MSP MIA?

[AHM]

some of this shit though is just a lack of maintenance or whatever, or some kind of ghetto shit going on. Like some of these cars will have headlights etc, but every other light on the car is completely blown out. like not even one working taillight or license plate bulb. So you pull up on these people they look like everythign is off until you pass them.

That smells a whole lot more like a blown fuse for the secondary lighting
than <n> blown bulbs.

 

[whatluck]

That smells a whole lot more like a blown fuse for the secondary lighting
than <n> blown bulbs.

or a british electrical system

 

[AHM]

or a british electrical system

Prince of Darkness.

 

[dingbat]

Stop camping and the people annoying you become invisible. It's funny how that works.

Right? It‘s amazing when you get on a piece of road at a time that everyone seems to get this. Even in moderately heavy traffic everything just moves along.
It’s rare that anyone is driving faster than I am and I’ll keep right given the opportunity but on the occasions someone does come up behind me while I’m passing in the left, I do one of two things depending on whether they keep a reasonable distance until I have a spot to pull over or they stay on the gas until they’re riding the rear bumper.
If they keep a reasonable distance (I grew up in NYC and New Jersey, I’m not asking for a lot here, maybe a car length or two at 80-90mph) I get over first opportunity, same as I’d want someone to do if I’m catching up to them.
If they ride the rear bumper, especially when I can’t go any faster because someone is in front of me, I let off the gas until I start to drop back from the vehicle(s) to my right until I have a space to pull over, then give the ‘Please, After you’ hand gesture as they are loosing their mind passing me. Where it gets really comical is if they get off my bumper to try and pass on the right I just speed back up to what speed I was doing and continue to pass whoever I was passing. Eventually they figure it out. It’s an a**h*** thing to do but I even accelerate to get by anyone I’m passing to get clear faster so there’s absolutely no reason for the tailgating behavior.

 

[whatluck]

i always let people pass because then they're first into the speed trap.

 

[MisterHappy]

AS someone who was putting in 30-40K a year on the roads I haven't noticed a bit of difference. The only big thing I've noticed in the past 5 years or so is the number of "night time blow out shitboxes" is exponentially higher- the number of people driving around with their lights off or all of the lights on the back of their car blown out or otherwise not working. That's been seen so frequently it's almost like some kind of a meme. It replaced the meme from the 90s of old shitty american cars driving around that had a rope or a bungee cord holding a bumper in place, etc.

MsHappy was in her first week of Prius ownership, and got pulled over on the Pike. "Is this a new car, Ma'am?" asked John Law. She said that it was.

Cop reached in, and turned the light switch to whatever setting made the back lights come on, too. Another cop pulled up and asked his co-worker if all was well. "Yeah, another new Prius...."

I guess that the daytime running lights look like normal headlights from inside, but the rear lights are not on. Cars are overly complex, these days.

 

[AHM]

Cars are overly complex, these days.

I remember a PopSci review of a Mazda Wankel car in the early 70's
that talked about 5 (7?) functions on the turn signal stalk.

We've never bought cars that fancy,
but I may have driven a rental or two that reaches that level.

 

[MisterHappy]

I've had the privilege to have driven a lot of vehicles of different tech levels. I'm not against tech, but there reaches a saturation point where you're so overwhelmed by the bells and whistles that you forget that you're driving.

One of MsHappy's friends was unable to pick up his new Prius, as, according to the dealership guy, "One of the 23 computers is not talking to the others."

Like I said, I've driven a lot of cars, and AC is now a MUST so not all tech is bad.

 

[dcmdon]

I have a couple of friends who are cops.

About a year ago they both pretty much stopped writing traffic citations because of Covid. It was policy unless it was reckless or suspected DUI.

Then the whole BLM stuff and all the cop haters essentially turned the True Blue MA town governments against their own cops.

Then Smokin Joe was elected which continued things.

Then the State passed a new law that requires every complaint to stay in your file forever. Even if its found to be baseless.

Bottom line. Unless you murder someone, most local cops don't want to take a chance on pulling you over. Its less so now than it was a few months ago. But its frankly just not worth it for them. I have certainly seen MSP pulling people over. But the perspective in town also helps to set expectations for drivers overall.

 

[dcmdon]

No matter the speed I am going I always get out of the PASSING lane if someone wants to go faster

I'm sure you are a good person and all. But when it comes to driving, even people like you are part of the problem.

You don't' move out of the passing lane when someone wants to go faster.

you pull out of the passing lane once you have completed the pass. If you come up on another car, pull out, pass, and then go back into the right hand lane. Even if nobody is behind you.