'm guessing that some sort of documented training/experience is required by the state before one is allowed to go for their learners permit or license.

Like you and your brother, I used to be able to put a trailer anywhere I wanted and I could put a 12' wide tractor through a 12'-4" hole. I've been away from trailer towing for about 20 years, so my backing skills with one are not what they used to be, but I can still get one where I want it with a little fanagling. I will also say that the vehicle and the trailer in question make all the difference in how easy it is to maneuver a trailer.

[Halgar]

This happened yesterday, I'm riding with my work buddy in his 1 ton, 4x4 Dodge Ram, pulling a trailer. We're working our way across traffic to get to an exit while other traffic is merging onto the highway. This is one of the "can't design a roadway" issue we have here, on ramps and off ramps are forced to co-mingle to do their thing.

At any rate, BIG truck with a trailer is trying to merge to essentially the far right lane, while some F-ing moron in a Toyota Corolla is trying to get onto the freeway. The front of the truck is about a half a car length ahead of the Toyota and my buddy is starting to drift across the line to make the lane change. The arsewipe in the Toyota decides that the lane is HIS and he's going to take it. He not only makes this decision, he jerks the wheel towards us, back and forth to enforce that HE is going to take the lane. Before either of us crossed our respective lanes, I warned my buddy that the arsewipe was gonna do what he did and my buddy was prepared. He held his ground, but didn't take the lane and waited for the moron with the tiny penis in the tiny car to take the lane.

Today, I'm driving down the highway in my Suburban towing a utility trailer. The highway narrows from 3 lanes to 2 lanes, the third lane becomes an exit. There is a car about 3 car lengths in front of me and NOBODY behind me for a good 500 feet. Yep, you guessed it, a frigg'n moron thinks that it's better to cut me off and jump TWO lanes, than to go around behind me. To cut me off, he had to drive beyond the exit split, meaning he was well past the exit lane and driving down the shoulder of the road to literally cut me off (I had to brake to avoid a collision). With each passing day, I want nothing more than to install a bull bar on my truck and literally push these absolutely brain dead morons off the road! Either that or have a cop sitting in my passenger seat 24/7 to pull these idiots over end their driving days . . . PERMANENTLY!