Westbound on I-4, just east of Tampa on Saturday night, I saw the remains of a crash. A white NA took a hard hit to the nose.
Pour one out.
Westbound on I-4, just east of Tampa on Saturday night, I saw the remains of a crash. A white NA took a hard hit to the nose.
Pour one out.
That same miata popped up in the central Florida miata group. No word on if it was a member there.
Sniff. Fare thee well, Old Paint.
That's a bad stretch of road (Interstate 4), from Tampa to Daytona Beach. The whole thing sucks, parts of it are just worse than others.
The last time I drove the section where you saw the wreck, I passed a super clean 90s Five series BMW with a smashed front end. May have been an M5, sure looked like one to me. Definitely totaled. 
I4 is the only place where I've seen someone reversing because she missed her exit. In the left lane. With the next exit only a mile away.
Floating Doc said:
I4 is the only place where I've seen someone reversing because she missed her exit. In the left lane. With the next exit only a mile away.
Orlando in a nutshell
grover said:Floating Doc said:
I4 is the only place where I've seen someone reversing because she missed her exit. In the left lane. With the next exit only a mile away.
Orlando in a nutshell
Why I avoid going there now. For those familiar with that area, imagine this:
When I moved to Altamonte Springs, there were no traffic lights in the city.
Also, we drove I4 from Altamonte Springs to the terminus in Tampa without seeing more than five other cars. It had been opened that week.
I'll stop now, before I threadjack this further into an old guy rant about my home state.
When going across the state, I'm now taking 429. Yes it's a toll road, but it's clear and fast.
When I lived there it wasn’t a bad road but it was overly full of bad drivers and bad driving. I’m in awe how that things comes to a complete stop randomly for no reason.
Based on many trips to Germany, one ought to be able to drive I-4 fast a safely. Thanks to bad drivers and bad driving, you can’t.
One down, 999,999 to go.
Im on i4 daily like many. Its an adventure. Its not like its a real technical road either, yet so many people here cant get down a 3 lane straight road without some sort of drama.
i travel all over the US for work and i cant say ive seen worse drivers than central Fl. I see people driving small stuff like miatae and motorcycles on i4. To heck with that.
A friend of mine would take the rural roads near zepherhills to avoid taking i4 everytime he'd had to go to kissimmee, after having to drive to orlando a few fimes more than I expected this past year I can see why.
Where else can you be going 80-85 mph and be passed by a sea of cars? It's worse when you have a short geared transmission and that makes cruising past 80 dreadful.
I used to take I-4W to I-275S into south Tampa everyday for work. I got smart and started using the Crosstown Expressway. Yeah its a toll road and it costs me about $60 a month but the risk of a fiery death was cut by at least 60%.
What I cannot understand is when there is a wreck on one of the bridges between St. Pete and Tampa. Its literally 6 miles of straight, flat road and somehow people still manage to crash.
It must be terrifying to drive something as small as a Miata here. Its bad enough in my Kia.
I4 traffic is so bad where I am Google maps doesn't even have a color for it.
Central Florida bad drivers are just different. They get pissed that you arent doing 100mph and are in their way, but they are gonna get pissed too if you need by or dare try to pass. Not sure whats up with the crap attitude of drivers here but its special. From starting to drive well into my 20’s i LOVED driving. I typically hate driving in central fl now(im 37). The traffic and the angry folks are too much. Everyone is on their cel phones, oblivious to the world around them, everyone parks it in the fast lane no matter how slow they are going. Just ridiculous.
stanger_missle said:I used to take I-4W to I-275S into south Tampa everyday for work. I got smart and started using the Crosstown Expressway. Yeah its a toll road and it costs me about $60 a month but the risk of a fiery death was cut by at least 60%.
What I cannot understand is when there is a wreck on one of the bridges between St. Pete and Tampa. Its literally 6 miles of straight, flat road and somehow people still manage to crash.
It must be terrifying to drive something as small as a Miata here. Its bad enough in my Kia.
It doesn't help coming into Tampa from St pete on the Howard Franklin goes from 4 lanes to two lanes where it splits in half, that seems to cause a huge mess during rush hour. Then you have people switching lanes at that section and before that causing all sorts of issues. I currently have a good commute of just Dale Mabry to around Waters, but I've done the tampa to st pete rush hour commute before and it's horrible and so stressful.
TJL said:Central Florida bad drivers are just different. They get pissed that you arent doing 100mph and are in their way, but they are gonna get pissed too if you need by or dare try to pass. Not sure whats up with the crap attitude of drivers here but its special. From starting to drive well into my 20’s i LOVED driving. I typically hate driving in central fl now(im 37). The traffic and the angry folks are too much. Everyone is on their cel phones, oblivious to the world around them, everyone parks it in the fast lane no matter how slow they are going. Just ridiculous.
Add to the fact people just don't use their turn signals here. Hell I got grief from fellow car enthusiasts for using my turn signal in a parking lot which was a sign ugh.
Mndsm said:I4 traffic is so bad where I am Google maps doesn't even have a color for it.
worse than THE 405?
Where you see the death of a Miata, I see the birth of an exocet.
The circle of life!
captdownshift said:Where you see the death of a Miata, I see the birth of an exocet.
The circle of life!
Ha.
"Circle of life."
That's exactly what my wife said when I told her about the horrible screeching that I heard from our backyard late the other night.
Tis a pity to kill a Miata but it is only metal that can be fixed. I hope that there were not any life altering wounds.
I need to resurrect my miata. Anybody intersted in trading a couple of days of welding for an engine?
While all heads are bowed, I witnessed a MAZDA (a day late) revival(1&2 DPI) that was extremely enlightening.....Weathertech @ at Canadian tire (Mosport) in the last hour....one expires as the 'beat goes on'....
David S. Wallens said:captdownshift said:Where you see the death of a Miata, I see the birth of an exocet.
The circle of life!
Ha.
"Circle of life."
That's exactly what my wife said when I told her about the horrible screeching that I heard from our backyard late the other night.
Florida man is a weird dude.
This whole discussion is making me look at alternative routes between home in DeLand and the Orange County Convention Center. Two events there in the next two months.
I've got to drive my practically irreplaceable and underinsured 99 Miata sport, or rent a you haul car hauler and tow it.
mr2s2000elise said:Mndsm said:I4 traffic is so bad where I am Google maps doesn't even have a color for it.
worse than THE 405?
It's a close race, but having driven both, I'd rather try the 405 again. Gotta remember, Florida has the most dangerous road in the country in us1. Those drivers gotta come from somewhere.
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