Daily Dose of Common Sense

Parking is something all drivers worry about at one time or another. You can never be sure that there will be a spot for your car at your destination…or, can you?

This woman just brings her own parking spot wherever she goes. Brilliant. Illegal, but brilliant.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXrG28pZXE8

[Via Huffington Post]

You’re driving down a busy road, looking ahead to your destination. You see it, and–lucky you!–there’s a parking spot on the side of the road. You pull in and then go to get out of your car. Do you:

A) Open your door quickly to get out. You’re in a hurry, after all!
B) Open your door quickly and stick your leg out onto the road. Oncoming traffic will stop, right?
C) Check the traffic flow to make sure that you can exit your car safely. You don’t get out until you’re sure that your car door will not get taken off by an oncoming car.

If you answered C, congratulations! You show enough common sense to procreate. It is AMAZING how many people do either A or B. Besides really stupid and dangerous, it’s also selfish. Why is it my responsibility as a moving vehicle to stop and wait for you to get out of your car?

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Talk about tenacity. A South Korean woman has taken–and failed–the driver’s written exam around 950 times since April 2005. Well, she has finally achieved a high enough score to pass the written portion of the driver’s license test.

The aspiring driver spent more than 5 million won ($4,200) in application fees, but until now had failed to score the minimum 60 out of a possible 100 points needed to get behind the wheel for a driving test.

She still has to pass a road test in order to secure her driver’s license. Perhaps this is an indication that this woman should NOT be on the road? Look out, South Koreans!

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Now that I’m back driving on the road, I’m amazed at motorcyclists. Not all motorcyclists, though. Just the ones that believe the rules of the road don’t apply to them.

There are two lanes of traffic and who comes squeezing through between them, making his or her very own lane? Yes, a motorcyclist. I’m sorry…did I miss the memo where we can all just throw traveling caution to the wind? I have also seen many motorcyclists weaving and speeding on highways. While small and low to the ground, dodging and weaving in traffic while on a motorcycle seems incredibly dangerous.

And, I won’t even touch the helmet debate. (It shouldn’t be a law, but it sure seems like a good idea. Who wouldn’t want to wear a helmet?) The way some of these cyclists drive, they should be wearing head-to-toe body armor.

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Growing up, our household had a strict “no bumper sticker” policy. We were threatened with bodily harm should we ever put an unnecessary sticker on the car. My dad didn’t want to scrape them off, and I learned early on that bumper stickers were a nuisance.

I understand the need to show “flair.” Some people want to personalize their cars, too. But, putting a hard-to-remove item on the paint job seems like a hassle.

Some people believe having a bumper sticker on their car has lead to vandalism from someone who didn’t share the same views. Who wants their car to be keyed, or worse, just for showing your opinions?

We’re all free to decorate our cars any way we please, of course. I just think there might be a better way to do it than a rectangle sticker on your bumper. Dashboard toy, anyone?

Photo courtesy of Flickr: Phillie Casablanca

Most pedestrians jaywalk at one time or another. For those who don’t know, jaywalking is defined as, “to cross a street at a place other than a regular crossing or in a heedless manner, as diagonally or against a traffic light.” I’m a fan of jaywalking if it helps you get where you need to go a little bit faster. However, if you’re jaywalking, you should know to move your ass if cars are approaching.

I’ve seen it time and time again: lollygagging jaywalkers. Some pedestrians appear to think that traffic should stop for them, even though they are in the middle of the street. I don’t know whether that attitude stems from selfishness, naiveté, ignorance, or what. But, it’s very unwise to play chicken with something much larger and heavier.

I want to have a sign that says, “You’re the one breaking the law and a 4,000 pound metal machine is speeding towards you. Can you get a MOVE ON?!”

Photo courtesy of Flickr: Adrian Miles

Yesterday, an incident between two Long Island drivers left one man dead. The deceased left his car to confront another driver, wouldn’t let the other driver pass and was run over. Also last week, a Baltimore police officer was arrested after throwing tobacco juice and pointing his gun at another driver while off-duty. Sadly, these are hardly isolated incidents.

According to the NHTSA, there are two problems: aggressive driving and road rage. Aggressive driving is a “traffic offense,” such as speeding and improper lane changing. Road rage is a “criminal offense,” by which an incident occurs on the roadway and an assault transpires. It is estimated that aggressive driving is responsible for one-third of all crashes.

Are you an aggressive driver? Take this quiz to find out. Here are 10 Tips to Prevent Road Rage. If you see someone driving irresponsibly, you can anonymously report them to this site.

Remember, you’re in a car but you’re not invincible. Let’s be careful out there.