Dear really really stupid people:

[calulu]

There's something wrong with Wisconsin. Can we return this state to the manufacturer for a refund?

Nope, because we need Wisconsin, the most heavenly cheese comes from that place! Unless some other state starts making great cheese we need Wisconsin..

[Pagan]

Without lights is almost as bad as the people that insist on using their park lights then. You see nothing ... nothing ... nothing ... oh a car! as it zips by you. With barely time to register there was SOME kind of light illuminated on it.

I've noticed that a lot of newer cars are equipped with fog lights. I notice this because they seem to find it necessary to have them on with with their normal headlights, which are of course on bright. Why do you need 6 (2 regular headlights, 2 fog lights, and 2 parking lights) on the front of your car? It doesn't get that dark in ABQ at night.

... Are daytime running lights not mandatory in the States?

Nope. Which bothers me not in the least. When I was learning to drive, I was taught that you only had your headlights on during the day if there's was an emergency or if you were part of a funeral procession.

At least they probably won't have to worry about being blown out in a crap bowl game next year.

But Irv, they're not eligible for the New Mexico Bowl!

[bainsidhe]

New York is pretty notorious for its moron drivers. Today I was driving back from picking up some dinner and some inbred knuckledragger without opposable thumbs felt that a right turn only lane was equivalent to a second lane. However, that lane runs out and the road narrows to one lane in each direction. So the inbred fucktard decided to merge without any semblance of a turn signal. And they had the fucking nerve to beep at me because I was "in the way."

How adorable. You actually expect people in this state to use a turn signal. /sarcasm.

This is a daily occurance in my city. Yet I remember the first time I was driving with a friend and paid no heed to the jerk driving in a lane that was ending. He of course started merging right into me without signal or slowing down. I was new to NY state and wasn't expecting someone to just assume I'd get the hell out of the way. I was almost run into oncoming traffic and was cursing up a storm when my friend chewed me out saying "What are you doing?!? He had the right of way!" So you see, the mindset in this state is that even if it isn't your lane and you're merging without signals and practically causing an accident, it's just fine because you have the right of way. Even if the driving manuals and common sense declare otherwise, they're wrong because you have right of way.

[ADoyle90815]

Stupid people also drive without their headlights on in extremely dense fog where I live as well, and those who don't slow down in such conditions. What's even more stupid is those who decide that it's easier to jaywalk across a busy street in dense fog instead of walking a few feet to a crosswalk where you can get the signal to make it safer.

[Pagan]

I can't say as I know what people do around here when it's foggy....because I can't remember!

Last time I can really remember there being fog was 2 years ago. I don't know if anyone was really out driving in it though since we had just had 3 feet (yes, feet, in ABQ) of snow dumped on us and the city was pretty much shut down. Thank the Goddess.

[Becks]

In NJ people drive like that, too.

Well, they drive like death-wishing maniacs in any weather. The worse the weather, the more death-defying it appears.

I'm glad I'm back in WI.

[mattm04]

... Are daytime running lights not mandatory in the States?

No. But GM thinks we all need them. though mine no longer work.

[XCashier]

Unless some other state starts making great cheese we need Wisconsin..

Well, Tillamook in Oregon makes some darned good cheese (and exquisite ice cream!)...

[PepperElf]

So to the 10 drivers or so I saw out driving around WITHOUT their headlights on, I ask "Do you have a death wish or something?"

I see you have the same drivers who live in the city my parents live in.

Though... um... it's more than 10 dumb drivers there who dont use headlights.

i also hate the people who think "parking lights are to be used for low-light conditions"... they illuminate NOTHING. Use your fucking headlights idiot!


And this is why i love my new used car. Daytime running lights.
Not that it matters, i use the headlights anyway. but hey they give me better insurance rates so i'm not complaining

[Sedorna]

Attention drivers. In January, in Maryland, it is completely dark at 6:40 pm. No matter how brightly lit the road is, do not drive without your headlights on.

Yes. I was sitting at a red light and saw a car with absolutely no lights--not even a freakin' parking light--drive on by. Yeah, it's a main road, and it was brightly lit, but how can anybody be so stupid as to not have their headlights on? I mean, surely they'd realize that their dashboard was very difficult to see? (This is assuming two things. First that all cars have dashboard lights or led displays or whatnot that light up when the headlights are on and second, that the driver would actually monitor the dashboard information upon occasion. Um...maybe the second was assuming too much.)

[Lehk]

just to be clear, here in NY as long as you have your 4 way flashers on you can do ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING while driving.

[Summerfly413]

Attention drivers. In January, in Maryland, it is completely dark at 6:40 pm. No matter how brightly lit the road is, do not drive without your headlights on.

Yes. I was sitting at a red light and saw a car with absolutely no lights--not even a freakin' parking light--drive on by. Yeah, it's a main road, and it was brightly lit, but how can anybody be so stupid as to not have their headlights on? I mean, surely they'd realize that their dashboard was very difficult to see? (This is assuming two things. First that all cars have dashboard lights or led displays or whatnot that light up when the headlights are on and second, that the driver would actually monitor the dashboard information upon occasion. Um...maybe the second was assuming too much.)

A few weeks ago I was driving at night without my headlights on. I was quite unaware of this. I think I had turned my lights on at some point, but when I was signaling at turn, I bumped the lights, making my main ones go off, but I guess my parking lights were on, as my dashboard was lit up. I had no idea they were off until I went down a dark road and thought *Hmm.....WHY is it THIS dark?!" Then I realized

[Kogarashi]

I mean, surely they'd realize that their dashboard was very difficult to see? (This is assuming two things. First that all cars have dashboard lights or led displays or whatnot that light up when the headlights are on and second, that the driver would actually monitor the dashboard information upon occasion. Um...maybe the second was assuming too much.)

My mom, my husband, and I have all driven a while without noticing before. Once each for my mom and I, it was on very brightly lit city streets, so we could even see the dashboard screens pretty well. It wasn't until I got to a darker area and my mom had someone else flash their brights at her that we realized what was up. Another time, I'd somehow managed to only turn on my parking lights despite thinking I'd clearly turned the headlights on too, so the dash was lit. I realized my mistake when I got to the end of our parking lot and turned on the blinker, and wondered why it was so noticeable against the street in front of me.

With hubby, it was in a rental car where the dashboard screens turned on regardless. We were driving out at 2am to get to LaGuardia Airport on time for our Christmas flight, and the streets were well-lit and empty of other drivers. We didn't realize the headlights were still off until we got to the highway's on-ramp and wondered why it was so darn dark.