Question for drivers

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-09-17 05:52pm

I expect to obtain a concealed carry permit and handgun in the future, I'll hopefully have a car by the time I'm twenty one. Once that happens I will be keeping somthing in my car and or person.

salm · Post by **salm** » 2003-09-17 08:48pm

central locking

The Cleric · Post by **The Cleric** » 2003-09-17 10:31pm

An Abrams in the trunk. But that's only for emergencys.

Shaka[Zulu] · Post by **Shaka[Zulu]** » 2003-09-17 11:07pm

well, being a photographer, I tend to keep a number of things in my car that can be used as weapons... monopods, tripods, lightstands etc. the monopod especially makes a quite handy nitestick or bo-staff, as it can be extended from 2 feet long to nearly 6. Oh, and watch out if it has any sort of ballhead on it, as that adds a good 2 pounds to the end, none of it smooth. I also have the brake club.

Down here in florida, every day tends to be war on the roads, and as such I also tend to drive aggressively -- speed is life -- knowing just what my vehicle's limits are. I also take no small comfort in the fact that my SUV (a 2-door GMC Jimmy) is the physical equal to most modern SUVs with 4 doors, given that it's in the same weight class, but denser. any lesser vehicle isnt likely to get away from contact with me lightly (while I am not likely to get more than a scratch or quarter-sized dent). My SUV's only real weakness... a relatively narrow track, thus a limited skidpad rating. I find though that in dry conditions I can still take turns as much as 15mph over the rated limit, more if I take it the way a race car would.

speaking of idiot drivers... does anybody know why it is that so many people seem to think that when you turn on you turn signals in prep to change lanes, they take it as an opportunity to go around you thru the lane you want to change to???? I see that behavior so often down here, yet still cant get used to it. that and utter failure to use the signals period.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2003-09-17 11:42pm

oh, let's not forget that "Elegant Weapon from a more civilized era" that used to stay in the back of my car when I was in college. I can't believe I got searched and they (the police) confescated all of my swords. I even showed them my fencing class stuff WTF?

The Cleric · Post by **The Cleric** » 2003-09-18 12:30am

Isn't that illegal? You did get your stuff back, right?

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2003-09-18 01:53am

Yes, but I still missed two weeks of gym class because I couldn't bring my swords, plus they were in the back of the carwhere it was safe/legal for them to bee.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-09-18 03:00am

Keep a weapon in my car for road rage purposes? WTF?

You people must live in very interesting areas. Its something that I'd never even considered.

That said, all I've got is a large screwdriver and my jack, both in the trunk.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-09-18 03:07am

If you worry about having to fight a street battle and equip yourself for that purpose every time you get in your car, you're definitely living in Michael Moore's "culture of fear".

Connor MacLeod · Post by **Connor MacLeod** » 2003-09-18 03:11am

Darth Wong wrote:If you worry about having to fight a street battle and equip yourself for that purpose every time you get in your car, you're definitely living in Michael Moore's "culture of fear".

Welcome to America

RedImperator · Post by **RedImperator** » 2003-09-18 03:48am

I've got a lead foot and a five speed transmission, and the odds are I know the roads around here as well or better than any asshole who cares to fuck with me, including the location of all the likely speed traps (the one time I thought someone was following me, I got onto the highway about half a mile from a place where I knew the state police always had a patrol--if he was still tailing me, I would have blown through it at 90 mph, the one surefire way to get a cop's attention. he ended up not getting on the ramp behind me).

Best thing to do is know where to go where you'll be safe, not depend on your martial skills to get you out of a jam. Know where you are and how to get onto a better traveled and better lit road. And for God's sake, if you're being followed, don't go straight home.

BoredShirtless · Post by **BoredShirtless** » 2003-09-18 05:25am

RedImperator wrote:And for God's sake, if you're being followed, don't go straight home.

I really feel sorry for you. Move to Australia, we don't have that kind of shit.

The Cleric · Post by **The Cleric** » 2003-09-18 07:11am

yeah, but you have ot live in australia

.

The Third Man · Post by **The Third Man** » 2003-09-18 07:42am

BoredShirtless wrote: Move to Australia, we don't have that kind of shit

You don't fool me! I saw this documentary one time and it plainly shows that sawn-offs, crossbows and two booby-trapped 40-gallon oil drums stuffed in the rear hatch are standard equipment on the Australian road.

salm · Post by **salm** » 2003-09-18 08:05am

this is one of the saddest threads i´ve ever read.

when you read this thread it seems like there´s a war on american streets and some people even call it a war.
everytime i´ve been to the usa i usually drove around a lot. i usually was around la. and it didn´t seem like the american drivers were more agressive than drivers elsewhere. i mean i couln´t tell any difference from german, french, dutch or english drivers. they´re as inocent as a lamb compared to bulgarian drivers for example.
the most disturbing post was perhaps Shaka[Zulu]´s who actually thinks in terms of attacking and defending qualities when talking about his car.

americans are weird.

BoredShirtless · Post by **BoredShirtless** » 2003-09-18 08:22am

The Third Man wrote:
BoredShirtless wrote: Move to Australia, we don't have that kind of shit
You don't fool me! I saw this documentary one time and it plainly shows that sawn-offs, crossbows and two booby-trapped 40-gallon oil drums stuffed in the rear hatch are standard equipment on the Australian road.

Yeah I forgot about that doco. If you see this guy in your rear view mirror:

Panick.

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2003-09-18 10:31am

Darth Wong wrote:If you worry about having to fight a street battle and equip yourself for that purpose every time you get in your car, you're definitely living in Michael Moore's "culture of fear".

Paranoia is just smart thinking when people are out to get you. I don't worry about it and I haven't been in any road rage incidents yet, but I believe in being prepared. Murphy's Law is a bitch and I don't particularly feel like tempting it.

Chardok · Post by **Chardok** » 2003-09-18 10:54am

Whoa whoa whoa, now. I keep my breakerbar for repairs on my craptastic subaru, not for eliminating competition, I'm just saying it would make an effective weapon! I don't live in fear, nor am I paranoid! Why would you think that anyway? What? Did you hear it from someone? Who?! /sarcasm off

but seriously, I don't think the majority of americans live in fear, per se. Take, forinstance a few posts up (Sorry name evades me...course I COULD just look below, but where's the fun in that) the concealed permit soon-to-have guy.
I don't think he's getting the gun out of fear, but as a show of....hmm...( i can't figure out the word) DEFIANCE against those who would try to harm him or someone he cares about.
I guess...americans are wierd...we don't like poeple taking our stuff. Or even touching it without permission. and we sure don't like being carjacked, roadraged, murdered, assaulted, raped, burglarized, etc. etc. etc. crimes which are all too common in this country. so, we have guns. lots of them. Some automatic, some not. Probably more for deterrence than anything else.

Okay, we live in fear.
Unless we have a big gun.
Then bad guys live in fear.

^haiku!!!

:):):):)

Shaka[Zulu] · Post by **Shaka[Zulu]** » 2003-09-18 11:57am

salm wrote:when you read this thread it seems like there´s a war on american streets and some people even call it a war.
everytime i´ve been to the usa i usually drove around a lot. i usually was around la. and it didn´t seem like the american drivers were more agressive than drivers elsewhere. i mean i couln´t tell any difference from german, french, dutch or english drivers. they´re as inocent as a lamb compared to bulgarian drivers for example.
the most disturbing post was perhaps Shaka[Zulu]´s who actually thinks in terms of attacking and defending qualities when talking about his car.

americans are weird.

well, yes. we are weird. but I think you missed my point. when I described the strategic & tactical qualities of my car, it was more to the line of thinking of how best to protect against the stupidity of other drivers, and not road rage -- I have been in a couple of instances of road anger... but nobodys tried to take a tire iron to me (road rage isnt as commonplace as the media made it seem).

Lets face it, driver education in the US, and pretty much the world consists of 'throw a kid the law says is old enough behind the wheel, give 'em a couple 30 minute tests (if that) and send them on their merry way'. Like I said, many drivers down here dont even use their turn signals, and in fact will try to pass you on the side you are blinking to if you use yours -- never mind that you are trying to get out of their way!!! add to this the elder drivers who really shouldve been declared medically unfit to drive (and would have had they been pilots), all the people who refuse to use headsets on their phones (thus blocking half their vision and tying up a hand (I dont think that phones in cars is any more dangerous than having a conversation with a passenger if you have a headset) etc etc.

is it any wonder that I think of it as a martial art?

Slartibartfast · Post by **Slartibartfast** » 2003-09-18 12:07pm

Here everyone drives aggressively and there doesn't seem to be many instances of road rage. At most some "collective" van (like a bus, but it's just a van. they're the bane of the city

) will do an extremely stupid and dangerous maneouver, closing another driver, who will get out, start yelling into the van driver's window, and maybe shatter it with a punch, while the van driver cowers in fear.

But I love pissing off bad drivers. Like when I'm driving at a proper speed in a two-way lane and somebody tries to get ahead of me (by cutting in the opposite lane) and I see that there are cars coming, I try to match speeds with the other car, even if he slows down

Shaka[Zulu] · Post by **Shaka[Zulu]** » 2003-09-18 10:02pm

Slartibartfast wrote:Here everyone drives aggressively and there doesn't seem to be many instances of road rage. At most some "collective" van (like a bus, but it's just a van. they're the bane of the city ) will do an extremely stupid and dangerous maneouver, closing another driver, who will get out, start yelling into the van driver's window, and maybe shatter it with a punch, while the van driver cowers in fear.

I think the above window-shattering qualifies as rage.....

But I love pissing off bad drivers. Like when I'm driving at a proper speed in a two-way lane and somebody tries to get ahead of me (by cutting in the opposite lane) and I see that there are cars coming, I try to match speeds with the other car, even if he slows down

what you were doing is actually not merely aggressive, but quite dangerous... for both you and the guy youre pissing off. and if the road is marked such that passing is allowed -- here in FL that would mean dashed yellow lines (double solid yellow means no passing allowed from either side, single solid + dashed solid means the side where the dash is on is allowed etc) -- then he is perfectly within his rights to pass you, so long as he doesnt keep his speeding up beyond the pass (I think iirc that passers are allowed to go as much as +15mph over the limit for passing purposes only except in school zones).

beleive it or not, an officer (who happens to be the husband of one of my longest friends) actually tells me that it's legal to make a u-turn against a red light down here... you just arent allowed to cut thru the crossing traffic (duh). I still dont do it tho, except at one particular intersection where the median stops well before the crosswalk (thus eliminating any danger from cross traffic). that particular road rule might depend on the municipality tho.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-09-18 10:06pm

Slartibartfast wrote:But I love pissing off bad drivers. Like when I'm driving at a proper speed in a two-way lane and somebody tries to get ahead of me (by cutting in the opposite lane) and I see that there are cars coming, I try to match speeds with the other car, even if he slows down

That's reckless endangerment, asshole. It's not up to you to singlehandedly enforce the speed limits by vigilante behaviour, or to "scare" people into obeying said limits by deliberately putting them at risk.

Hyperion · Post by **Hyperion** » 2003-09-18 11:19pm

Darth Wong wrote:
Slartibartfast wrote:But I love pissing off bad drivers. Like when I'm driving at a proper speed in a two-way lane and somebody tries to get ahead of me (by cutting in the opposite lane) and I see that there are cars coming, I try to match speeds with the other car, even if he slows down
That's reckless endangerment, asshole. It's not up to you to singlehandedly enforce the speed limits by vigilante behaviour, or to "scare" people into obeying said limits by deliberately putting them at risk.

Aww, but it is so fun. I pull that one multiple times every day going to and from school, not against anyone other than the typical teenybopper drivers.

Even more fun is the pass-on-right maneuver and then hit about 90 while missing the ass-end of the car in the right lane by about 2 inches and he's doing about 50 in a 60, they go all over the road, and the schmuck in the left lane who was doing 62 slams on his brakes despite you clearing him by about 300-400 feet. I love Washington drivers... If the speed limit is 60, you sure as fuck don't do ANYTHING LESS THAN 60 in the right, and no less than 65 in the left...

Btw, as for weaponry in my car: my car itself and my driving skill. I drive like a maniac, usually 10-25 over limit (read: 70-85+) and always make sure I'm clear of the packs of cars, and if anyone tails, I know all the cop-traps and shortcuts, as well as places to pull cheap maneuvers like shoulder driving up the offramps and on the freeway. I also know exactly what my car can do, and what I can handle.

And yes, here in Washington it is a roadwar, we just don't (yet) shoot at each other, however trying to get people to wreck seems to be a pasttime.

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2003-09-18 11:34pm

I keep my MP5 in a holster under the steering wheel, a pair of Colt 1911A1 .45s in the glove box, and an M-4 in a rack over my head.

(Actually, no, but I can dream...)

In reality, I never have much other than a pocket knife on me.

But, once I turn 21, I'll get my concealed carry license.

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2003-09-18 11:36pm

Darth Wong wrote:If you worry about having to fight a street battle and equip yourself for that purpose every time you get in your car, you're definitely living in Michael Moore's "culture of fear".

So keeping a means of self defense on your person is a 'culture of fear'? I call it being prudent...