dwc@hou2b.UUCP (D.CHEN) (05/18/85)
clare's first response to my posting about a close call: > is it just my observation, or do people in New York are more impolite > and insult people my their remarks, driving and gestures than other > drivers? I'm a laid back Californian and I just don't get that mad > driving around... > just forget about it and be glad you didn't get into an accident. > No sense raising your own blood pressure over an insignificant > incident like that. Whenever I'm driving in New York or Philadelphia > people are always impolite, cutting in front of me, cutting me off, > cursing, shaking their fists and being fools... clare's second response after a bit of jibing about why people may be honking at her: > for your information I have been driving since 1977 on Los Angeles > freeways, made three x-country trips and driven from the South Bronx > to Manhattan. I have never been ticketed for a moving violation except > for one speeding ticket in Missouri (and who doesn't get speeding > tickets nowadays anyway). My driving is more than okay. The reason > those people are impolite is because I am stopping for pedestrians > at a crosswalk like I'm supposed to do, coming to a complete stop > at stop signs, slowing down to let people cut into my lane when > there is a merging situation. I use my turn signals because the > California driver's handbook suggests it and I don't drive with my > fingers crossed (it's just a proverbial expression). I can't help > it if the people behind me think it's all right to run over a cross- > walk with pedestrians in it because I'm the one who's going to be > ticketed if I don't stop. As to whether you should report tothe > police or not on your almost-accident I understand that you were > upset and you can do what you want. It's just my opinion that the > police can't be bothered for almost-accidents when they've got so > many other things to do. Besides I've seen a police car(in NY) > run across crosswalk while people are trying to cross. if you've been driving on l.a. freeways since 1977, don't you think its time to get off? (:-} (sorry about that, i couldn't resist). from the TONE of your reply, i submit that you are not the laidback californian that you claim that you are. its very easy to tell someone that they are over-reacting, but when someone "invades your territory" your blood pressure also rises and you feel the need to voice out and justify yourself and your actions. you may not do so while you are driving, but you are definitely doing just that here on the net. if you want to compare driving records (which i think is really immaterial. i made most of my comments in jest...note the smiley faces), i drive in new york city everyday. i drive between n.y. and n.j., manhattan and the bronx, manhattan and long island, i even go up to boston to keep my reflexes sharp. :-} i have put 97,000 miles on my car in four years. and i merge in a very civilized manner, i give way to pedestrians IN the crosswalk (i have driven quite a bit in california because i went to school in berkeley. i notice that california drivers generally stop for pedestrians if they are within half a block of ANY crosswalk (how do you feel about that generalization?). but thats okay with me because i'm a laid back new yorker.) i make full stops at stop signs, and i use my directionals also (that was a quote from some forgotten comedian). i also have not gotten a ticket for a moving violation (not even for speeding) and i have never been in an accident. not even a fenderbender. while alot of this is attributable to luck, it is also because i am a careful and CONSIDERATE driver. what this often means is that you drive according to the customs of the people around you...not according to the customs of some faraway place and you drive according to the situation at hand, not some fixed and immutable set of rules. and i very rarely get honked at (and i very rarely honk). at least if i do, i'm so laid back that i forget about it and don't hold a grudge against an entire city. in any case, it SOUNDS like our driving PHILOSOPHIES are quite similar (although i doubt that our driving styles are similar). so why are we taking pot shots at each other? it is because you felt the need to make a general comment about n.y. and philadelphia drivers that simply is not true (at least in the general case). and the comment was made at my expense after i had a near accident. a hint for the future: the worst thing to tell someone after a catastrophe or near catastrophe is not to get worked up over an INSIGNIFICANT event. danny chen ihnp4!hou2b!dwc p.s. since we are now even in "jabs" made in public, if you still feel a need reply to my comments, just send me mail and not subject everyone this (my consideration comes through again).