Why do Atlantans...

Ah, Karma, you Southern Boys and Girls have much to learn, Grasshopper. In Space City, you learn that a fender bender is a great time to hotshot everybody else.

Dr "Kung Fu" Tax

 

My point is that folks in Hot Lanta still have a lot to learn about life in the fast lane. But, I do remember the days. 1969 to 1973. Altanta, Macon, the Brothers, the Farm, Life was good. It was very, very good.

Dr "Eat a Peach" Tax

 

The same reason they do it at exit 10 on 400 northbound, for NO ******* REASON whatsoever !!!

 

Natalias in Macon is still very very good....Not as good as Cafe Annie, but close enough.

 

I am seriously considering starting to carry bricks in my car. This would be for the sole purpose of cutting truckers off and tossing one out my window to watch it go through their radiator while they ride in the left lane of any given interstate in the Atlanta area. You can not go more than 2 miles without passing a big azz sign stating "all trucks over 6 wheels must use the 2 right lanes" or "all trucks over 6 wheels prohibited in the left lane." I guess truckers can not read or the word prohibited is too big for them! Now that I vented, I feel better. Thanks.

 

I have travelled through out the USA and Europe and have not found Atlanta drivers any worse than others. In fact, I have noted that Atlanta drivers are better than those in most other cities. It seems queer to me that all the yankees that love to complain about Atlanta still keep moving here !

 

NO KIDDING... That is the $64k question !!!! Why do Atlanta drivers do the stupid things they do on the road.... it's anybody's guess, but ATlanta really seems unique when it comes to driving, as all the normal rules have been discarded for some reason. Perhaps it's the growth, and the infrastructure is 10 years behind, causing much frustration, or perhaps its all the damn stop lights that serve no purpose except to increase pollution, but I really think it's because Atlanta people have absolutely no common sense when behind the wheel.

Personally, like some others, I have travelled extensively, and I really find that Atlanta people don't know how to drive, even though there are traffic issues in many US cities. At least in So. California area, drivers actually accelerate down an entrance ramp, tend to use their turn signals, and generally drive to keep the pace of traffic flowing, but in Atlanta, if some dude cuts you off, or whatever, and you reply with the horn, you usually get the "finger" in response for some idiotic thing the other driver initially did - go figure. Also, I agree with the truck issue ! How many times has an Atlanta area road or intersate been closed for hours due to a semi-truck mishap. Truckers in general are NOT Professional drivers, as they never stay to the right as any slower vehicle should, and I include SUV drivers as truck drivers.

It's interesting that this a recent post, as the local Porsche Club Chapter in their recent newsletter, talked extensively about the left-lane bandits, and that it is getting very difficult to drive anywhere around Atlanta without some sort of altercation or near-miss, or worse. Having made several long road trips in the past months, I was almost crashed-out several times, due to SUV's making lane changes. I think with the rear view mirrors mounted so damn high, and probably focused to only view other larger, similar vehicles, they just don't see you, or most likely, don't look at all.

All of this bad driving just results in more fuel being wasted, and I am sure people(non car people) are complaining to the authorities about the traffic and us "car guys", with the end result of the authorities just handing out more ridiculous tickets and placing more unnecessary stoplights. Hell, there are probably more stop lights in Atlanta, than the whole of Germany, and speaking of Germany, drivng the Autobahn is a pure delight, mostly because slower traffic/trucks, etc., DO keep to the right.

I came across an interesting fact, from a car magazine, last month. It says that in the US, large trucks consume 24% of the nation's fuel, but only comprise 6% of the vehicle population ---- pretty amazing, so why do truckers take the left lane and ten miles to pass another truck --- just to keep fuel prices high, not hardly. Hell, in my 512TR on a road trip, I get 19mpg crusing at 90 or better, and all these SUV's/Pick-ups, while hogging the left lane, maybe get 12-13mpg at 80mph, and we in our Red cars are catching all the "heat" from the cops for going fast. Go figure ???

Here are some Web sites, if you care to check them out.

http://www.americanautobahn.com
http://slowertraffickeepright.com
http://www.driverightpassleft.com/
http://www.motorists.org/right/index.html

FORZA FERRARI !

 

Wow, those are some great sites!

When I lived in Atl, during rush hr it was much faster to simply take back roads. When its not rush hr though the traffic does flow well. I heard they have the fastest stretch of road in the country... 285 and something(?) were it averages 76mph! Here in the mid-west, everyone does the speed limit! If your doing 5 over you stick out like a sore thumb.

 

Those were some great sites. Passed them along to all my engineers and sales peoples (part of the problem on the roads I believe (not all sales poeple, just mine)) who also travel alot. Time to check my lottery ticket to see if I am buying an island and making my own road laws.

 

Malcolmb, Natalias sounds like it was after my time (Geeze, is everything after my time?), but I'll give it a shot next time I'm in the town that gave us James Brown. And yes, Cafe Annie is very good. There's better so let me know next time you come crusing through...

Best, Dale

 

I meet so many people in Atlanta (and elsewhere) who say "I can ride in the left lane as long as I am going faster than the speed limit". ARRRRGH!

 

Yeah, and you forgot those asshats kick up a kinds of shiz that spells the end to our very expensive paint jobs!! FOCKING BASTARDS !!

 

Hey Brian, I'm gettin' that deja-vu feeling !! Say, are you around tomorrow? Let me know. I was leaving the city yesterday and tried to call you 4 times.

 

Traffic in South Florida sucks too.

 

Yeah, without a doubt, traffic generally SUX most everywhere in the USA. I would have to wonder, with a national average cost of 27% of every gallon of fuel going to taxes, why our highways are in such poor condition and the average speed constantly falling. It won't be long before we can travel faster on a bicycle. Where is all this fuel tax going, and what is it being used for ????

History seems to repeat itself, and with the projected price of a gallon of gasoline rising to near $4, perhaps this will cause all these gas-hogging SUV's to disappear, similar to the very large American cars of the late 70's and early 80's, when the small Japanese imports began to eat into GM's and Ford's market share.

 

I'm ready to throw some tea overboard.

 

EXCELLENT ! Another Boston Tea Party is certainly required, IMHO ! Now, how do we organize this, but I am sure it will require a multitude of government permits.

For one thing, some of the fuel tax is being spent on highway monitoring cameras. There must be at least several thousand video cameras mounted around the Atlanta Metro area... and what do these cameras do for for traffic flow.... NOTHING.

Keep the Rubber side down...

 

I will be right beside you.

 

That is spot on, they are nothing but BIG BROTHER rearing his ugly head.