Foo - Just saw something I don't understand

In my town, people don't stop for yellows. It's annoying, and freaks me out just a little bit.

Just this morning on my way to work, I ran into a situation that I just don't understand:

Driving down a road, I make it to an intersection, light turns yellow waaaaaay before I get there. I stop completely. When I'm stopped completely, a work truck speeds through past yellow, now red light.

Low and behold, a police car was the first car in line to turn left onto our road. I thought this d*bag was for sure gonna get pulled over. But no. It was insanely obvious what just happened. Why did he not get pulled over? Is this the same guy that goes ballistic if I slow him down while riding my bike? I hate my town... I see people doing this every day, I more often than ever, while riding, or driving, look left and right even when I have a green light. Unbelievable.

You think that's bad...over the last couple of years I've seen an increase in cars that stop at red lights then if they (think) no one is coming they take off. Usually it seems to be younger kids in poorly modified vehicles of Japanese design. :rolleyes: Scares the crap out of me when I'm on my bike.

I firmly believe in the value of red light cameras. I do not mind speeding on highways, interstates, etc. But on surface streets, esp. residential streets, I think that cops should give little or no leeway in enforcing the laws.

Both my boys think stop signs, esp . the in one in our front yard, (we live on a corner) are there so that I can point at them and yell "that is a stop sign" at the jakelegs who choose not to stop.

for one second, signals in both directions are red. might have still been red for the crossing traffic, so the police didn't think anything of it.

I firmly believe in the value of red light cameras. I do not mind speeding on highways, interstates, etc. But on surface streets, esp. residential streets, I think that cops should give little or no leeway in enforcing the laws.

Both my boys think stop signs, esp . the in one in our front yard, (we live on a corner) are there so that I can point at them and yell "that is a stop sign" at the jakelegs who choose not to stop.

I live on a corner intersection with a fourway stop. I'd like to make a video of the cars, just so when drivers whine about cyclists never stopping, I can show that people driving 3000 pound vehicles don't bother to do it, either...

I have never lived in a place where people stop for yellows. Never. Sounds like an accident waiting to happen. Everywhere I live, you gun it and get through. Heck, every single intersection cars are still going through when the light turns green for the opposite direction. EVERY intersection, EVERY time.

When I drove around LA, if I went through a yellow the oncoming cars waiting to turn left would honk at me. If I stopped for the yellow the cars behind me would honk at me for stopping. I could never win.

So I responded by being a passive-aggressive Minnesotan and purposely held up traffic by doing 80 in a 65-zone in the far right lane. :)

Yellow means speed up because it is about to turn red. You only have to stop if it is red by the time you cross the line (or are going too fast by the time you get to the line) :/

As long as they don't run the red when cross traffic is already going through or when they aren't looking for an excuse to pull you over anyway, I don't think they care. It's like speeding - everyone does it so why bother pulling people over unless it is way above the limit. Might as well make speed limits 20 because no one follows them anyway.

Yellow means speed up because it is about to turn red. You only have to stop if it is red by the time you cross the line (or are going too fast by the time you get to the line) :/

As long as they don't run the red when cross traffic is already going through or when they aren't looking for an excuse to pull you over anyway, I don't think they care. It's like speeding - everyone does it so why bother pulling people over unless it is way above the limit. Might as well make speed limits 20 because no one follows them anyway.

Please don't drive in my town.

We should all be issued TOW missles to be used at stop signs when cars don't properly stop.
1 missle per citizen should probably suffice. That way, you would have to use your shot wisely.

should install these at every 'stop' intersection

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKVBK-0veE8

would make every vehicle have to at least slow down enough to activate it, and bikes and motorcycles would only have to yield.

We should all be issued TOW missles to be used at stop signs when cars don't properly stop.
1 missle per citizen should probably suffice. That way, you would have to use your shot wisely.

Incorporate an IQ test as part of the licensing exam, and vehicular armament is allocated based on your combined score. Higher score == better weaponry.
Good drivers with a high IQ can drive around with hood mounted vulcan cannons and roof racks full of missiles. Stupid bad drivers get a rubber band and a bent paper clip.

Incorporate an IQ test as part of the licensing exam, and vehicular armament is allocated based on your combined score. Higher score == better weaponry.
Good drivers with a high IQ can drive around with hood mounted vulcan cannons and roof racks full of missiles. Stupid bad drivers get a rubber band and a bent paper clip.

I'd vote for this. Although it'd turn into a game.

What's that playstation game where you choose between a bunch of funky cars, then go around and try to destroy the others? You could choose like an ice cream clown car, a motorcycle, etc.... I'm afraid people would pimp their ride and illegaly add weapons.

I live on a corner intersection with a fourway stop. I'd like to make a video of the cars, just so when drivers whine about cyclists never stopping, I can show that people driving 3000 pound vehicles don't bother to do it, either...

My thoughts exactly.

should install these at every 'stop' intersection

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKVBK-0veE8

would make every vehicle have to at least slow down enough to activate it, and bikes and motorcycles would only have to yield.

Wow...

for one second, signals in both directions are red.Depends on the intersection. Some have a short buffer of four-way-red, but some click over to green the same moment the other direction clicks to red.


should install these at every 'stop' intersection

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKVBK-0veE8

would make every vehicle have to at least slow down enough to activate it, and bikes and motorcycles would only have to yield.Huh, that's pretty neat. Not only would it actually work, but it would provide endless entertainment as morons try their best to beat it.

Of course, in this country, it'd never fly. "Oh, won't someone please think of the emergency vehicles!" And even though such a thing could be easily accounted for, the threat of impending lawsuits due to people blaming these devices for causing someone's death would keep them from ever seeing the light of day.

what color is the light of day? Can you run it too?

maybe the cop didn't see it.

too busy admiring his Panasonic Toughbook.

what color is the light of day? Can you run it too?You can run, and you can run, to catch up with the sun, but it's sinking. You'll just end up shorter of breath, and one day closer to death.

I had a similar/annoying maneuver demonstrated again yesterday: A driver in a Prince Purple Chrysler convertible was doing 10-15MPH below the speed limit. As annoying as that was, the dangerous maneuver was after they finally noticed me behind them (no, I was not tailgating), without signaling they sashay over vaguely into the shoulder...as if I'd pass them. I don't know about you, but when someone pulls boneheaded and unexpected moves in front of me, especially while ignoring all the traffic laws, I have a tendency to assume that they're insane, drunk or falling asleep and pull back. They finally got the clue I wasn't passing, pulled back into the lane (without signaling again) and I pass them safely in the passing lane a few hundred yards up the road, blowing by them like they're standing still...all while doing under the speed limit.

The part that really scares me is folks using the shoulder so haphazardly when it's a popular route for cyclists. Now you know why I ride MTBs and not road.

gotta love the people who don't signal their intentions.

Huh, that's pretty neat. Not only would it actually work, but it would provide endless entertainment as morons try their best to beat it.

Of course, in this country, it'd never fly. "Oh, won't someone please think of the emergency vehicles!" And even though such a thing could be easily accounted for, the threat of impending lawsuits due to people blaming these devices for causing someone's death would keep them from ever seeing the light of day.

can always be setup so the emergency vehicles activate it further out than a car.
there are high speed electronic toll booths that activate and retract their stopping arms at 35mph. and it seems like they're activated by an identifying radio chip of sorts.

You're lucky. Our drivers plough through red lights without slowing down. When a left-turn signal turns red, at least half a dozen cars will continue through the intersection - either that or they stop smack dab in the middle of an intersection, so they can block vehicles from both directions when the light changes. Their slack-jawed look of incomprehension when other drivers start honking and shaking their fists is priceless.

I just hate other drivers in general. They only think about themselves and never anyone else. I can't wait to get my Vette. At least then I'll have a Vette while I'm giving dumb dumb drivers the finger.

Couch

I can't wait to get my Vette. At least then I'll have a Vette while I'm giving dumb dumb drivers the finger.

Couch

Is a Chevette really going to make you feel any better about things?

Is a Chevette really going to make you feel any better about things?

By things, do you mean his, um you know, errr man bits, uhh, meat and two veg, the ol twig and two berries, unnmmmmm you know, his privates as it were? I mean that is why men buy Vettes, right?

By things, do you mean his, um you know, errr man bits, uhh, meat and two veg, the ol twig and two berries, unnmmmmm you know, his privates as it were? I mean that is why men buy Vettes, right?

Um.... I don't think so.

http://allworldcars.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/10-gm-chevrolet-chevette.jpg

Is a Chevette really going to make you feel any better about things?I searched for "Chevette" on Urban Dictionary hoping it also referred to some sort of disgusting sex act, but for the first time ever, it only came back with the real definition. Boo.

I searched for "Chevette" on Urban Dictionary hoping it also referred to some sort of disgusting sex act, but for the first time ever, it only came back with the real definition. Boo.

time for you to get creative and rectify that sad state of affairs.

I searched for "Chevette" on Urban Dictionary hoping it also referred to some sort of disgusting sex act, but for the first time ever, it only came back with the real definition. Boo.

I'd give you a thumbs up for something creative. DO IT.

The police around here only give tickets for burned out taillights. You can go 70mph in the middle of town and feel fairly confident that you won't get pulled over. Unless you have a taillight out, of course.

Please don't drive in my town.

:lol:

My :rolleyes:didn't come out...

Oh, and I don't drive anyway.

Incorporate an IQ test as part of the licensing exam, and vehicular armament is allocated based on your combined score. Higher score == better weaponry.
Good drivers with a high IQ can drive around with hood mounted vulcan cannons and roof racks full of missiles. Stupid bad drivers get a rubber band and a bent paper clip.

So ... I get to keep my handguns if i commute on a bicycle?

people in Denver were notorious for flying through yellow (orange and red) lights... I caught onto the fad until I got bit by the red light camera :mad:

But, now that I'm back in MN I tend to do it- because I know we don't have those cameras. Naughty, but true.

But, now that I'm back in MN I tend to do it- because I know we don't have those cameras. Naughty, but true.Minnesota doesn't move that fast, doncha know. Relax and take it easy, maybe stop for the occasional green light!