driving at night with the highbeams on

Twin_Cam wrote: Just another case of people paying no attention to what they are doing or what their vehicle is doing while driving. Driving has become a chore, something that is loathed and given no respect. Cars are appliances. It's so sad Oh, and you're in Jersey. A place where the best drivers are TERRIBLE drivers in any other state.

I hate to disagree with you... but you should try driving our highways.. we do pretty good for highspeeds at bumper to bumper. We only have trouble when an out of stater tries to join in and get in over their head

skruffy wrote: I hate all the people around here that drive around with their highbeams on during the day. Seems to be mostly old people in buicks and camrys.

+1

What bothers me more is the growing trend of people using their right blinker to tell you to move over.

This happened to me a few times in New Jersey last week, and once in CT so far.

I do not ride the left lane like a travel lane. If I'm over there, nobody is waiting for me to move...unless they're doing 90+

Actual Scenario:

I was in the left going 80-85mph with the traffic on 95. An old Acura with black windows came up on me like I was standing still. Being one to use my mirrors, I spotted him about a quarter mile back and immediately began looking for an oppotunity to move to the right. Before I had the chance, the guy in the Acura was about 10" off my bumper. Once on my bumper, he turned his right blinker on to signal me to move over.

Anyone else notice this?

72SuperBrian wrote: Anyone else notice this?

Yes. I'm like, "What? Are you actually going to use the shoulder to pass? Really? And sometimes they do.

Twin_Cam wrote: . Cars are appliances. It's so sad

I have read and agreed with this statement many times, but today, I wondered; are there appliance enthusiasts?

I mean, is there a message board where people brag about cramming two loads into a washer? Do people add extra fans to the condenser fins on their fridge to cool beer faster? Do people talk about over-riding the governor on their stove so they can "open her up and see how hot she will get"?

EastCoastMojo wrote:

72SuperBrian wrote: Anyone else notice this?

Yes. I'm like, "What? Are you actually going to use the shoulder to pass? Really? And sometimes they do.

if it was the left blinker.. that would be correct for european driving to get you to move over.

if it was the left blinker.. that would be correct for european driving to get you to move over.

I am well aware of this. That's why the right blinker irritates me so much

More than you want to know about AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTING.

I hatecit when motorcycles leave the highbeams on at night. You don't want me coming at you blind. Plus, those oscilating ones almost have a hypnotic effect on me, kinda makes me stare, draws me in. Not a good scenario either.

Joey

EastCoastMojo wrote: 100 feet? Yeah I bet they are flashing you.

yea when we're 100+ ft apart and I'm not in a rt hand turn I figure the only reason they're flashing me is an automatic reaction... the lights aren't in their eyes... I know this how ? when they turn their highs on and leave them on they don't bother me, so how can my brights be bothering them...?

joey48442 wrote: I hatecit when motorcycles leave the highbeams on at night. You don't want me coming at you blind. Plus, those oscilating ones almost have a hypnotic effect on me, kinda makes me stare, draws me in. Not a good scenario either. Joey

Try driving with an oscillating light at night. They should be able to turn it off at night due to the legality of the flashing light at night.

Talk of high and low beams got me thinking. I live near Lancaster, but I have to teach class up near Hershey. I take the back roads up there as it's more fun and shorter in distance. THe other way has too many traffic lights. This back road is poorly lit (as are most roads in this area - no street lights and lots of trees cover this road). At night I wish I had brighter head lights (not high beams). One time I was coming home, was going down a hill and saw a sparkle up ahead. If I was some other Joe driving I probably would have hit the deer, but I figured it was a deer and swerved around it. Now granted I'm driving an early 90s Civic with headlight output rating of 2 candles. I thought about installing 2 Hella lights on a bracket my friend made for those roads. Of course turning them off when I see oncoming cars.

mad_machine wrote: I hate to disagree with you... but you should try driving our highways.. we do pretty good for highspeeds at bumper to bumper. We only have trouble when an out of stater tries to join in and get in over their head

Hah, maybe, maybe not. I had a friend from New Jersey who rated every place she went by how many left turns she had to make to get there.

"Well, I'd really like to go to TGI Fridays, but that takes 3 left turns, so lets just go to Applebees instead, because that's only 2 left turns..."

mad_machine wrote: I hate to disagree with you... but you should try driving our highways.. we do pretty good for highspeeds at bumper to bumper. We only have trouble when an out of stater tries to join in and get in over their head

I will agree 100% with this one... 5 days out of the week you can do 95 mph in bumper-to-bumper traffic until you come upon the unwary traveller who stumbled on our never-ending rush hour. You usually find them holding up about 4 miles of traffic on I80 white-knuckling along... or gathering up their luggage along the median from a flipped over SUV.

It takes me a few days to re-adjust my closing speeds when I land at other peoples airports :)

Opus wrote: Try driving with an oscillating light at night. They should be able to turn it off at night due to the legality of the flashing light at night.

Legally, they have to have a photosensor that stops the oscillation after dark. Every kit that I have found comes with one.

Salanis wrote: I almost never turn my brights on. Around town here, I'm more likely to go a couple of miles and realize I don't even have my lights on. When I get out of town, I'm almost surprised to discover that I can make my lights brighter.

+1

Duke wrote:

mad_machine wrote: I hate to disagree with you... but you should try driving our highways.. we do pretty good for highspeeds at bumper to bumper. We only have trouble when an out of stater tries to join in and get in over their head

Hah, maybe, maybe not. I had a friend from New Jersey who rated every place she went by how many left turns she had to make to get there. "Well, I'd really like to go to TGI Fridays, but that takes 3 left turns, so lets just go to Applebees instead, because that's only 2 left turns..."

Remind her that 3 rights make a left ;)

daytonaer wrote:

Twin_Cam wrote: . Cars are appliances. It's so sad

I have read and agreed with this statement many times, but today, I wondered; are there appliance enthusiasts? I mean, is there a message board where people brag about cramming two loads into a washer? Do people add extra fans to the condenser fins on their fridge to cool beer faster? Do people talk about over-riding the governor on their stove so they can "open her up and see how hot she will get"?

Hey you never know, the Internet has everything!

Seriously...the people on this board and other car enthusiasts clearly don't think that cars are appliances. I meant it seems that the general public does. Car enthusiasts, I predict, would be more aware of their car's status and whatnot while on the road than John Q. Public would.

daytonaer wrote:

Twin_Cam wrote: . Cars are appliances. It's so sad

I have read and agreed with this statement many times, but today, I wondered; are there appliance enthusiasts? I mean, is there a message board where people brag about cramming two loads into a washer? Do people add extra fans to the condenser fins on their fridge to cool beer faster? Do people talk about over-riding the governor on their stove so they can "open her up and see how hot she will get"?

I could see some GRMers posting about the last two.

Ive tuned a fridge to lower the temp before...

I wear my sunglasses at night....