Transportation | Piss and Moan

O Canada…

Posted on September 13, 2018 by backuphill

Photo by Daniel Joseph Petty on Pexels.com

Our neighbors from the northern land!

Improve your driving we shall command.

Your lack of skill comes as no surprise,

Violate the laws and you won’t be free!

From the border you come,

O Canada, you speed on the freeway.

God you’re rude and pushy too!

O Canada, we won’t stand to let you speed.

O Canada, we won’t let you speed for free.

A little ode for our Canadian neighbors, sung to the tune of their national anthem. If you live in the upper left corner of the United States, you can totally relate to this little ditty. Shoot, if you live anywhere within reach of the Canadian border, you can probably relate. Am I wrong?

Total generalization here, but the general consensus (or commonly held stereotype) is that Canadians are generally a docile and friendly people. If you are actually IN Canada, I have found this to be true for the most part. They are nice people. However, in my experience, the are not great drivers.

Once they cross that border in the US, that stereotype goes away and another becomes the reality. They apparently forget all rules of the road and all manners while shopping. If you live within 200 miles of the border in Washington, this is a well known fact.

Reality is that Canadians are rude and self-absorbed. Two areas this is blatantly obvious: driving and shopping. This is displayed in driving because they speed, weave in and out of traffic, cut people off, tailgate, and otherwise display poor behavior with abandon because there is apparently no consequence for it, even when they get pulled over. The other area is shopping. The clog up our stores (especially close to the border) and purchase weird amounts of milk and gas (can we thank socialism and price controls for that?). They are pushy. They are usually very loud. They sometimes appear to not even understand the purchasing process…I mean, really?

So, how about we try this? Shop online and we’ll ship it too you. We want your money, but we can do without the bad driving and invasion of our stores every time you have a holiday in the land of maple syrup and Mounties.

I don’t wanna rock

Posted on September 4, 2018 by backuphill

Photo by Ir Solyanaya on Pexels.com

Rocks are great for mountains and landscaping.

Rocks are not good when you are digging a hole or a trench.

Rocks are not good when they are loose on a roadway and flip up to chip your window.

Rocks are not good when they are in your shoe.

Rocks are not good when they somehow end up in your food.

Rocks are not good when you get hit in the head – whether it was thrown or falling from a mountain.

Rocks are not good when you are sleeping on the ground and they are under you.

Rocks are dumb when you inscribe, paint, or write a message on them.

So, really, other than the first two things what are rocks good for?

Don’t mind me, trying to get anywhere…

Posted on August 31, 2018 by backuphill

Photo by David Whittaker on Pexels.com

Passable roads are nice. Summer is nice. So do we have to ruin one to make the other possible?

Summer is apparently the only time road construction can get done. Added to that, it also can only be done during the day and not at night, which is weird considering we have this cool technology called “lights”. So, with technology available to do construction at night while traffic volumes are reduced significantly, why are we still doing it during the day while traffic volume is at it’s highest?

I suppose someone (or maybe just LIFE in general) is out there conspiring against me and all the other people that have to get somewhere…

I wonder if it really makes a difference

Posted on August 16, 2018 by backuphill

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

On any given work day, I have nearly two hours of commute (round trip) time. Yeah, I can feel your groans. I do it too. To be honest, the commute is the worst part of my job and if I could not do it and make the same income I would change in a heartbeat. But, it is what it is.

So, I have been using the Waze app to see if it can help alleviate the commute time a little. Supposedly it is “real time” traffic routing based on user reports. It is owned by Google, so all it does it take the traffic reports and move it to a different app instead of the regular Google Maps app. Anyway, I am not sure it is helping.

Why is it not helping? Or at least, why do I not think it is helping? Well, it takes me just as long to get home when I use it and when I don’t use it. By time it routes be down some obscure neighborhood road, or through every traffic light in town, it has taken me roughly the same amount of time to get to the exact same choke point at just going the most direct route, via the highway where all the other cars are sitting in traffic. Maybe it is just the nature of the necessary route to get home (there are literally only two ways to get home via two choke points). But, one would think that you could at least get to the choke point a little faster using the app. Not so.

Anyone else have a similar experience?

#trafficiskillingme #smh

Oh, you must be exempt from traffic laws

Posted on August 14, 2018 by backuphill

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Wanna know who is exempt from traffic laws? Cops, apparently.

You see them speed all the time on the highway. You see them make a flagrant u-turns in traffic. You see them park on the side of the road (especially on overpasses) with a portion of their vehicle in traffic. You see them park in “No Parking” or “Fire” zones. You see them park on sidewalks. You see them using their computers and their cell phones while driving. You see them not use their signals properly. So, they must be exempt, right?

I was always under the impression that the only time they were exempt from traffic laws was when they had their lights on and were responding to a call. They don’t even have to have their siren on, but they at the very least had to have their lights on. Otherwise, I was under the impression they should act as though they are the same as any other citizen. Well, we clearly and regularly don’t see this happen, right?

So what gives? I have never had a law enforcement official clearly explain this to me. When asked if they are exempt from the law, they say no but they can’t explain why it is acceptable why they violate traffic laws on a regular basis. Anyone got an answer?

Do you know why I pulled you over?

Posted on August 13, 2018 by backuphill

https://cdn.patchcdn.com/users/47905/2013/02/T800x600/bca1a8464d982956d5a69f13c17a8337.jpg

*Disclaimer #1, no, I haven’t been pulled over for this yet.

There are some really dumb traffic laws out there, and this happens to be one of the dumbest. The sheer nature of the law assumes that someone will be speeding and someone else will be impeding their progress.

wesleychapelcommunity.com

So, let’s talk about this for a second. Let’s assume you are trying to follow the posted speed limit and are not exceeding it. Slower vehicles are supposed to stay to the right (it’s the law, right?). If, by the nature of traveling the speed limit, you are able to pass people while traveling in the left lane then you are not causing anyone grief because you are in fact going the speed limit.

Let’s just say an emergency vehicle comes up from behind you with their lights on. What do you do? You move to the right, like the law says to do. If you don’t move right, you can and should be ticketed for not following the law. So, is this an issue with traveling in the left lane?

If you are going slower than the speed limit, well, then you could be pulled over because you are actually being a hazard to other drivers and should be pulled over for being a danger to yourself and others.

Finally, that leaves anyone who is going over the speed limit, which I do regularly. *Disclaimer #2 – I do not condone speeding, I am just merely using myself as an example. First, if you are speeding you can be pulled over for that because you are violating a law already on the books. However, since you are speeding you are likely passing slower people who are staying on the right. Thus, no need for the law. If you are one of those jackwagons (is that gender specific or is it all-inclusive?) who decides that you are going to speed at an unreasonable rate and unsafely, well then there is already a law on the books for that. It is called reckless driving.

So that leaves a scenario where I am traveling over the speed limit and passing people on the left when a jackwagon speeds up from behind me and tailgates me as I don’t move immediately out-of-the-way. Who is in the wrong here? As we are both exceeding the speed limit, both of us are passing people on the left. We are both speeding, only one of us is doing it in an unsafe manner. I am not really impeding anyone in traffic, except the jackwagon behind me who feels the need to run everyone off the road to get to where they are going. Get my drift here?

The “keep right” law is dumb.

Traffic sucks because you’re stupid

Posted on August 1, 2018 by backuphill

red and yellow hatchback axa crash tests

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

You know, if you are stuck in a traffic jam because of an earlier accident, maybe you should not tailgate people and pay attention to what is going on around you so you don’t smash the bumper in front of you and cause other people to slow down to see what is going on…just a hint. STOP IT!

I’ll be damned if you people can’t keep from bashing into each other! Holy crap, people, stop screwing up traffic! You morons drive the same route every day and you know what traffic is gonna be like so stop doing stuff that is going to mess it up for everyone.

Stop reading the newspaper. Stop looking at your phone. Stop sending texts. Stop making phone calls. Stop eating. Stop drinking. Stop doing your nails. Stop putting on your makeup. Stop picking your nose. Stop doing your hair. Stop playing with the radio. Stop yelling at your kids. Stop smoking. Stop stop stop.

We spend enough time sitting in our cars, we don’t need you making it worse on a daily basis.

Motorcycle riders are the worst

Posted on July 29, 2018 by backuphill

Photo by Pete Johnson on Pexels.com

Ever been so irritated at something that you just want to scream? Yeah, me too.

Motorcycle riders are the worst. They are the worst because the constantly break the law. They break the law because they feel they are entitled to. That must be the case or they wouldn’t do it.

I commute 88 miles to and from work five days a week, so I am on the roads a lot. I was also a driver’s ed instructor for 6 years and a state license tester for 5 of those years (those were my side gig). So, I think I have a pretty good idea of the law. And let me tell you, motorcycle riders break the law on a regular basis. I am sure, if you drive a vehicle, you are well aware of this already so maybe I am preaching to the choir here…

Motorcycle riders routinely roll through stop signs, because putting your feet down to actually come to a complete stop is apparently to big an inconvenience. Of course, they exceed the speed limit, but not at the same level you are exceeding the speed limit because they have to go faster. They weave in and out of traffic, cutting people off as they go. They lane split (ride between cars on the white line). They ride on the shoulder in traffic jams. They tailgate you when you are too slow, but actually doing the speed limit. They park their bikes in places that aren’t parking spots. I could do on, but I think you get the picture (and you probably already knew all this).

When you ask (or confront) a motorcycle rider about it they almost always come up with the excuse, “It is safer for me if I do it that way.” Oh, ok, so you are more important than everyone else? I get it.

If you are a motorcycle rider, the rest of the commuting world is tired AF of you. You aren’t special. Obey the damn law!

*Yes, I realize some of the things mentioned are legal in some states – all of the things mentioned are NOT in my state.

Commuting Chaos

Posted on July 12, 2018 by backuphill

Photo by STANLEY NGUMA on Pexels.com

I commute just under 90 miles every day. If that isn’t enough to drive someone nuts, according to surveys and studies, I also commute in the worst traffic in the country. Here’s the thing, it probably really doesn’t have to be.

I’ll just come right out and say it, I commute with a lot of stupid people, which is weird since a lot of them should be smart considering the whole population of Boeing, Microsoft, Amazon, and other tech industry companies in the area. Because I commute the at the same time each day, in both directions, I see the same people/cars (mostly) everyday. And, because they are doing the same thing as me each day, you would think that they would know better. Thus, they are stupid. This can be the only explanation.

Why are they stupid? Because they are the ones causing the problem. Yes, the roadway is packed with cars. Yes, the traffic moves much slower than the speed limit. BUT, when they drive stupidly and have little to no patience, they are the ones causing the problem. For example: cutting people off, not letting people merge, tailgating, driving distracted, weaving in and out of traffic trying to get ahead…etc, bashing into others, etc…You know the people. You have seen them, but hopefully you aren’t one of them.

Studies also show that when you drive with patience and courteously, traffic moves more smoothly and everyone gets to where they are going more quickly. So, let’s do that people!

PLEASE, STOP BEING STUPID.

Abnormally large litter

Posted on July 1, 2018 by backuphill

There are these companies in Seattle that put out these bikes so people can ride them whenever and wherever they want. Great concept, but execution sucks hardcore.

Now, when you are in and around Seattle, you see these stupid unattended bikes littering street corners, parks, lakes, alleys, rivers, etc. all over the city. I have even seen on the news that they are getting tossed off bridges and getting destroyed. Obviously there are others who don’t like them too.

Do people really ride these things? I haven’t seen anyone, have you? But I sure see them left everywhere. Yesterday, in a short four block walk, I saw about 70 bikes in various states of rest. I only captured four on camera because I could have spent an hour trying to take a picture of all of them. I just don’t see how this improves anything. We might as well buy a fleet of Tesla cars, charge them, and then leave them unlocked and pay-walled around the city. At least then they would be parked and not just left willy-nilly everywhere.

Like I said, concept may be good, but the execution leaves something to be desired. Are we so desperate for transportation in the city that we have to put up with abnormally large litter?