legacycentral bbs

Not necessarily instinct, but close.

You know how sometimes you simply can't perform on the spot? Aside the sexual innuendo that Kelley or maybe Tristian will take advantage of, I'm speaking of driving. There's days where I simply CAN'T nail a heel toe, or my shifts are sloppy, or I overshoot the brakes and lock em up.

But under stress, for whatever reason, it seems that this disappears. I noticed it a little yesterday when someone pulled through an intersection at a red light, forcing me to get hot on the brakes. No sliding, perfect threshold, perfect heel-toe to second. Flawless.

I thought it a fluke.

But this morning, at around 10am, I was driving. And some Hyundai Santa Fe made a right-turn on red.

I was at the white line at the entrance to the intersection when he pulled out. I thought he was going to quickly get into the right lane, where I would have undoubtedly clobbered him (nothing short of a motorcycle would have had the ability to clear itself fast enough for me not to smash it). So I checked my mirror, swerved into the left lane, and as I did that, the guy drove STRAIGHT into the left lane. No turn to right lane then merge, nothing.

So I jumped on the brakes, laid on the horn, edged over as far as I could, and SCRAPED by. My wheels were hanging into the curb slope (the few inches between the tarmac and the vertical face of the curb), and upon inspection when I got home, I had touched the face of my rear tire to the curb, and nothing else. Rim undamaged. I was easily within an inch of the Santa Fe, as I could hear the woosh through the open window as I passed his bumper, and looking back to see him over a foot into my lane (with the nose of the car, the rear was almost completely blocking the right lane, essentially perpindicular to the direction of travel). An RCH to the left or right, and something bad would have happened. I had heel-toed to second and gotten heavy on the go-pedal just as soon as the front of the car was located between the curb and the SUV.

I slowed down, as he was making an immediate left turn after the light, and when he got next to me, I gave him the finger. He gave me the "shrug, sorry about that." He could have killed himself or myself, and he played it off like nothing.

Unbelievable.

But it did make me think. I did everything perfectly, and a flaw, or a messup, or anything could have fucked both of our days. There are days when you never feel the flow, and you never get your rythem. Today didn't feel particularly great, and I didn't really feel the flow. In fact, I was in a bit of a deficit as I couldn't seem to nail my downshifts. It was odd.

I have no idea what happened this morning. I know that I narrowly avoided an accident, and no one was hurt. I know that afterwards, it didn't shake me up. I was calm, cool, and collected during the incident. I wasn't shaking, afraid, worried, or concerned. I was, rightfully, annoyed and pissed off, but more at his ignorance. It almost feels like what happened was SOP, and I was just doing what I do.

It was a weird feeling of calm, felt like everything stopped and I had a ton of time to react. No damage done, no dirty underwear, nothing problematic really happened. I just handled it and it was over.

I don't remember why I started this thread, probably to vent about stupid drivers or something, but... yea. So drive safe everyone!

Phil

I've had similar experiences where something crazy has happened and "instinct" took over and apon reflection I was like "damn, I can drive!" Hehehe. You would not believe the amount of accidents I've narrowly avoided. When you're up for the Shootout ask Jen about how many times my superior skills have saved our asses.

Oh, and check out the Shootout thread.

My grandpa was telling me on the phone today about some kid that ran a red light and then flipped him off. J/k

I've had tons of close calls but i always manage to scrape by.

I didn't run a red light. HE ran the red light. He simply turned right, without pausing or stopping or, apparently, looking. He's lucky he didn't die, because it would have almost assuredly caused his death.

you shoulda gone barreling into him. Nothing better than playing Darwin.

And then I'd lose my car because of some colorblind asshole. Not something I'd be willing to do.

you're insured, no?

I get flipped off quite often. One time I was parking and this person was speeding up behind me. I put on my brakes and got ready to back in to the spot. This person was going so fast in the parking lot that he locked up his brakes to avoid hitting me. Then he flipped me off like it was my fault he was speeding.

Another day, there was construction near my house. They dug deep grooves in the road as to mark where to stop paving. I, as a habit, slow down going over these big giant bumps as to not knock my car further out of alignment. One time I was going over them, I slowed down, but the guy behind me apparently didn't want to. So, I went slow over the rut in the road and I got flipped off for doing so. Apparently, me trying to not injure my car is some sort of problem.

I'm sick and tired of a lot of drivers out there who have no respect for other drivers! I try to be not as angry to other drivers, but occasionally when people pull out in front of me, I get a little grouchy.

Yeah I had one specific instinct type reaction I can recall from college. I had just finished finals and was staying at my uncle's in PA. I was doing some computer work for a friend of my uncle. It hadn't rained in a while, and it was like 7 or 8 in the evening. While I was doing the work, it lightly rained. Just enough to wet the roads. I head back home. There was this short sweeping corner, not too sharp by any means. I gingerly turn into the corner, and the rear end breaks loose. I counter steer, but the car keeps going. I end up going out into this field, (which was mostly just mud). The car keeps sliding to the right, I keep counter steering, the car starts to come around, but too much, and heads back the other way. Then the next thing I know I'm back on the road, the car does a slightly twitchy thing, and I'm on my way.

I swear it was like a movie type stunt. It happened so fast, but everything was in slow motion. I don't think I touched the gas or brake. It was all steering input. All that was going through my mind though was, "I'm going to roll this car"

I stopped at the jack in the box up the road to check out the car. Amazingly, the only thing that happened was I ended up with loads of mud in the wheels, and 2 scratches on the passenger door.

My story like that I was taking an entrance ramp at 80 in the '83 sedan when I hit a sand patch in the middle of the apex. Rear end came out and I stomped the gas and turned in. The rear bumper smacked the guardrail and spun me around the other way so I turned into that and floored it again as I went onto the grass and slid sideways parallel to the highway. I turned the wheel straight and aimed for the end of the (long) entrance ramp, but I was still going sideways (perpendicular to the highway). As I neared the curb off the breakdown lane I thought the car may flip if I hit it so I turned towards it and the car jumped all four wheels sidways and landed flat in the breakdown lane at about 50 mph. I steered straight and pulled into the lane. Only damage was a slight scrape and shallow dent (that I kicked out from inside the trunk). I cracked part of the rear taillight and replaced it (unnecessarily) from the JY for $20.

Steve

Yeh, i know you didnt run the light lol i was just kidding.

I get an instinct to kill people when they flip me off, like some wrx that just pulled along side of me and flipped me off then tried to run.

LaureltheQueen wrote:you're insured, no?

The amount of money i'd get wouldn't replace the love I have for my car. It would have undoubtedly been totaled. I was going roughly 60mph.

Some racers call it "the zone." You get in this sublime state of mind where you're doing everything perfectly as if it was second nature, you pull off some amazing stunt or quick lap time, and then once it's all over, you think to yourself "How the hell did I do that???"

I sorta have a story. This was back about 8-9 months ago when I was thinking of selling Patti and my neighborhood roads were still torn up, basically dirt roads. I was pissed at her and just came into the street entering my neighborhood too fast and setup all wrong. My tail end came out, and as I'm prone to doing, I countersteer too much (I need to work on that). Once I did that, I somehow got control of it and wiggled the back end into line. It was a good thing I did because I would have ended up in someone's yard or even HOUSE if I hadn't corrected myself.

I know that exact feeling, you don't get nervous or scared or freaked out, just a little pissed at the oblivious person who almost killed you. Some asshole with a flatbed trailer almost merged into me, luckily no one was in the other lane when a avoided him. I get a lot of moments where I don't think and just act, and after it happens Im like "did I just do that". I especially like the days where I feel like I am one with the car.

Thinking more about this, I've had probably around 10 close calls like this.

One was the day before yesterday. Jetta ran a red light and STOPPED in front of me. RE92's and stock brakes, and I would have clobbered him.

The day I got my clutch installed, I drove to the beach and on the way home, some woman merged into me (traveling 80mph). I swerved off the road, and back on the road narrowly missing a highway marker sign.

I was forced off the road by a woman in a Porsche Cayenne yapping on the cellphone. Almost hitting a light pole, when I got next to her, her daughter was STANDING on the rear seat.

I hate other drivers when they are oblivious to the world. Every one of my incidents was due to the driver being on the cellphone. Thank God that now, in Maryland, it's a $200 fine and 2 points on your license for driving while talking on a cellphone.

There's definitely some natural ability and intinct to driving. For me it just seems like I'm able to understand vehicle dynamics and pay attention to what's going on around me a little better than others.

I drive so much now I've been having more close calls. The other day I managed to nicely dodge around a flying 1' long chunk of 4x4 that would have caused a bit of damage at 80. I saw it coming, and kind of flicked the car a little right and then back. I don't think I even crossed the lane marker, although there wasn't a car next to me.

There's a section of freeway that opens up to about 7 or 8 lanes as two freeways merge into 3 others, so it's usually pretty wide open before you actually get onto one of the other freeways (at which point I'm sitting in traffic for the next 20 minutes to get home). I have to cross all those lanes to get to the far right, which is easy as traffic is very light at that section at that time of day. I tend to do it early and cruise down the right lanes at about 85 as everyone else drives around not knowing what they're doing. I think that the more lanes there are, the more confused people will get.

Just as my two lanes were about to split off the other day, some jackass in a neon decided he was getting on that freeway. There are about 3 miles to get over. He crossed the little triangular section of flat pavent before the median starts at about 40 right in front of me. I was impressed at how settled my car stays in an 85 mph emergency maneuver after I cut around him.

BAC5.2 wrote:Thinking more about this, I've had probably around 10 close calls like this.

One was the day before yesterday. Jetta ran a red light and STOPPED in front of me. RE92's and stock brakes, and I would have clobbered him.

The day I got my clutch installed, I drove to the beach and on the way home, some woman merged into me (traveling 80mph). I swerved off the road, and back on the road narrowly missing a highway marker sign.

I was forced off the road by a woman in a Porsche Cayenne yapping on the cellphone. Almost hitting a light pole, when I got next to her, her daughter was STANDING on the rear seat.

I hate other drivers when they are oblivious to the world. Every one of my incidents was due to the driver being on the cellphone. Thank God that now, in Maryland, it's a $200 fine and 2 points on your license for driving while talking on a cellphone.

I doubt that's actually strictfully enforced, though.

Oblivious people suck, I don't think many people actually realize how fast 60 mph (at least compared to non moving objects). I also don't understand how people feel safe when riding 2 feet behind some guy.

I've had this happen to me many times.

I narrowly averted my own death when I was sixteen. I was racing my motorcycle with some friends and I rounded a blind corner to find a farmer on a farm tractor, complete with huge plow blades, completely blocking the road while on his way down to plow his fields. My mind raced through like three scenarios in about a milisecond. Do I go over the enbankment - no, not at 60 mph. Do I try to go down the access road? - no, the cable across it would decapitate me. Do I hit the tractor....this was all I could do. So I pulled a powerslide at 60 mph (probably more like 45-50 at that point) and hit the big tire which was the softest, safest part I could hit. I bounced back about 12 feet and came to a rest, shaking like a leaf.

I broke off both foot pedals from the frame and twisted the brake pedal around and back up into my ankle where it stayed embedded until I stood up and it fell out. Fun eh??? Oh yeah, and the Kawaski was still idling on the ground, the back tire still turning.

I've avoided other accidents too. My biggest fear is the from behind collision. How do you avoid that?

creel wrote: My biggest fear is the from behind collision. How
do you avoid that?

Don't go to prison.

You can't avoid someone who's behind you and just not paying attention. In most states, if you're hit from behind, it's automatically that person's fault, no questions asked, so I'd call it a blessing. Just unbuckle your belt, open the door, fall out holding your neck, and scream. The nice men with the demarol will take care of you.

But it doesn't matter who's fault it is if you're hit on a bike - the organ donee will be happy either way.

Steve

Everything happens for a reason. This I know to be true.

What's the reason for this life?

creel wrote:What's the reason for this life?

so that mice can find out the question of life. duhh.

Isn't that answer the number 64?