Daily Dose of Common Sense

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?

Photo

Here are some of our favorite brief Web stories from this week.

Some people had common sense.

• Science-Based Medicine has a great article on the dangers of homebirth with a midwife. It is the most dangerous form of planned birth in the U.S. As a friend on Twitter said, “Get to the hospital, hippy!”
• In an effort to encourage Californians not to drive so much, pay-as-you-drive insurance plans will now be offered there. If you’ve ever experienced their traffic, any reasonable measure to get fewer cars on the road gets a thumbs up.
• A Wisconsin woman called 911 to report herself as a drunk driver. She said she didn’t want to hurt anyone. We realize she never should have gotten behind the wheel in the first place, but at least she wised up. Most drunk drivers don’t have the cajones to report themselves; instead, they take their chances on the road.
• The two greatest SNL hosts ever–Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin–take over hosting duties for the 2010 Oscars. Smart choice by the producers, who must know that the show format is stale, stale, stale. Here’s hoping for a “Pete’s Schweatty Balls” sketch on awards night.

And, some did not.

• A company has released a $100 mobile device that connects only to Twitter. It doesn’t make phone calls or let you retrieve emails. Only Twitter. In case you didn’t know, you can get an iPhone at these prices, which will give you a whole lot more functionality.
• 53% of Maine voters denied gays the same rights as heterosexuals. Hey, Maine, you think gay marriage is immoral? Blag Hag said it best: Know what else is an abomination, Maine? Lobster.
• Because the airline industry is doing so well, United says “no” to track suits in first class. Shouldn’t they just be grateful that anyone can afford to buy a first class ticket these days?
• A man repeatedly saw Jesus’ image on his truck window. While many look to this as a sign, we think he just needs to wash his truck more often.

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!

Photo

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.

Photo

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

I recently began driving again after a sixteen year car-free existence. I have one question: What happened to the friendly “thanks a lot!” driver wave? No one seems to bother anymore. If another driver does me a solid by letting me in, I give a friendly wave to show appreciation. Some days, I feel as if I’m the only one.

This also applies to pedestrians, cyclists, roller bladers, people on scooters…really everyone. But, there seems to be something about being in a car where people feel they can be rude without repercussion. It’s no wonder there are so many incidents of road rage.

Come on, drivers. Just remember to be polite and people won’t key your car later.

Photo courtesy of Flickr: tedkerwin

Ever driven an ashtray? If you’ve rented a car that has been driven by a heavy smoker, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The smell lingers and gets stale. It’s awful. Hurray for the two major car rental companies who just announced they will ban smoking in their rental cars. It’s about time.

Beginning Oct. 1, Avis and Budget will become the first major rental-car companies to ban smoking in their entire North American fleets and to impose a cleaning fee of up to $250 on customers who smoke in the cars.

“The No. 1 request we get is for a smoke-free car,” says John Barrows, spokesman of the Avis Budget Group, the parent company. He says a common customer complaint is a car that smells of smoke, adding, “We’re addressing both concerns.”

Barrows says employees who drive the vehicles are no longer allowed to smoke and the cars will undergo a new inspection upon return. He says it costs the company more to clean a smoky car, because it often has to be taken out of service longer.

Now, we’re not saying people don’t have a right to smoke. They do. But, it’s one thing to smoke in your own car, where the stink is your own problem. It’s a whole other ball of odor to smoke in a car that doesn’t belong to you. What you do in a rental car affects a lot of other people. And, smoke is one of the worst pervasive odors. That smell cannot be completely removed. Ever.

Just ask hotels. The smell of cigarette smoke is so bad over time that you can’t even have non-smoking rooms next to smoking rooms. They had to create entire FLOORS where smoking is prohibited. And, a hotel employee once told me that in order to change a room from a smoking room to a non-smoking room, everything in the room had to be replaced: the furniture, the carpet, and even the wallpaper and/or paint.

So, smoke ‘em if you got ‘em. Just do it in your own space.

Photo courtesy of Flickr: johntrainor

Last week, a New York woman was charged with drunk driving while transporting home five kids after attending a festival. At 12:30 in the morning, she was pulled over for a broken headlight. But, the officer smelled booze and a sobriety test was performed (and failed).

The woman’s excuse? According to the news report:

“My husband was 10 times drunker than I was. I had two kids left with me that weren’t even mine that I had no intention of driving home in the first place. It was either let my husband drive and kill everybody or leave those two kids abandoned,” she said.

Hmmmm. First, how about coming up with a plan for someone in your group to be responsible and stay sober throughout the night? It seems like a simple, adult conversation to have, especially when you have kids along. “Are you going to drink tonight? OK, then I won’t.” If the advance planning is too difficult for you, how about asking someone else for a ride home? Or, calling a cab?

If I were the parent of one of the two non-family kids involved, I would be furious at this woman. There is a point where safety trumps carpooling duties. I would rather my kid be abandoned than driven home by someone who had been drinking. At least then, s/he could use a phone to call me.

It’s mind-boggling: After all the awareness through ad campaigns, public service announcements, pamphlets, and news reports, some people still get behind the wheel after drinking. What more can be done to convince people it’s a really, really bad idea?

Every tourists’ nightmare happened this week at JFK Airport in New York. A family of five was held captive by a pair of unlicensed solicitors in a van, who offered the family a lift from the airport. An officer observed the renegade drivers loading the family into their vehicle and banged on the window. But, when he ordered the two men out, they hit the gas and took off.

A high speed chase ensued, which left the French family begging to be released from the car. The ordeal ended when the van crashed into a stop sign in Brooklyn and the police chased down the two suspects on foot.

What did the family do to deserve this? Nothing, except get into a sketchy, non-licensed vehicle. If the cops hadn’t intervened, the family likely would have been brought to their hotel safe and sound. But, who knows how much they would have paid for the ride.

A good rule of thumb is to never get in anything but a yellow cab or a private car you have personally arranged. There are a lot of hustlers, especially at the airport, who will try and convince you a random ride is okay…but it’s not.

Here is some good information from Consumerist.com:

Rick Seaney has a few tips to help you avoid getting trapped in a runaway cab like the Dulugats:

• Avoid “gypsy cabs” and other non-licensed vehicles: the legitimate cabs are all lined up at the curb. If your cabbie claims to be licensed, and it’s a hike to his vehicle, he isn’t. By the way, these taxis can cost just as much as the legit ones.
• Check out the transportation choices before you arrive: JFK, for example, offers many alternatives to taxis including trains and a bus system that takes you directly to Grand Central for $27 roundtrip.
• Consider a private car service: it need not be a limo – and it can cost just a few bucks more than a taxi fare.