Poster Child for Dumbass American Drivers

[The Yosemite Bear]

note: I recall G.G. Liddy mentioning that a simular situation to the Georgian diplomat, happened during the Nixon years, involving a POTUS and his Chinese counterpart....

(no one died that time though)

[Captain Kruger]

It's not only the piss poor standards for passing an American driving test in the first place, it's the fact that he'd already used his vehicle to kill people and had a lifelong history of psychotic behavior behind the wheel. In how many other countries would this waste of human flesh still have been driving legally when he murdered these kids?

Well, its not like he was a Georgian diplomat driving 75mph in a 25mph zone in DC crashing into 3 cars at a stoplight and killing a 16yr old teenager after drinking 6 drinks. The same diplomat who had previously been pulled over for driving over 90mph and again for driving the wrong way and claiming diplomatic immunity in each instance to avoid prosecution.

Nah, only Americans do that.

Is there a short circuit somewhere between your eyes and your brain? My post should have made it crystal clear that I'm saying the American system for allowing drivers on the road after they've already shown a reckless and/or murderous history is what's broken, not that being born on American soil means you're more likely to be a dumbfuck behind the wheel. Read before you type.

Funny how you cite your own example to argue against my non-existent anti-American point but end up making my real point for me. That Georgian asshair was allowed to continue his piss poor driving because of our forgive-everything system and it cost a teenager her life.

[Kanastrous]

Not exactly; the Georgian diplomat was allowed to continue driving and evade charges because he held diplomatic immunity.

An American citizen would probably have been dealt with a little bit more severely.

[Captain Kruger]

Not exactly; the Georgian diplomat was allowed to continue driving and evade charges because he held diplomatic immunity.

An American citizen would probably have been dealt with a little bit more severely.

Unlike Jason Skaggs, Makharadze apparently never killed anyone with his car prior to taking out that teenager. His offenses weren't as bad up until that point.

[Ryan Thunder]

In fairness, we have lots of people over here who don't speak English as a first language, and it may have something to do with that.

Wouldn't there be other problems associated with something like that?

[Broomstick]

In fairness, we have lots of people over here who don't speak English as a first language, and it may have something to do with that.

Wouldn't there be other problems associated with something like that?

Potentially, but driving in the US has historically allowed for both the illiterate and the non-English speaking - that's why many traffic signs, such as "stop" and "yield" have set shapes and colors.

But, you know, I can conceive of a situation where someone with poor English or reading skills could, nonetheless, be a cautious driver who avoids trouble. I can't imagine that someone, regardless of language skills, can be a safe driver if prone to drunkenness or speeding.

[Andras]

Is there a short circuit somewhere between your eyes and your brain? My post should have made it crystal clear that I'm saying the American system for allowing drivers on the road after they've already shown a reckless and/or murderous history is what's broken...

The only way to have kept him off the road is keeping him in jail for the rest of his life, because nothing stops him from driving without a license.

Oh yeah, please note that there is no "American" system, since each state handles licensed drivers separately.

[Captain Kruger]

Oh yeah, please note that there is no "American" system, since each state handles licensed drivers separately.

I'm well aware of individual licensing, but the standards are pathetically low everywhere I've been.

[Darth Wong]

Americans are certainly not alone in being lousy drivers. In fact, there is reason to believe there are other countries which have much worse drivers.

However, that's a bit like saying there are countries which torture prisoners worse than Americans do. It doesn't mean Americans should stop criticizing the problems and injustices of their system.

[Genii Lodus]

The only way to have kept him off the road is keeping him in jail for the rest of his life, because nothing stops him from driving without a license.

Yes but then the local police could arrest him every time they saw him driving without having to wait for him to commit another offence which could endanger others. If driving without a licence was punishable with a prison term say equal to that of serious reckless endangerment then I'm sure this shitbag would eventually learn. My personal view on people who kill others while driving is that it's equivalent to manslaughter and should come with the same penalties and a lifetime driving ban.

[Darth Wong]

Nobody will ever let the police throw people in jail for years for driving without a license. The attitude of driving as an entitlement is too well-entrenched.

[Kanastrous]

On-the-spot permanent confiscation of the vehicle being driven sounds good.

That ought to make everybody reluctant to lend their vehicles to a repeat offender, too.

[Genii Lodus]

At least in the UK you can be sent to prison for driving while disqualified. We have a similar problem with people killing others while driving and being given pathetic sentences though.

Kanastrous I'm sure you'd be surprised at how many people's friends who were disqualified had in fact stolen the car from their friend without their permission if your idea was implemented.

[Aratech]

The only way to have kept him off the road is keeping him in jail for the rest of his life, because nothing stops him from driving without a license.

Yes but then the local police could arrest him every time they saw him driving without having to wait for him to commit another offence which could endanger others. If driving without a licence was punishable with a prison term say equal to that of serious reckless endangerment then I'm sure this shitbag would eventually learn. My personal view on people who kill others while driving is that it's equivalent to manslaughter and should come with the same penalties and a lifetime driving ban.

Typically speaking, most of the stuff I hear/read about, it is considered manslaughter and typically punished accordingly.

Now, the license ban is something that needs to be worked on and higher standards for getting and maintaining a license held, especially for younger and senior citizen drivers. Unfortunately in my experience, any attempt at cracking down on the latter is pretty much political suicide, given that they do have a tendency to bloc vote, and anyone trying to take away their right to drive, even if they can barely see their own hand in front of their face, will become public enemy number one.

[Kanastrous]

Kanastrous I'm sure you'd be surprised at how many people's friends who were disqualified had in fact stolen the car from their friend without their permission if your idea was implemented.

Then the friend from whom the car was stolen can swear out a stolen-vehicle complaint against the driver and testify against him in court, if they want their car back, and the driver can go to jail for auto theft: now he's off the road, problem solved (for as long as his ass sits in prison, anyway).

If the friendship is so deep that the person from whom the car was stolen would prefer to just eat the loss of a car, well, that's their business.

[Darth Wong]

What the fuck kind of imbecile lets his friend have access to his car?

I know there are people who give spare sets of keys to their friends. The correct term for such people is "idiots".