Comments on View from the Cloud: Turning 101

Um...the picture in the bottom left corner looks O...

2008-04-16T07:21:00.000-05:00

Um...the picture in the bottom left corner looks OK to me. You'd only be making that turn if no one was coming from the other direction anyway, so why couldn't you pick the right lane?

elizabeth - That's too funny. When we were in Chic...

2008-04-15T10:56:00.000-05:00

elizabeth - That's too funny. When we were in Chicago last year they would blow the horn at me if I didn't start going within .05 seconds of the light changing green. I felt like an old farmer trying to drive a tractor through downtown.

super bongo - Nice. He could also shine some deer while he was at it.

dorky dad - Yeah, but I heard those secret agent cars get terrible gas mileage.

mitch mcdad - I agree, only I was thinking every 20 years.

In Oklahoma, we have two way frontage roads. Don'...

2008-04-15T10:16:00.000-05:00

In Oklahoma, we have two way frontage roads. Don't even get me started.

Responsible is my middle name! :)

2008-04-15T09:56:00.000-05:00

Responsible is my middle name! :)

Thanks for the PSA. I think it funny that we get d...

2008-04-14T23:32:00.000-05:00

Thanks for the PSA.

I think it funny that we get driver's ed when we're teens and then never again. I think it should be done every ten years.

Interesting. I had a conversation with somebody ju...

2008-04-14T23:26:00.000-05:00

Interesting. I had a conversation with somebody just yesterday on the driving public's failure to grasp this very concept.

It makes me wish I had a secret agent car where I could press a button and long, sharp knives should emerge from my hubcaps to disable the vehicle next to me.

Where I live, people seem to think it clever to dr...

2008-04-14T22:59:00.000-05:00

Where I live, people seem to think it clever to drive around at night without headlights. Several years ago, about 10pm, I was leaving a nearby town and headed home . . . when I noticed that the car behind me didn't have headlights . . . rather, the driver was aiming a large flashlight into his windshield . . . and, yes, this guy got on a MAJOR HIGHWAY, AT NIGHT, WITH JUST A FLASHLIGHT TO LIGHT HIS WAY.

My husband has informed me that if any Juneau driv...

2008-04-14T22:08:00.000-05:00

My husband has informed me that if any Juneau driver tried to drive in Chicago, they would make it about 30 seconds before someone pulled them out of their car and beat them to daeth. The drivers here make him insane!

ed - No soup for you!dave2 - I put up the charts f...

2008-04-14T21:30:00.000-05:00

ed - No soup for you!

dave2 - I put up the charts for all those drivers who can't read. Wait a minute... that would explain a lot.

flip flop - Feel free to click "print" and take it with you. Just don't get caught using your cheat sheet.

i am fixing to take a test tommorw to get my Mn li...

2008-04-14T20:55:00.000-05:00

i am fixing to take a test tommorw to get my Mn liscence, I am going to refer to this when the time is right...

You don't even need a series of charts... her in W...

2008-04-14T20:41:00.000-05:00

You don't even need a series of charts... her in Washington State Driver's Ed, I was taught that you turn into the CLOSEST LEGAL LANE. That pretty much sums it up.

I think I've committed #1. Quite possibly others....

2008-04-14T20:38:00.000-05:00

I think I've committed #1. Quite possibly others.

teri - That's very responsible of you.kathy - Good...

2008-04-14T19:12:00.000-05:00

teri - That's very responsible of you.

kathy - Good idea. If I had KITT I'd be all set. And thank you. I don't feel a day over 70.

Jeff, you should consider getting one of those car...

2008-04-14T17:54:00.000-05:00

Jeff, you should consider getting one of those cars where you press a button and knives and spikes come out the tires. Then you can dole out punishment to stupid drivers from the comfort of your own car.

p.s. When I first read the title of this post, I thought you turned 101. I was really bummed, because I thought I missed your 100th! Scare a person, why don't ya? BTW, you don't look a day over 80.

Jeff-furry Lee:Oh I try to keep it between 100 and...

2008-04-14T17:11:00.000-05:00

Jeff-furry Lee:
Oh I try to keep it between 100 and 110. :)

groovy mom - Ah, that makes more sense. Maybe your...

2008-04-14T16:24:00.000-05:00

groovy mom - Ah, that makes more sense. Maybe your driver's manual was missing some of its words.

teri - I take it you've driven 95 too?

Yes, because you're not furry lee until you're jeff-furry lee!

marie - The difference is you're supposed to start your lane crossover in the left lane and then quickly merge to the right... with a blinker on. That's the step that nobody does. It does make it tough when states have different laws, that's for sure.

BTW I have to agree with previous commenters about...

2008-04-14T16:15:00.000-05:00

BTW I have to agree with previous commenters about CA. I've lived in four states, and CA was the only one in which people knew how to drive.

I can understand not crossing lanes if the people ...

2008-04-14T16:13:00.000-05:00

I can understand not crossing lanes if the people in the lane next to you can legally turn in the same direction. But if they can't, and I need to get all the way over right away in order to make my next turn, I'll do it. I think the legalities of that vary by state. In Oregon it's actually legal to turn left on a red light, which is not legal anywhere else that I know of.

Hee hee. 95.By the way, I will never be able to s...

2008-04-14T16:05:00.000-05:00

Hee hee. 95.

By the way, I will never be able to see you as anyone but Jeff-furry for ever and ever.

lol! Somehow the first part of my comment went aw...

2008-04-14T15:31:00.000-05:00

lol! Somehow the first part of my comment went away. Blogger does that to me when I get in too big a hurry.

I said:

I failed the first driving test I took because I didn't get that concept. :-)

mrs. r - I totally agree. And the smaller the town...

2008-04-14T15:27:00.000-05:00

mrs. r - I totally agree. And the smaller the town around here the worse it seems to get. I think they should require all drivers to retest every 20 years. Probably not a popular stance but I think it would help.

groovy mom - Hmmm, I think either your comment may be broken or I'm broken, I'm not sure I'm getting your question. Probably me. ;-)

ve - Plenty of those good ol' boys around here. That's for sure!

teri - I lived on the road for 10 years and like you, I've seem em all. The place I was the most afraid for my life was in Florida along Highway 95 just north of Miami. I think they believe that "95" is the speed limit, not the highway number.

Yes, in the example you show, it is only legal to ...

2008-04-14T14:40:00.000-05:00

Yes, in the example you show, it is only legal to move into the lanes shown.

In California, though, when you are in the only left turn lane, you may turn into any of the available (key word: available) lanes, as long as it is safe (key word: safe). This applies to both right and left turns. This is not legal in some states. So what you have sometimes, is people who learned to drive elsewhere driving in your town.

Again, the example you show, is clearly only able to be used as shown. But you don't have to know the law to know that. It only makes sense. They have the lanes clearly marked. Like bumper car lanes or something. So people crossing over there are just plain idiots and there is no helping them.

I have done a lot of driving in my time and in many places (including Manila, Philippines). It has been my observation that Californians know how to drive. Because they really wanna get somewhere! Yeah, you see some crazy stuff done here and there, but generally they are good drivers. UTAH has some seriously sucky drivers who seem to think they are the only ones on the road. Very egocentric driving there.

But in VIRGINIA, I have found the worst drivers of all. (Although they are quite polite drivers.) I mean, if they are in the far left lane and suddenly remember they want to turn right at the signal up ahead, they will just STOP. Right there! And no one even thinks that's weird! This is not a hinky move every now and then. It's done a LOT!

Anyway, driving sucks. But we gotta do it.

Those pictures don't show that redneck in the pick...

2008-04-14T14:29:00.000-05:00

Those pictures don't show that redneck in the pickup that owns the road though. I think he operates on the Pirates of the Carribean philosphy that "rules are mostly guidelines".

I took because I didn't get this concept. Where w...

2008-04-14T14:28:00.000-05:00

I took because I didn't get this concept. Where were you then? lol

Being from Los Angeles, I thought I had seen it al...

2008-04-14T13:31:00.000-05:00

Being from Los Angeles, I thought I had seen it all in the way of bad driving. But I've seen more stupid things in a few years in MN than I did during decades of driving in CA.

I'm not sure what it is about this place that breeds bad driving, but there are people here who make it an art form, that's for sure.