Were drivers this bad last year?

[Bill14564]

In just two days I've seen:

- A cart pulling directly into my path in a parking lot - at least I know my brakes work well
- A car nearly getting hit as it entered a roundabout without yielding to the traffic already there
- A car blocking both the crosswalk and the intersection to let grandma and the grandkids out
- A driver holding up a line of traffic when he didn't notice the red change to green - apparently driving wasn't his top priority
- A cart driving about 10mph down the cart path until my wife pulled out to pass, then it was able to speed up to 20mph to try and prevent the pass (and yes, it slowed back down after being passed)
- A Sumter County Sheriff's deputy pass me heading into a roundabout and pull away through and beyond the roundabout - I need to get my spedometer calibrated since mine was reading 60 as I was trying to keep up with him (and no, no lights or siren and he stopped at the next red light)


If this is any indication, it is going to be a long three months.

[Chi-Town]

The best is yet to come.

[ThirdOfFive]

In just two days I've seen:

- A cart pulling directly into my path in a parking lot - at least I know my brakes work well
- A car nearly getting hit as it entered a roundabout without yielding to the traffic already there
- A car blocking both the crosswalk and the intersection to let grandma and the grandkids out
- A driver holding up a line of traffic when he didn't notice the red change to green - apparently driving wasn't his top priority
- A cart driving about 10mph down the cart path until my wife pulled out to pass, then it was able to speed up to 20mph to try and prevent the pass (and yes, it slowed back down after being passed)
- A Sumter County Sheriff's deputy pass me heading into a roundabout and pull away through and beyond the roundabout - I need to get my spedometer calibrated since mine was reading 60 as I was trying to keep up with him (and no, no lights or siren and he stopped at the next red light)


If this is any indication, it is going to be a long three months.
Well, its early yet. Darwin will probably have some effect as time goes on.

But--yeah. Strange things be happening. Earlier today I saw a blue four-passenger golf cart on the path by El Diablo going toward Botello. I was coming out of Botello waiting for the green arrow so I could get the Rav4 onto El Camino. The woman stopped at the cart path stop sign. The arrow turned green and I proceeded into the intersection...just as the woman abruptly turned her cart onto Botello into the LEFTHAND lane! Far too close for comfort. The woman was greeted with a cacophony of horns. I doubt she had any idea she COULDN'T do that.

And no--no license plate or slow-moving vehicle sign on the cart.

[Michael 61]

I’m still new to The Villages, but so far I have yet to see anyone pulled over by the police for speed or any other traffic violation.

[MrFlorida]

The birds are back.

[Dotneko]

Just today we saw the cart in front of us go through the stop sign at the entrance to Richmond and force a dump truck entering the village from Meggison to slam on its brakes. Luckily the truck was empty because if it was full, the golf cart was road kill. Then, when the truck was screeching to a halt, the fool stops his cart dead in the crossing. If there are no gates up yet in a village, you have to be extra vigilant.

[Laker14]

I saw a nice one today, on Bailey Trail, between Miona Rec Center and Cane Garden...one of those streets that heads off towards Heron and Pelican executive courses. I am not sure exactly which one.

I was in my cart running from Miona towards Cane, and a car had pulled off, parallel to Bailey trail, but into one of those streets, blocking both lanes of traffic for that street at the intersection. Essentially, the car was exactly where a crosswalk would be if there was a crosswalk. The driver was checking his phone.

Now, you have rec centers, country clubs, and within a block or two is the Sunset Point Mail and Pool, but no, this guy had to pull off right there, parallel to Bailey, blocking both lanes of traffic on the side street, to check his phone.

[LAFwUs]

I’m still new to The Villages, but so far I have yet to see anyone pulled over by the police for speed or any other traffic violation.
and you probably wont, least on most roads within TV.
cant tarnish the utopian image and all that, people may stare. :shocked:

Depending on where you get the data, FL was ranked #10th worst overall for quality of drivers.
Tied with CO.
I guess we are at least not #1 (Mississippi)

States With the Most Irresponsible Drivers - 2022 Edition - SmartAsset (https://smartasset.com/data-studies/states-with-the-most-irresponsible-drivers-2022)

[Dotneko]

I’m still new to The Villages, but so far I have yet to see anyone pulled over by the police for speed or any other traffic violation.

Come down south. The Wildwood police are on Morse and Meggison regularly handing out tickets. They had a guy in cuffs the other day, so it was more than speeding for that one im guessing.
Reportedly, they stopped a woman doing 34 in a 30 and gave her a ticket.

[shut the front door]

The "visitors" who don't know where they're going, but pull up to the resident side with no card, then get out of the car to holler at the gate person to ask directions.

[Jim 9922]

Were drivers this bad last year? Probably.
Are the complaints about the same as last year? Absolutely, but maybe starting a few days earlier.

However, all of us Perfectly Perfect Villagers just smile down upon the mere mortals among us and accept their spurious transgressions as a fact of life for which we must be ever alert, watchful, and careful of our wellbeing and possessions.

In my opinion, such acceptance of the facts will make your retirement days much happier.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Today's adventure, in my car.

Got cut off by a guy riding an e-bike, coming in from the Boone Gate to take a left onto Paradise. He was coming from the direction of the rec center, didn't stop or even slow down. He saw me coming, and decided to take the risk. If he was pedaling without an e-bike I'd probably give him a pass for it. No excuse if you don't have to pedal your way uphill from the stop sign though.

Then, coming from the Santa Barbara medical plaza, took a left onto El Camino Real to the traffic circle. No one coming in from the left, and a golf cart was stopped on the outer golf cart path circle. So I went. And that was when the golf cart driver decided he'd go too. And cut me off.

Then going from Morse to Sumter, some idiot decided that 25mph in a 35mph zone in the left lane was good enough for him. So I figured okay - I'll just go around him on the right. That was when he realized he should probably get in the right lane. And turn signals are for other people, of course! So he cut me off.

On the way home from my adventure around 4:30, I was coming down Odell toward Morse, and a guy in a golf cart felt that he shouldn't have to drive 20mph or less because that rule is for other people. He decided to pass two golf carts that were going around 19mph in the golf cart lane, by shifting fast, directly in front of me. I had to slam on my brakes to avoid hitting him. He didn't even look.

That was just today.

[golfing eagles]

Today's adventure, in my car.

Got cut off by a guy riding an e-bike, coming in from the Boone Gate to take a left onto Paradise. He was coming from the direction of the rec center, didn't stop or even slow down. He saw me coming, and decided to take the risk. If he was pedaling without an e-bike I'd probably give him a pass for it. No excuse if you don't have to pedal your way uphill from the stop sign though.

Then, coming from the Santa Barbara medical plaza, took a left onto El Camino Real to the traffic circle. No one coming in from the left, and a golf cart was stopped on the outer golf cart path circle. So I went. And that was when the golf cart driver decided he'd go too. And cut me off.

Then going from Morse to Sumter, some idiot decided that 25mph in a 35mph zone in the left lane was good enough for him. So I figured okay - I'll just go around him on the right. That was when he realized he should probably get in the right lane. And turn signals are for other people, of course! So he cut me off.

On the way home from my adventure around 4:30, I was coming down Odell toward Morse, and a guy in a golf cart felt that he shouldn't have to drive 20mph or less because that rule is for other people. He decided to pass two golf carts that were going around 19mph in the golf cart lane, by shifting fast, directly in front of me. I had to slam on my brakes to avoid hitting him. He didn't even look.

That was just today.

In other words, a pretty slow day in TV:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

[kenoc7]

In just two days I've seen:

- A cart pulling directly into my path in a parking lot - at least I know my brakes work well
- A car nearly getting hit as it entered a roundabout without yielding to the traffic already there
- A car blocking both the crosswalk and the intersection to let grandma and the grandkids out
- A driver holding up a line of traffic when he didn't notice the red change to green - apparently driving wasn't his top priority
- A cart driving about 10mph down the cart path until my wife pulled out to pass, then it was able to speed up to 20mph to try and prevent the pass (and yes, it slowed back down after being passed)
- A Sumter County Sheriff's deputy pass me heading into a roundabout and pull away through and beyond the roundabout - I need to get my spedometer calibrated since mine was reading 60 as I was trying to keep up with him (and no, no lights or siren and he stopped at the next red light)


If this is any indication, it is going to be a long three months.

So this is all us 'birds is it? Rubbish - most of the bad driving I see, especially not using turn signals, is cars with Florida licence plates.

[bowlingal]

KENOC.....2 of my neighbors are snowbirds and both have Florida plates on their cars. FYI

[Two Bills]

Seems to be just a normal day in TV!

[Worldseries27]

in just two days i've seen:

- a cart pulling directly into my path in a parking lot - at least i know my brakes work well
- a car nearly getting hit as it entered a roundabout without yielding to the traffic already there
- a car blocking both the crosswalk and the intersection to let grandma and the grandkids out
- a driver holding up a line of traffic when he didn't notice the red change to green - apparently driving wasn't his top priority
- a cart driving about 10mph down the cart path until my wife pulled out to pass, then it was able to speed up to 20mph to try and prevent the pass (and yes, it slowed back down after being passed)
- a sumter county sheriff's deputy pass me heading into a roundabout and pull away through and beyond the roundabout - i need to get my spedometer calibrated since mine was reading 60 as i was trying to keep up with him (and no, no lights or siren and he stopped at the next red light)


if this is any indication, it is going to be a long three months.
did you not read the sign???

[donfey]

In just two days I've seen:

- A cart pulling directly into my path in a parking lot - at least I know my brakes work well
- A car nearly getting hit as it entered a roundabout without yielding to the traffic already there
- A car blocking both the crosswalk and the intersection to let grandma and the grandkids out
- A driver holding up a line of traffic when he didn't notice the red change to green - apparently driving wasn't his top priority
- A cart driving about 10mph down the cart path until my wife pulled out to pass, then it was able to speed up to 20mph to try and prevent the pass (and yes, it slowed back down after being passed)
- A Sumter County Sheriff's deputy pass me heading into a roundabout and pull away through and beyond the roundabout - I need to get my spedometer calibrated since mine was reading 60 as I was trying to keep up with him (and no, no lights or siren and he stopped at the next red light)


If this is any indication, it is going to be a long three months.
I don't think so. Fear of Covid, travel restrictions, multiple "tests," etc., kept some part-timers away. And yes, it's gonna get worse!

[mlmarr]

In just two days I've seen:

- A cart pulling directly into my path in a parking lot - at least I know my brakes work well
- A car nearly getting hit as it entered a roundabout without yielding to the traffic already there
- A car blocking both the crosswalk and the intersection to let grandma and the grandkids out
- A driver holding up a line of traffic when he didn't notice the red change to green - apparently driving wasn't his top priority
- A cart driving about 10mph down the cart path until my wife pulled out to pass, then it was able to speed up to 20mph to try and prevent the pass (and yes, it slowed back down after being passed)
- A Sumter County Sheriff's deputy pass me heading into a roundabout and pull away through and beyond the roundabout - I need to get my spedometer calibrated since mine was reading 60 as I was trying to keep up with him (and no, no lights or siren and he stopped at the next red light)


If this is any indication, it is going to be a long three months.

truly can be a nightmare, returning snowbirds/renters are older and not wiser when it comes to driving, plenty of new folks around, trying to find their way .. biggest thing keeping your eyes open at all times .. :plane:

[NoMo50]

In just two days I've seen:

- A cart pulling directly into my path in a parking lot - at least I know my brakes work well
- A car nearly getting hit as it entered a roundabout without yielding to the traffic already there
- A car blocking both the crosswalk and the intersection to let grandma and the grandkids out
- A driver holding up a line of traffic when he didn't notice the red change to green - apparently driving wasn't his top priority
- A cart driving about 10mph down the cart path until my wife pulled out to pass, then it was able to speed up to 20mph to try and prevent the pass (and yes, it slowed back down after being passed)
- A Sumter County Sheriff's deputy pass me heading into a roundabout and pull away through and beyond the roundabout - I need to get my spedometer calibrated since mine was reading 60 as I was trying to keep up with him (and no, no lights or siren and he stopped at the next red light)


If this is any indication, it is going to be a long three months.

Just wondering...did you type all of this on your phone while driving?

[Fastskiguy]

and you probably wont, least on most roads within TV.
cant tarnish the utopian image and all that, people may stare. :shocked:

Depending on where you get the data, FL was ranked #10th worst overall for quality of drivers.
Tied with CO.
I guess we are at least not #1 (Mississippi)

States With the Most Irresponsible Drivers - 2022 Edition - SmartAsset (https://smartasset.com/data-studies/states-with-the-most-irresponsible-drivers-2022)

I'm surprised Florida is ranked that high. It seems every time I get in the car I see somebody doing something I've never seen before. Get your defensive driving mindset in full functioning mode before taking off and look out for the crazy drivers, they are out there trying to crash into you.

"This guy will probably......whoa!!...yep, he sure did!"

Joe

(PS I've never driven in Mississippi though)

[Beyond The Wall]

If this is any indication, it is going to be a long three months.[/QUOTE]

I was wondering how long into 2023 it would be until the “snowbirds” complaining would start.
My bet is that at least 50% of those complaining where once snowbirds!
In 2015 Brownwood was going to be the end point of the villages. Now it’s the middle. Increased size = increased traffic and events. If you desire a quieter place there are many in the surrounding the area.

[NotGolfer]

There's the renters along with "snow-birds".....new people who don't know where anything is yet are among us. We'll see all of this (bad traffic habits) probably up through Easter, which is in early April this year. Defensive driving is "key" to being safe. Now for my addition to what we've seen in the past few days were grandkids driving and probably not 14 yrs old yet. One pulled out from a side-street with Nana next to her. She had a hard time keeping the wheels straight (swerving) as well as operating the turn-signal at the same time. THAT was on Stillwater headed towards Lake Sumter.

[Romad]

What I’ve seen a lot lately are people too lazy to use a bridge or tunnel. For example, crossing 441 at the hospital (almost a spectacular accident) and someone else driving down CR 101 instead of using the multi-model trail and tunnel next to it.

So far, I’ve only seen a couple get lost and drive on Buena Vista. Now that the renters are here, expect the number of golf cart crashes to skyrocket.

[Bay Kid]

In just two days I've seen:

- A cart pulling directly into my path in a parking lot - at least I know my brakes work well
- A car nearly getting hit as it entered a roundabout without yielding to the traffic already there
- A car blocking both the crosswalk and the intersection to let grandma and the grandkids out
- A driver holding up a line of traffic when he didn't notice the red change to green - apparently driving wasn't his top priority
- A cart driving about 10mph down the cart path until my wife pulled out to pass, then it was able to speed up to 20mph to try and prevent the pass (and yes, it slowed back down after being passed)
- A Sumter County Sheriff's deputy pass me heading into a roundabout and pull away through and beyond the roundabout - I need to get my spedometer calibrated since mine was reading 60 as I was trying to keep up with him (and no, no lights or siren and he stopped at the next red light)


If this is any indication, it is going to be a long three months.

I believe this is a year round problem.

[sowilts]

In just two days I've seen:

- A cart pulling directly into my path in a parking lot - at least I know my brakes work well
- A car nearly getting hit as it entered a roundabout without yielding to the traffic already there
- A car blocking both the crosswalk and the intersection to let grandma and the grandkids out
- A driver holding up a line of traffic when he didn't notice the red change to green - apparently driving wasn't his top priority
- A cart driving about 10mph down the cart path until my wife pulled out to pass, then it was able to speed up to 20mph to try and prevent the pass (and yes, it slowed back down after being passed)
- A Sumter County Sheriff's deputy pass me heading into a roundabout and pull away through and beyond the roundabout - I need to get my spedometer calibrated since mine was reading 60 as I was trying to keep up with him (and no, no lights or siren and he stopped at the next red light)


If this is any indication, it is going to be a long three months.
Was on the way home last night and there was a lot of traffic on Warm Springs going south across from Morse 44 intersection and the back up was someone in a cart on the right lane cruising along. Turned into the Fire Department and don’t know how he got back on the cart path. 😳

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

In other words, a pretty slow day in TV:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

There was also the guy ahead of me Morse and 441, right before I crossed 441 to get home to the Boone Gate.

He was in a golf cart. With a Florida license plate on the back. And no seat belt, no windshield wipers.

Obviously just put the plate there thinking "hey if I have a plate, it means it's legal right?" Because actual rules are for everyone else.

I break rules too. But not at the expense of other people. I drive faster than I should - as long as I'm not causing anyone else to move over, or get stressed. I reach for my water bottle when I'm thirsty. Distracted driving hm? But only when I'm either stopped at a stoplight, or on an open stretch of road with no other traffic.

In other words - I am a rule-breaker who has excellent spatial awareness, and intention of action.

Not just some POS who doesn't care that there are other people around and maybe his actions are going to create problems.

[ThirdOfFive]

So this is all us 'birds is it? Rubbish - most of the bad driving I see, especially not using turn signals, is cars with Florida licence plates.
Don't see anywhere in this discussion where snowbirds are being blamed for all the traffic faux pas we see. Fulltime Villagers are certainly capable of boneheadedness on steroids when it comes to driving; golf carts and automobiles.

But it takes time to learn the ropes--AND the paths. One thing you'll see here now through March are carts on streets where they're not allowed. We see 'em in the summer too, just not nearly as often. Another thing that increases this time of year are carts not yielding to automobile traffic at those intersections leading into or out of this-or-that village, where the carts cross the streets.

And one more that seems to increase this time of year; people stopping on the paths to use their phones. I see people using their phones all the time, but the permanent residents soon learn to pull completely off the path onto the grass. I've stopped at a few of the ones using their phones on the path and asked if they needed help; in most instances they were lost and either calling someone for directions or using their phone GPS. Told 'em to pull off the path and I'd give them directions.

It is to everyone's benefit for new people (Villagers, renters, snowbirds, guests) to educate themselves on The Villages golf cart rules. Many, however, apparently neglect to do that.

[Whitley]

It is to everyone's benefit for new people (Villagers, renters, snowbirds, guests) to educate themselves on The Villages golf cart rules. Many, however, apparently neglect to do that.

There are rules?

[jimjamuser]

In just two days I've seen:

- A cart pulling directly into my path in a parking lot - at least I know my brakes work well
- A car nearly getting hit as it entered a roundabout without yielding to the traffic already there
- A car blocking both the crosswalk and the intersection to let grandma and the grandkids out
- A driver holding up a line of traffic when he didn't notice the red change to green - apparently driving wasn't his top priority
- A cart driving about 10mph down the cart path until my wife pulled out to pass, then it was able to speed up to 20mph to try and prevent the pass (and yes, it slowed back down after being passed)
- A Sumter County Sheriff's deputy pass me heading into a roundabout and pull away through and beyond the roundabout - I need to get my spedometer calibrated since mine was reading 60 as I was trying to keep up with him (and no, no lights or siren and he stopped at the next red light)


If this is any indication, it is going to be a long three months.
That really IS pretty bad about the Sheriff's Deputy speeding ! I have been posting for about 2 months that I feel that AFTER the pandemic (which is still here) ......after the Pandemic's main early part, speeding and aggressive, dangerous driving have INCREASED. I assume that there are some psychological factors at play. Maybe people are subconsciously trying to get their time and lives BACK? I have seen many cars and workers' trucks go by my front yard at 35 to 60 MPH (estimated) in a 25 MPH zone. I also see loud (muffler removed) and jacked up governors in golf carts going up to 50 MPH.

I can SOMEWHAT understand the worker-bees speeding, but the older seniors in cars and golf carts.......I don't fathom that. Older people injure easier and should have gained better sense from their life experience.

[golfing eagles]

It is to everyone's benefit for new people (Villagers, renters, snowbirds, guests) to educate themselves on The Villages golf cart rules. Many, however, apparently neglect to do that.

There are rules?

Yes, and badges

No, wait a minute-----we don't need no schtinkin' badtchez

[jimjamuser]

I’m still new to The Villages, but so far I have yet to see anyone pulled over by the police for speed or any other traffic violation.
That IS 90% of the problem.

[DonH57]

Recently observed younger couple in a rental cart northbound on Morse decide to make a left turn onto San Marino from the cart lane. Thankfully the car coming up on them was able to avoid nailing them.

[jimjamuser]

and you probably wont, least on most roads within TV.
cant tarnish the utopian image and all that, people may stare. :shocked:

Depending on where you get the data, FL was ranked #10th worst overall for quality of drivers.
Tied with CO.
I guess we are at least not #1 (Mississippi)

States With the Most Irresponsible Drivers - 2022 Edition - SmartAsset (https://smartasset.com/data-studies/states-with-the-most-irresponsible-drivers-2022)
"People may stare"....but, at least, other people won't get DEAD and be staring down from heaven. I would rather be alive and have traffic cameras and Police everywhere. More Police SHOULD (?) in a normal world give senior citizens MORE peace of mind. Maybe we need a go-fund-me-for-safety drive to beg for the money to pay for more Police and cameras. And that would be picked up by national news. I can just hear a Fox news anchor saying, " have pity on your poor grandparents who are living in that danger zone known as The Villages, Fl. - effectively ruining their golden years"!

[jimjamuser]

Today's adventure, in my car.

Got cut off by a guy riding an e-bike, coming in from the Boone Gate to take a left onto Paradise. He was coming from the direction of the rec center, didn't stop or even slow down. He saw me coming, and decided to take the risk. If he was pedaling without an e-bike I'd probably give him a pass for it. No excuse if you don't have to pedal your way uphill from the stop sign though.

Then, coming from the Santa Barbara medical plaza, took a left onto El Camino Real to the traffic circle. No one coming in from the left, and a golf cart was stopped on the outer golf cart path circle. So I went. And that was when the golf cart driver decided he'd go too. And cut me off.

Then going from Morse to Sumter, some idiot decided that 25mph in a 35mph zone in the left lane was good enough for him. So I figured okay - I'll just go around him on the right. That was when he realized he should probably get in the right lane. And turn signals are for other people, of course! So he cut me off.

On the way home from my adventure around 4:30, I was coming down Odell toward Morse, and a guy in a golf cart felt that he shouldn't have to drive 20mph or less because that rule is for other people. He decided to pass two golf carts that were going around 19mph in the golf cart lane, by shifting fast, directly in front of me. I had to slam on my brakes to avoid hitting him. He didn't even look.

That was just today.
And people are worried about driverless cars in the future. They will probably be MUCH safer than our local HUMAN drivers. Maybe residents of The Villages need to drive BUMPER CARS with extreme padding.

[golfing eagles]

"People may stare"....but, at least, other people won't get DEAD and be staring down from heaven. I would rather be alive and have traffic cameras and Police everywhere. More Police SHOULD (?) in a normal world give senior citizens MORE peace of mind. Maybe we need a go-fund-me-for-safety drive to beg for the money to pay for more Police and cameras. And that would be picked up by national news. I can just hear a Fox news anchor saying, " have pity on your poor grandparents who are living in that danger zone known as The Villages, Fl. - effectively ruining their golden years"!

Thank you, Mr. Orwell. Welcome to Oceania!

[jimjamuser]

There was also the guy ahead of me Morse and 441, right before I crossed 441 to get home to the Boone Gate.

He was in a golf cart. With a Florida license plate on the back. And no seat belt, no windshield wipers.

Obviously just put the plate there thinking "hey if I have a plate, it means it's legal right?" Because actual rules are for everyone else.

I break rules too. But not at the expense of other people. I drive faster than I should - as long as I'm not causing anyone else to move over, or get stressed. I reach for my water bottle when I'm thirsty. Distracted driving hm? But only when I'm either stopped at a stoplight, or on an open stretch of road with no other traffic.

In other words - I am a rule-breaker who has excellent spatial awareness, and intention of action.

Not just some POS who doesn't care that there are other people around and maybe his actions are going to create problems.
Those NASTY POSs, one can NOT hate them enough!

[jimjamuser]

I forgot to add, that maybe a ROBO-COP or 2 would be a nice touch.

[NoMoSno]

I also see loud (muffler removed) and jacked up governors in golf carts going up to 50 MPH.

Really??...50mph in a golf cart??...:a20:

[jimjamuser]

Yes, 50 MPH....... that is my observation. And with no mufflers. I WISH that it were NOT so. It leads to accidents, injuries, and deaths. I have been told by medical professionals that about 25% of all head injuries at rehab centers are caused by golf cars and motor vehicles in The Villages. Remember seniors are more fragile than your 25 to 35 year-olds - maybe there are a lot of seniors that believe (in their minds) that they are invulnerable - but that ain't happening.
.....I, for one, do NOT believe that the Police of The Villages are doing ENOUGH to PROTECT and SERVE the Seniors of The Villages. That is one reason WHY we have to even SEE a thread like this in recent years. To me, there may be several reasons other than lax law enforcement for this CONTINUING problem. I have suggested that another is psychological factors arising out of the LARGE problem caused by the Covid Pandemic such as early action and solutions and to this day, NOT completely stopping it - and now allowing it to increase. I wonder whether there are any STUDIES linking Covid to dangerous everyday behavior like bad and/or impaired driving. I will try to look that up.
..........If anyone else has any thoughts on the causes of recent bad driving, I would be glad to read about them.I am NOT in the pretend that it doesn't exist, just live your life and don't worry, or there are NO solutions ......CAMP.

[jimjamuser]

Yes, 50 MPH....... that is my observation. And with no mufflers. I WISH that it were NOT so. It leads to accidents, injuries, and deaths. I have been told by medical professionals that about 25% of all head injuries at rehab centers are caused by golf cars and motor vehicles in The Villages. Remember seniors are more fragile than your 25 to 35 year-olds - maybe there are a lot of seniors that believe (in their minds) that they are invulnerable - but that ain't happening.
.....I, for one, do NOT believe that the Police of The Villages are doing ENOUGH to PROTECT and SERVE the Seniors of The Villages. That is one reason WHY we have to even SEE a thread like this in recent years. To me, there may be several reasons other than lax law enforcement for this CONTINUING problem. I have suggested that another is psychological factors arising out of the LARGE problem caused by the Covid Pandemic such as early action and solutions and to this day, NOT completely stopping it - and now allowing it to increase. I wonder whether there are any STUDIES linking Covid to dangerous everyday behavior like bad and/or impaired driving. I will try to look that up.
..........If anyone else has any thoughts on the causes of recent bad driving, I would be glad to read about them.I am NOT in the pretend that it doesn't exist, just live your life and don't worry, or there are NO solutions ......CAMP.
I found one definitive article in AAA news. Dr. David Wang stated, "Our research at the AAA Foundation finds that higher-risk motorists (mostly male) accounted for a greater share of drivers during the pandemic than before." I, myself would assume that those high-risk motorists continued after the Pandemic to drive badly and they may have provided LEADERSHIP toward continued bad driving behavior.

There also may have been lax enforcement after the Pandemic and fewer Police in uniform.

[ThirdOfFive]

"People may stare"....but, at least, other people won't get DEAD and be staring down from heaven. I would rather be alive and have traffic cameras and Police everywhere. More Police SHOULD (?) in a normal world give senior citizens MORE peace of mind. Maybe we need a go-fund-me-for-safety drive to beg for the money to pay for more Police and cameras. And that would be picked up by national news. I can just hear a Fox news anchor saying, " have pity on your poor grandparents who are living in that danger zone known as The Villages, Fl. - effectively ruining their golden years"!
"I would rather be alive and have traffic cameras and Police everywhere."

BINGO!!!!!

[JMintzer]

Really??...50mph in a golf cart??...:a20:

https://media.tenor.com/FfeH5Xw94cAAAAAC/things-that-never-happened-jeopardy.gif

[rsmurano]

There are bad drivers here year round but there are just many more of them now. Everybody claims that the worst drivers are the speedsters which I disagree. It’s the people that drive much slower and always in the left lane so everybody has to weave around them which can be dangerous. Same goes for golf cart driving. You get somebody that drives 15mph and doesn’t want anybody to pass, their cart magically goes 20+ when somebody wants to pass.
Then don’t get me started on driving in the roundabouts.

[midiwiz]

KENOC.....2 of my neighbors are snowbirds and both have Florida plates on their cars. FYI

nothing wrong with that, I've done it. It definitely helps with replacing windshields.

[midiwiz]

Really??...50mph in a golf cart??...:a20:

Then it wouldn't be a stock cart, the stock engine max speed is 35.

[golfing eagles]

There are bad drivers here year round but there are just many more of them now. Everybody claims that the worst drivers are the speedsters which I disagree. It’s the people that drive much slower and always in the left lane so everybody has to weave around them which can be dangerous. Same goes for golf cart driving. You get somebody that drives 15mph and doesn’t want anybody to pass, their cart magically goes 20+ when somebody wants to pass.
Then don’t get me started on driving in the roundabouts.

Absolutely correct!!!!!

The number 1 cause of accidents on interstates and other high-speed roads is SLOW DRIVING. Now, these bozos don't often get directly involved in the accident they caused, but they create it by forcing other drivers to go around what is essentially a road obstruction and artificially creating a 2:1 or 3:2 merge where there should be none.

Now, inevitably, someone will follow with a post of: "be patient" or "what's the hurry, we're retired" But who in their right mind (other than a like-minded idiot) would stay behind someone going 50 in a 70 zone?

As far as the cart drivers go----I agree----amazing how many that want to lead a parade down a MMP at 14 mph speed up to over 20 when getting passed.

[rsmurano]

Absolutely correct!!!!!

The number 1 cause of accidents on interstates and other high-speed roads is SLOW DRIVING. Now, these bozos don't often get directly involved in the accident they caused, but they create it by forcing other drivers to go around what is essentially a road obstruction and artificially creating a 2:1 or 3:2 merge where there should be none.

Now, inevitably, someone will follow with a post of: "be patient" or "what's the hurry, we're retired" But who in their right mind (other than a like-minded idiot) would stay behind someone going 50 in a 70 zone?

As far as the cart drivers go----I agree----amazing how many that want to lead a parade down a MMP at 14 mph speed up to over 20 when getting passed.

I agree with you about people saying to slow down, look at the scenery, you’re retired, blah blah blah.
There are things called appointments that have a set time to be there: dentist, dr, t times, and others. I’m not leaving the house an hour earlier and I’m sure that if I tell a dr the reason I’m late is because somebody can’t go over 14mph in their golf cart, I’m sure they will understand.

[golfing eagles]

I agree with you about people saying to slow down, look at the scenery, you’re retired, blah blah blah.
There are things called appointments that have a set time to be there: dentist, dr, t times, and others. I’m not leaving the house an hour earlier and I’m sure that if I tell a dr the reason I’m late is because somebody can’t go over 14mph in their golf cart, I’m sure they will understand.

But they can and do because they are "entitled"

[ThirdOfFive]

Absolutely correct!!!!!

The number 1 cause of accidents on interstates and other high-speed roads is SLOW DRIVING. Now, these bozos don't often get directly involved in the accident they caused, but they create it by forcing other drivers to go around what is essentially a road obstruction and artificially creating a 2:1 or 3:2 merge where there should be none.

Now, inevitably, someone will follow with a post of: "be patient" or "what's the hurry, we're retired" But who in their right mind (other than a like-minded idiot) would stay behind someone going 50 in a 70 zone?

As far as the cart drivers go----I agree----amazing how many that want to lead a parade down a MMP at 14 mph speed up to over 20 when getting passed.
Actually according to the National Safety Council, vehicles that are speeding cause the most fatalities, at a rate of well over two to one over the second-place cause, Careless driving. Other causes, in order, are:


Failure to yield right-of-way;
Improper lane usage;
Erratic, reckless or negligent driving;
Failure to obey traffic signs, devices or officers;
Overcorrecting;
Going the wrong way in one-way traffic;
Improper or erratic lane change;
Following improperly;
Aggressive driving/road rage;
Improper turn;
Passing with insufficient distance or visibility; and
Stopping in roadway.

It is amazing just how many people believe that speeding is not the Number One cause of traffic fatalities. But it stands to reason. You can break the laws of traffic. You CANNOT break the laws of physics.

Speed kills.

[bark4me]

In just two days I've seen:

- A cart pulling directly into my path in a parking lot - at least I know my brakes work well
- A car nearly getting hit as it entered a roundabout without yielding to the traffic already there
- A car blocking both the crosswalk and the intersection to let grandma and the grandkids out
- A driver holding up a line of traffic when he didn't notice the red change to green - apparently driving wasn't his top priority
- A cart driving about 10mph down the cart path until my wife pulled out to pass, then it was able to speed up to 20mph to try and prevent the pass (and yes, it slowed back down after being passed)
- A Sumter County Sheriff's deputy pass me heading into a roundabout and pull away through and beyond the roundabout - I need to get my spedometer calibrated since mine was reading 60 as I was trying to keep up with him (and no, no lights or siren and he stopped at the next red light)


If this is any indication, it is going to be a long three months.
Welcome to snowbird season

[Deden]

Everyday!!! where have you been!!!

[Whitley]

[QUOTE=jimjamuser;2172964]I wonder whether there are any STUDIES linking Covid to dangerous everyday behavior like bad and/or impaired driving. I will try to look that up.


That is quite a stretch; linking covid to bad driving. I know, maybe bad driving is linked to those who did not get the vaccine and the boosters. Perhaps we can petition insurance companies not to give policies to the unvaccinated. If we can punish them for not listening to orders, it would make me feel a bit better about having this experimental jab and still getting covid four times.

[Whitley]

We can petition the state to require the drivers test be taken every ten years or no renewal. I am not sure how happy that'd make the people of TV.

[golfing eagles]

Actually according to the National Safety Council, vehicles that are speeding cause the most fatalities, at a rate of well over two to one over the second-place cause, Careless driving. Other causes, in order, are:


Failure to yield right-of-way;
Improper lane usage;
Erratic, reckless or negligent driving;
Failure to obey traffic signs, devices or officers;
Overcorrecting;
Going the wrong way in one-way traffic;
Improper or erratic lane change;
Following improperly;
Aggressive driving/road rage;
Improper turn;
Passing with insufficient distance or visibility; and
Stopping in roadway.

It is amazing just how many people believe that speeding is not the Number One cause of traffic fatalities. But it stands to reason. You can break the laws of traffic. You CANNOT break the laws of physics.

Speed kills.

According to the National Sheriff's Association and the Teamster's Union, SLOW DRIVING creates unnecessary lane changes, which in turn leads to the real number 1 cause of accidents----failure to yield the right of way. Speeding is DEFINITELY NOT the number 1 cause, although speeding can lead to the other causes such as failing to yield the right of way. Still, I'd rather deal with a NASCAR champion driving 95 mph on I 75 than some bozo going 50 in the left lane

From the insurance industry:

"Driving slower than the surrounding traffic is more likely to cause an accident than speeding, according to research. Driving too slowly can make other drivers around you constantly brake and speed up. It can be frustrating for other drivers, cause confusion and could lead to an accident. Forcing other drivers to adapt to the slower speed could force the other drivers to possibly pass on the right side (if slow driver is impeding the center or left lane). Slow drivers can affect how others react to situations. Ex: waiting behind a slow driver to make a left turn, that driver takes too long and then you must react different and possibly make an unsafe judgement call. Other drivers may tailgate the slow driver, to “push” them along.

Why Do People Drive Under the Speed Limit?
One of the most common reasons motorists drive under the speed limit is because they are driving while distracted. Typically, drivers are distracted by cell phones. They are paying more attention to their phone and try to slow down to multitask. However, this is not safe and can lead to collisions.

How do we deal with slow drivers safely?
Make yourself visible to the slow driver by quickly flashing your lights at them from a safe distance to get their attention. If that does not work, you can use your car horn. A quick beep may get their attention. However, excessive honking and laying on the horn is not the way to remedy this situation. The constant alarming noise could also bother or startle those around you. When a slow driver is in your vicinity, you must be aware of everything around you and be patient and make a good decision on how to get around or away from the slow driver."

[Whitley]

"I would rather be alive and have traffic cameras and Police everywhere."

BINGO!!!!!

Kind of like a:police: police state. Maybe we can have some device inserted in all of our cars that will automatically notify police if we do something dangerous like, pass on the right or reach for a water bottle while driving. If it saves a life.

[Whitley]

https://media.tenor.com/FfeH5Xw94cAAAAAC/things-that-never-happened-jeopardy.gif

It had a flux capacitor.

[golfing eagles]

Kind of like a:police: police state. Maybe we can have some device inserted in all of our cars that will automatically notify police if we do something dangerous like, pass on the right or reach for a water bottle while driving. If it saves a life.

And carry with it a sentence of 20 years at hard labor in the Oceania penal system (2nd offense is a capital crime). Again, Orwell would be proud:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

[golfing eagles]

And carry with it a sentence of 20 years at hard labor in the Oceania penal system (2nd offense is a capital crime). Again, Orwell would be proud:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

Amazing how some people are in favor of the "nanny state". So much for individual responsibility

[Vermilion Villager]

since mine was reading 60 as I was trying to keep up with him [/B] (and no, no lights or siren and he stopped at the next red light)
WOW!!!! Am I the only one who noticed you just admitted you were doing 60 on a road in The Villages.....in the same post you complain about other drivers???? :BigApplause:

[golfing eagles]

since mine was reading 60 as I was trying to keep up with him [/B] (and no, no lights or siren and he stopped at the next red light)
WOW!!!! Am I the only one who noticed you just admitted you were doing 60 on a road in The Villages.....in the same post you complain about other drivers???? :BigApplause:

But he was doing it to show how unsafe the deputy doing 60 was :1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:
(perhaps the officer was responding to a crime occurring in real time by silent approach)

[Vermilion Villager]

In just two days I've seen:

- A cart pulling directly into my path in a parking lot - at least I know my brakes work well
- A car nearly getting hit as it entered a roundabout without yielding to the traffic already there
- A car blocking both the crosswalk and the intersection to let grandma and the grandkids out
- A driver holding up a line of traffic when he didn't notice the red change to green - apparently driving wasn't his top priority
- A cart driving about 10mph down the cart path until my wife pulled out to pass, then it was able to speed up to 20mph to try and prevent the pass (and yes, it slowed back down after being passed)
- A Sumter County Sheriff's deputy pass me heading into a roundabout and pull away through and beyond the roundabout - I need to get my spedometer calibrated since mine was reading 60 as I was trying to keep up with him (and no, no lights or siren and he stopped at the next red light)


If this is any indication, it is going to be a long three months.
BRAVO!!!! You do know you just admitted to driving 60mph in the vicinity of a roundabout....in the same post you complained about people's driving????? BRAVO SIR BRAVO!!!!:BigApplause::BigApplause:

[golfing eagles]

........It is amazing just how many people believe that speeding is not the Number One cause of traffic fatalities. But it stands to reason. You can break the laws of traffic. You CANNOT break the laws of physics.

Speed kills.

And yet another insurance citation:

"Here are four instances in which driving too slowly can increase your chance of a collision:

Driving slowly in the left lane
Refusing to use turnouts on a two-way highway
Not following the zipper method
Driving too slowly while distracted
Driving too slow on Interstates or limited access highways
Driving too slow at night or low light conditions
Driving in the left lane except to pass can create a dangerous situation like a traffic backup. A few slow cars can even lead to a traffic jam, especially if two cars are moving equally slowly and blocking both lanes of traffic.

Driving slower than the traffic that surrounds you is more likely to cause an accident than if you were speeding. Driving 5 miles per hour slower than the traffic around you is actually more likely to cause an accident than if you were driving 5 miles per hour faster than the drivers around you.

Slow drivers in all lanes can cause other drivers to weave in and out of traffic around you, which increases the chance of an accident."

So perhaps the posts should have read:

"It is amazing just how many people believe that speeding IS the Number One cause of traffic fatalities."

[Bill14564]

BRAVO!!!! You do know you just admitted to driving 60mph in the vicinity of a roundabout....in the same post you complained about people's driving????? BRAVO SIR BRAVO!!!!:BigApplause::BigApplause:

Not at all. I am sure the Sheriff's vehicle, including the spedometer, is much more well maintained than mine is. The deputy, charged with enforcing the law and likely trained in the safe operation of the vehicle, certainly would not have been violating the law or driving in an unsafe manner. With no lights or siren indicating an emergency situation (further evidenced by his stopping at a red light rather than proceeding through it), the Sheriff's vehicle should have been the standard for safe, legal driving. I wasn't speeding or driving unsafely, I was using a calibrated standard to reveal that my spedometer is incorrect.

[ThirdOfFive]

According to the National Sheriff's Association and the Teamster's Union, SLOW DRIVING creates unnecessary lane changes, which in turn leads to the real number 1 cause of accidents----failure to yield the right of way. Speeding is DEFINITELY NOT the number 1 cause, although speeding can lead to the other causes such as failing to yield the right of way. Still, I'd rather deal with a NASCAR champion driving 95 mph on I 75 than some bozo going 50 in the left lane

From the insurance industry:

"Driving slower than the surrounding traffic is more likely to cause an accident than speeding, according to research. Driving too slowly can make other drivers around you constantly brake and speed up. It can be frustrating for other drivers, cause confusion and could lead to an accident. Forcing other drivers to adapt to the slower speed could force the other drivers to possibly pass on the right side (if slow driver is impeding the center or left lane). Slow drivers can affect how others react to situations. Ex: waiting behind a slow driver to make a left turn, that driver takes too long and then you must react different and possibly make an unsafe judgement call. Other drivers may tailgate the slow driver, to “push” them along.

Why Do People Drive Under the Speed Limit?
One of the most common reasons motorists drive under the speed limit is because they are driving while distracted. Typically, drivers are distracted by cell phones. They are paying more attention to their phone and try to slow down to multitask. However, this is not safe and can lead to collisions.

How do we deal with slow drivers safely?
Make yourself visible to the slow driver by quickly flashing your lights at them from a safe distance to get their attention. If that does not work, you can use your car horn. A quick beep may get their attention. However, excessive honking and laying on the horn is not the way to remedy this situation. The constant alarming noise could also bother or startle those around you. When a slow driver is in your vicinity, you must be aware of everything around you and be patient and make a good decision on how to get around or away from the slow driver."
Actually, the progression is more like....slow driving causes impatience, which results in the person/people behind the slow driver doing any number of things that aren't safe, such as improper lane changes, excessive speed, passing inappropriately, and several other items on the list that was presented. But the PRIMARY cause is hazardous behavior and poor judgment brought on by excessive impatience on the part of the person BEHIND the slow driver, and the common denominator is speed.

What the poster appears to be saying is that he is not responsible for engaging in dangerous acts in his vehicle, if those acts are caused by him being impatient with the guy in front of him.

Sorry. I don't buy it.

[golfing eagles]

Actually, the progression is more like....slow driving causes impatience, which results in the person/people behind the slow driver doing any number of things that aren't safe, such as improper lane changes, excessive speed, passing inappropriately, and several other items on the list that was presented. But the PRIMARY cause is hazardous behavior and poor judgment brought on by excessive impatience on the part of the person BEHIND the slow driver, and the common denominator is speed.

What the poster appears to be saying is that he is not responsible for engaging in dangerous acts in his vehicle, if those acts are caused by him being impatient with the guy in front of him.

Sorry. I don't buy it.

Well, it's sort of like the chicken and the egg. The driver behind wouldn't be impatient if some idiot wasn't gong 50 in the left lane to start with, and the person in an accident with the impatient driver wouldn't have been hit if there's was more "patience" exhibited.

So, now for the key question: Why should anyone have to be "patient" with some idiot driving 50 in the left lane? It's a matter of interpretation---yes, the proximate cause of an accident might be the impatient driver, but the root cause is the clown going slow.

[jimjamuser]

"I would rather be alive and have traffic cameras and Police everywhere."

BINGO!!!!!
England has cameras everywhere and I bet that they have MORE Police in areas with high population density like The Villages - and they are not some anti-personal freedom country like Russia and China. Some parts of the US ALREADY have lots of cameras to prevent crime. Department stores and Walmart have had cameras for the last 60 years and that has NOT turned the US into a RAVING mad Communist country. I bet that Canada has plenty of cameras in large cities. And SOON in the future there will be cameras in the sky on drones watching traffic and spotting crime. That will NOT make or break The Villages into a socialist hellhole.
........The problem is that it would represent CHANGE and many people, especially the elderly RESENT change!
........More Police or more cameras could be BOTH a good OR a bad thing, just like Nuclear energy or rockets to the Moon or ANYTHING.........it is the INTENT and the application of ANY NEW idea that determines if its value is good or bad.

[jimjamuser]

Then it wouldn't be a stock cart, the stock engine max speed is 35.
Well, that may be true, but it is also true that there are a lot of residents here that had sped-up, modified, hot rods in their youth. And they have the knowledge, inclination, and TIME to accomplish hot-rodding a golf cart. Also, they like to tinker. What better way to revisit their youth than to BLAZE down a residential street at 50 MPH, while proclaiming their GREAT individuality and giving a finger to norms !!!!!!
......Look at all the customized golf carts around here. I think that that would prove the possibility of interest in hot-rodding. And think of the psychological THRILL involved in passing all those ordinary residents going the mere speed limit of the average golf cart.

[Kenswing]

England has cameras everywhere and I bet that they have MORE Police in areas with high population density like The Villages - and they are not some anti-personal freedom country like Russia and China. Some parts of the US ALREADY have lots of cameras to prevent crime. Department stores and Walmart have had cameras for the last 60 years and that has NOT turned the US into a RAVING mad Communist country. I bet that Canada has plenty of cameras in large cities. And SOON in the future there will be cameras in the sky on drones watching traffic and spotting crime. That will NOT make or break The Villages into a socialist hellhole.
........The problem is that it would represent CHANGE and many people, especially the elderly RESENT change!
........More Police or more cameras could be BOTH a good OR a bad thing, just like Nuclear energy or rockets to the Moon or ANYTHING.........it is the INTENT and the application of ANY NEW idea that determines if its value is good or bad.
You keep listing all these countries that do things so much better than us and how terrible we are. Yet you’re still here. Why?

[jimjamuser]

Actually according to the National Safety Council, vehicles that are speeding cause the most fatalities, at a rate of well over two to one over the second-place cause, Careless driving. Other causes, in order, are:


Failure to yield right-of-way;
Improper lane usage;
Erratic, reckless or negligent driving;
Failure to obey traffic signs, devices or officers;
Overcorrecting;
Going the wrong way in one-way traffic;
Improper or erratic lane change;
Following improperly;
Aggressive driving/road rage;
Improper turn;
Passing with insufficient distance or visibility; and
Stopping in roadway.

It is amazing just how many people believe that speeding is not the Number One cause of traffic fatalities. But it stands to reason. You can break the laws of traffic. You CANNOT break the laws of physics.

Speed kills.
That WAS a GREAT post. Very informative.

[jimjamuser]

[QUOTE=jimjamuser;2172964]I wonder whether there are any STUDIES linking Covid to dangerous everyday behavior like bad and/or impaired driving. I will try to look that up.


That is quite a stretch; linking covid to bad driving. I know, maybe bad driving is linked to those who did not get the vaccine and the boosters. Perhaps we can petition insurance companies not to give policies to the unvaccinated. If we can punish them for not listening to orders, it would make me feel a bit better about having this experimental jab and still getting covid four times.
Lot's to unpack there, but I will ONLY say that I gave a link (AAA news) and the Doctors name that DID make the relationship between Covid and higher TRAFFIC DEATHS and hospitalizations. If I remember correctly it was something like 7% higher. Please fill free to vent against AAA if so desiring.

[jimjamuser]

Kind of like a:police: police state. Maybe we can have some device inserted in all of our cars that will automatically notify police if we do something dangerous like, pass on the right or reach for a water bottle while driving. If it saves a life.
I would prefer the tradeoff of maintaining a life compared to the Great, wonderful convenience of drinking water while driving. Note......obviously I am exaggerating to PROVE a POINT.

[ThirdOfFive]

Well, it's sort of like the chicken and the egg. The driver behind wouldn't be impatient if some idiot wasn't gong 50 in the left lane to start with, and the person in an accident with the impatient driver wouldn't have been hit if there's was more "patience" exhibited.

So, now for the key question: Why should anyone have to be "patient" with some idiot driving 50 in the left lane? It's a matter of interpretation---yes, the proximate cause of an accident might be the impatient driver, but the root cause is the clown going slow.
Don't confuse the catalyst with the cause. I doubt that "well, your honor, the reason I decided to pass in a dangerous no-passing zone and by so doing forced that oncoming driver to take the ditch and then roll down the hill, killing him and his entire family, was because THE IDIOT IN FRONT OF ME WAS DRIVING TOO SLOW" is going to be much of a defense. It was YOUR action that caused the accident. No one has the right to engage in illegal and possibly dangerous or even deadly behavior because he is angry.

That is not to say that driving too slow, especially in a lane designed for faster traffic, is not dangerous. It is. But it is dangerous only because of the volatility of human nature, especially in this day and age. We are far too quick to anger, and thus far more likely to do something rash, dangerous or illegal, than if we kept a cool head. Even slow drivers will eventually exit, or there will be a stretch of road where you can pass safely.

[golfing eagles]

Don't confuse the catalyst with the cause. I doubt that "well, your honor, the reason I decided to pass in a dangerous no-passing zone and by so doing forced that oncoming driver to take the ditch and then roll down the hill, killing him and his entire family, was because THE IDIOT IN FRONT OF ME WAS DRIVING TOO SLOW" is going to be much of a defense. It was YOUR action that caused the accident. No one has the right to engage in illegal and possibly dangerous or even deadly behavior because he is angry.

That is not to say that driving too slow, especially in a lane designed for faster traffic, is not dangerous. It is. But it is dangerous only because of the volatility of human nature, especially in this day and age. We are far too quick to anger, and thus far more likely to do something rash, dangerous or illegal, than if we kept a cool head. Even slow drivers will eventually exit, or there will be a stretch of road where you can pass safely.

Don't confuse what would happen in a court with the real reason for the accident. I'm not trying to justify the actions of an impatient driver, especially one that causes an accident. I supplied references to insurance company studies that show that slow drivers cause more accidents than speeders. This is in response to all who post the inane "slow down, slow down, what's the hurry, we're retired" mantra over and over again. My point is that it is not all black and white. Let's face it, there is a spectrum of driving skills with Richard Petty at one end and the 95 year old lady who can't see over the steering wheel at the other.
Another study was actually interesting in that it pointed out that speed related accidents are not so much the result of absolute speed or lack thereof, but the difference in speeds that's dangerous

[jimjamuser]

WOW!!!! Am I the only one who noticed you just admitted you were doing 60 on a road in The Villages.....in the same post you complain about other drivers???? :BigApplause:

But he was doing it to show how unsafe the deputy doing 60 was :1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:
(perhaps the officer was responding to a crime occurring in real time by silent approach)[/QUOTE]
That is ONE possibility. I know for a fact that some Police get bored sitting and looking for speeders. They call in bets on dog tracks and etc. Then, when it comes time for shift change they speed and weave in and out of traffic......JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN. That is not to say all Police are bad drivers. I know of one retired officer (a nice guy) that made me tense up when I rode in his vehicle. He was passing a line of stopped cars in Nashville ON THE DIRT BERM when I had to warn him that we were about to HIT an obstacle. Then he proceeded to push back left into the line of cars. And we were in NO particular hurry. I thought about giving him a hint by wearing a helmet next time I was in his red sports car.

[jimjamuser]

You keep listing all these countries that do things so much better than us and how terrible we are. Yet you’re still here. Why?
Why ?????.....maybe I am waiting for a local fundraising drive to give me a ticket to Australia and a good part-time job there? We can all dream and have great goals. Thanks for the question.

[golfing eagles]

Why ?????.....maybe I am waiting for a local fundraising drive to give me a ticket to Australia and a good part-time job there? We can all dream and have great goals. Thanks for the question.

Is that far enough?????:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

[jimjamuser]

Don't confuse what would happen in a court with the real reason for the accident. I'm not trying to justify the actions of an impatient driver, especially one that causes an accident. I supplied references to insurance company studies that show that slow drivers cause more accidents than speeders. This is in response to all who post the inane "slow down, slow down, what's the hurry, we're retired" mantra over and over again. My point is that it is not all black and white. Let's face it, there is a spectrum of driving skills with Richard Petty at one end and the 95 year old lady who can't see over the steering wheel at the other.
Another study was actually interesting in that it pointed out that speed related accidents are not so much the result of absolute speed or lack thereof, but the difference in speeds that's dangerous
I can agree with "the DIFFERENCE in speeds being dangerous". But there needs to be a caveat that the problem would be especially grievous when the bulk of the traffic was going the speed limit (or plus 5 MPH) and the FASTER vehicle was WEAVING through traffic at PLUS 20 or more MPH.
..........Both speed kills and IMPATIENCE kills.

[ThirdOfFive]

England has cameras everywhere and I bet that they have MORE Police in areas with high population density like The Villages - and they are not some anti-personal freedom country like Russia and China. Some parts of the US ALREADY have lots of cameras to prevent crime. Department stores and Walmart have had cameras for the last 60 years and that has NOT turned the US into a RAVING mad Communist country. I bet that Canada has plenty of cameras in large cities. And SOON in the future there will be cameras in the sky on drones watching traffic and spotting crime. That will NOT make or break The Villages into a socialist hellhole.
........The problem is that it would represent CHANGE and many people, especially the elderly RESENT change!
........More Police or more cameras could be BOTH a good OR a bad thing, just like Nuclear energy or rockets to the Moon or ANYTHING.........it is the INTENT and the application of ANY NEW idea that determines if its value is good or bad.
I agree, and the reason I agree is that driving on public roadways is not a right. It is a PRIVILEGE. Like all privileges it carries with is some intrinsic responsibilities that the person exercising that privilege is expected to fulfill. Driving only if legally licensed to do so, for example. Driving ONLY if not impaired by some medication, alcohol, or chemical. Obeying the rules of the road while driving, and so on. Additionally these responsibilities are expected to be exercised at all times when the person is on a public roadway--not just when being observed by law enforcement.

I too would like to see far better enforcement of traffic laws--not just for the Mario Andretti wannabes among us doing 90 in a 55 mph zone or the kid blessed with more testosterone than brains eager to show of his jacked-up truck with the two chrome exhaust pipes belching fire and thunder by spinning donuts on 441, or the woman plodding along at 17 mph in the left lane while jabbering away on her phone, but for everyone. The technology is there; cameras to record the instances as well as the license plate number of the transgressor, with the entire tape shown in court should the transgressor decide to contest it. Red lights, speed zones, improper turns, improper passing--the works. Law enforcement that is impartial, provable, and comprehensive.

A lot of people would have longer lives as a result.

[jimjamuser]

Is that far enough?????:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:
That reminded me of, "to the Moon, Alice"!

[jimjamuser]

I agree, and the reason I agree is that driving on public roadways is not a right. It is a PRIVILEGE. Like all privileges it carries with is some intrinsic responsibilities that the person exercising that privilege is expected to fulfill. Driving only if legally licensed to do so, for example. Driving ONLY if not impaired by some medication, alcohol, or chemical. Obeying the rules of the road while driving, and so on. Additionally these responsibilities are expected to be exercised at all times when the person is on a public roadway--not just when being observed by law enforcement.

I too would like to see far better enforcement of traffic laws--not just for the Mario Andretti wannabes among us doing 90 in a 55 mph zone or the kid blessed with more testosterone than brains eager to show of his jacked-up truck with the two chrome exhaust pipes belching fire and thunder by spinning donuts on 441, or the woman plodding along at 17 mph in the left lane while jabbering away on her phone, but for everyone. The technology is there; cameras to record the instances as well as the license plate number of the transgressor, with the entire tape shown in court should the transgressor decide to contest it. Red lights, speed zones, improper turns, improper passing--the works. Law enforcement that is impartial, provable, and comprehensive.

A lot of people would have longer lives as a result.
One of the top ten posts that I have ever read here.

[YeOldeCurmudgeon]

The driving habits of people have gotten progressively worse as the number of cars on the roads have progressively increased. One contrast that suggests this is the way professional truck drivers drive today in comparison with the way they drove 30 or more years ago. Tailgating, driving far in excess of the speed, cutting in front of cars. And there are not enough police to enforce the laws. The only way they stop people is if they have radar or a speed trap set up.

[Whitley]

England has cameras everywhere and I bet that they have MORE Police in areas with high population density like The Villages - and they are not some anti-personal freedom country like Russia and China. Some parts of the US ALREADY have lots of cameras to prevent crime. Department stores and Walmart have had cameras for the last 60 years and that has NOT turned the US into a RAVING mad Communist country. I bet that Canada has plenty of cameras in large cities. And SOON in the future there will be cameras in the sky on drones watching traffic and spotting crime. That will NOT make or break The Villages into a socialist hellhole.
........The problem is that it would represent CHANGE and many people, especially the elderly RESENT change!
........More Police or more cameras could be BOTH a good OR a bad thing, just like Nuclear energy or rockets to the Moon or ANYTHING.........it is the INTENT and the application of ANY NEW idea that determines if its value is good or bad.

My first comment would be that using Canada as an example of freedom is not a very good idea. I also have an issue with drones following us and recording our movement. Each year we give up more of our freedoms in exchange for perceived safety. Currently there is a country using drones in the name of increased safety, the Chinese Communist Party. They have drones flying around their cities searching for the public breaking their lockdown. These drones are equipped with loud speakers, which transmit such patriotic messages like obedience to the government is patriotic. There is a segment of society here in the US that is willing, actually anxious to forfeit rights due to the actions of criminals. People commit crime, let's place cameras with facial recognition on every corner. Criminals use weapons, let us do away with the second amendment. Some illegally abuse drugs, lets make it difficult for cancer patients to secure pain meds. And if we push back, then we must have something to hide. I had blamed the younger generations (millennials and GenZ) for not standing up for their rights, It seems there are those from the older generations all too willing to blindly obey as well.

[Whitley]

The driving habits of people have gotten progressively worse as the number of cars on the roads have progressively increased. One contrast that suggests this is the way professional truck drivers drive today in comparison with the way they drove 30 or more years ago. Tailgating, driving far in excess of the speed, cutting in front of cars. And there are not enough police to enforce the laws. The only way they stop people is if they have radar or a speed trap set up.

Why do you think this is the case? What led us to where we are now?

[El Gout Toe]

"The older you get and as you have fewer and fewer important things to care about, you will notice everything getting worse until you don't notice any more."
-Willie Fystergash

[ThirdOfFive]

My first comment would be that using Canada as an example of freedom is not a very good idea. I also have an issue with drones following us and recording our movement. Each year we give up more of our freedoms in exchange for perceived safety. Currently there is a country using drones in the name of increased safety, the Chinese Communist Party. They have drones flying around their cities searching for the public breaking their lockdown. These drones are equipped with loud speakers, which transmit such patriotic messages like obedience to the government is patriotic. There is a segment of society here in the US that is willing, actually anxious to forfeit rights due to the actions of criminals. People commit crime, let's place cameras with facial recognition on every corner. Criminals use weapons, let us do away with the second amendment. Some illegally abuse drugs, lets make it difficult for cancer patients to secure pain meds. And if we push back, then we must have something to hide. I had blamed the younger generations (millennials and GenZ) for not standing up for their rights, It seems there are those from the older generations all too willing to blindly obey as well.
There is no reasonable expectation of privacy when accessing public roadways. What you are doing it the business of the authorities, and by extension the people whom they both represent AND work for.

Private home--private land--well, that's another kettle of fish. Nobody in authority has any business surveilling you there, and then only per established law and court order. My brother states that if he spots a drone over his place, he'll shoot it down. I fully support him in that.

By the way, he's an excellent shot.

[jimjamuser]

The driving habits of people have gotten progressively worse as the number of cars on the roads have progressively increased. One contrast that suggests this is the way professional truck drivers drive today in comparison with the way they drove 30 or more years ago. Tailgating, driving far in excess of the speed, cutting in front of cars. And there are not enough police to enforce the laws. The only way they stop people is if they have radar or a speed trap set up.
There is one MORE psychological difference between drivers today and drivers from 1990. For both professional big rig drivers and cars and trucks......there are more foreign drivers from highly populated countries like in South America, which are known for their "Kamakazi" dangerous driving. Add to that the psychological leftover effects from our peak Covid (as mentioned in the AAA news article) and we are getting to a pretty good understanding of the WHY behind today's bad driving. Add in the lax Police enforcement and we are agreeing that there are problems.
........I hate to venture into the area of thinking outside the box (since that is nearly universally despised)........but, I ALWAYS thought that cars and trucks should have bumpers on the sides as well as on the front. People should have the option to choose whether they want the maximum safety or the maximum style in a car. The Volvo comes closest to that concept by giving away some passenger inside width in favor of heavy structural doors. At least the older models did.

[jimjamuser]

My first comment would be that using Canada as an example of freedom is not a very good idea. I also have an issue with drones following us and recording our movement. Each year we give up more of our freedoms in exchange for perceived safety. Currently there is a country using drones in the name of increased safety, the Chinese Communist Party. They have drones flying around their cities searching for the public breaking their lockdown. These drones are equipped with loud speakers, which transmit such patriotic messages like obedience to the government is patriotic. There is a segment of society here in the US that is willing, actually anxious to forfeit rights due to the actions of criminals. People commit crime, let's place cameras with facial recognition on every corner. Criminals use weapons, let us do away with the second amendment. Some illegally abuse drugs, lets make it difficult for cancer patients to secure pain meds. And if we push back, then we must have something to hide. I had blamed the younger generations (millennials and GenZ) for not standing up for their rights, It seems there are those from the older generations all too willing to blindly obey as well.
China and the US are impossible to compare and NOT just because of Capitalism versus Communism - especially when China was moving toward Capitalism a few years ago. A BIG factor that most people forget about is that China is a relatively DENSELY POPULATED country and the US is much less densely populated. The US is lucky to have kept its population somewhat under control. But, then China is thousands of years older as a civilization than the US has been a country. If the US had the same population density as China, then we would probably have drones with speakers saying, " obedience is patriotic". Population density is more a matter of US and European citizens having better "luck of the draw" rather than having any intrinsic greater love of freedom.. ......the same can be said of Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
.......Speaking of Canada, I have visited several times and the last thing that entered my mind was that they had some lack of freedom. Their lakes seemed less polluted and their health care system superior.

[golfing eagles]

I can agree with "the DIFFERENCE in speeds being dangerous". But there needs to be a caveat that the problem would be especially grievous when the bulk of the traffic was going the speed limit (or plus 5 MPH) and the FASTER vehicle was WEAVING through traffic at PLUS 20 or more MPH.
..........Both speed kills and IMPATIENCE kills.

How about when people are doing the speed limit and some yahoo is in the left lane going 20 under it?????

[jimjamuser]

How about when people are doing the speed limit and some yahoo is in the left lane going 20 under it?????
Heartily agree. Driving slowly in the fast lane is bad driving skills and is illegal in Florida and maybe all states. It also shows LAX enforcement or not enough Police. It also brings up a point that caused some disagreement. Why not have I person with 5 screens in front of them monitoring 5 drones and having speakers saying to the slow one in the fast lane, "Hey, white Buick you must pull to the right lane or get a ticket." And it shows that ANY new TECHNOLOGY can be used for BOTH good or evil / totalitarianism. Take the internet, for example, in the beginning, everyone thought that it would bring societies together for better health, medicine, education, and basically better everything. That was true, but as the years crept by, BAD people found it easier to do BAD things. So, good or bad depends on social constraints, government constraints, religion, enforcement of laws, love or hatred of people, point of time in History, and so MANY other factors.

[jimmy o]

In just two days I've seen:
[LIST]
- A cart pulling directly into my path in a parking lot - at least I know my brakes work well
- A car nearly getting hit as it entered a roundabout without yielding to the traffic already there
- A car blocking both the crosswalk and the intersection to let grandma and the grandkids out
- A driver holding up a line of traffic when he didn't notice the red change to green - apparently driving wasn't his top priority
- A cart driving about 10mph down the cart path until my wife pulled out to pass, then it was able to speed up to 20mph to try and prevent the pass (and yes, it slowed back down after being passed)
- A Sumter County Sheriff's deputy pass me heading into a roundabout and pull away through and beyond the roundabout - I need to get my spedometer calibrated since mine was reading 60 as I was trying to keep up with him (and no, no lights or siren and he stopped at the next red light)
[/LIST
If this is any indication, it is going to be a long three months.


Ha, you think that is something. Yesterday I saw a cart going about 20 in the cart lane of ODell and a car pulling up along side going about 30 and they both pulled over for a passing ambulance. If that’s not weird enough, then they had the audacity to use their turn signals to pull back in traffic after the ambulance passed. Yikes, what is this world coming to?

[tvbound]

Actually, the progression is more like....slow driving causes impatience, which results in the person/people behind the slow driver doing any number of things that aren't safe, such as improper lane changes, excessive speed, passing inappropriately, and several other items on the list that was presented. But the PRIMARY cause is hazardous behavior and poor judgment brought on by excessive impatience on the part of the person BEHIND the slow driver, and the common denominator is speed.

What the poster appears to be saying is that he is not responsible for engaging in dangerous acts in his vehicle, if those acts are caused by him being impatient with the guy in front of him.

Sorry. I don't buy it.

"But the PRIMARY cause is hazardous behavior and poor judgment brought on by excessive impatience on the part of the person BEHIND the slow driver..."


Well said.

I am no longer amazed that so many people, especially around here, have the totally selfish/incorrect attitude of - "I have a right not to be inconvenienced."

Sure, being stuck behind a slow driver can be very aggravating, but is never justification for taking unsafe and idiotic actions.

[golfing eagles]

"But the PRIMARY cause is hazardous behavior and poor judgment brought on by excessive impatience on the part of the person BEHIND the slow driver..."


Well said.

I am no longer amazed that so many people, especially around here, have the totally selfish/incorrect attitude of - "I have a right not to be inconvenienced."

Sure, being stuck behind a slow driver can be very aggravating, but is never justification for taking unsafe and idiotic actions.

First of all, it is possible, even the norm, to pass a slow driver in a safe and courteous manner without getting aggravated or behaving in an "unsafe and idiotic" manner.

Second, "I have a right not to be inconvenienced."???? So why does ONE idiot going 50 in the left lane of I-75 have the right to "inconvenience" HUNDREDS of other drivers?

[TCRSO]

The simple answer is YES. We have seen cars on the golf cart paths; Golf carts on major roads and on sidewalks and; a long list of dangerous driving in cars and golf carts. It happens all year but we have more people for the next several months so expect the worse.

[JMintzer]

England has cameras everywhere and I bet that they have MORE Police in areas with high population density like The Villages - and they are not some anti-personal freedom country like Russia and China. Some parts of the US ALREADY have lots of cameras to prevent crime. Department stores and Walmart have had cameras for the last 60 years and that has NOT turned the US into a RAVING mad Communist country. I bet that Canada has plenty of cameras in large cities. And SOON in the future there will be cameras in the sky on drones watching traffic and spotting crime. That will NOT make or break The Villages into a socialist hellhole.
........The problem is that it would represent CHANGE and many people, especially the elderly RESENT change!
........More Police or more cameras could be BOTH a good OR a bad thing, just like Nuclear energy or rockets to the Moon or ANYTHING.........it is the INTENT and the application of ANY NEW idea that determines if its value is good or bad.

Who cares what England does.

The last time they tried to impose their will on us, we shot them...

[JMintzer]

Well, that may be true, but it is also true that there are a lot of residents here that had sped-up, modified, hot rods in their youth. And they have the knowledge, inclination, and TIME to accomplish hot-rodding a golf cart. Also, they like to tinker. What better way to revisit their youth than to BLAZE down a residential street at 50 MPH, while proclaiming their GREAT individuality and giving a finger to norms !!!!!!
......Look at all the customized golf carts around here. I think that that would prove the possibility of interest in hot-rodding. And think of the psychological THRILL involved in passing all those ordinary residents going the mere speed limit of the average golf cart.

The Possibility?

Earlier, you stated you witnesses it...

[JMintzer]

Amazing how some people are in favor of the "nanny state". So much for individual responsibility

Remember what Ben Franklin sais...

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

[VApeople]

the PRIMARY cause is hazardous behavior and poor judgment brought on by excessive impatience on the part of the person BEHIND the slow driver..

I think that is what happened near me a few weeks ago.

I was driving south on Buena Vista at 35 mph in the right lane. When I got to the roundabout at lower Bailey Trail, I decreased my speed to 20 mph, went thru the the RAB, and then started to accelerate to 35 mph.

A car behind me in the right lane must have been annoyed at me, so he cut over to the left lane to get around me. Unfortunately for him, there was another car in the left and they collided. In my rear-view mirror, I saw them both pull off the road.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Correct. It's not cameras that would turn the Villages and the rest of America into a socialist hellhole-----it's people and their woke ideas.

Winston Smith and Julia were in love with the cameras:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

Woke Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woke)

1
: aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice)

From Dictionary.com:

verb
a simple past tense of wake1.
adjective
having or marked by an active awareness of systemic injustices and prejudices, especially those involving the treatment of ethnic, racial, or sexual minorities:
In light of incidents of police brutality, it’s important to stay woke.
He took one African American history class and now he thinks he’s woke.
This generation of kids is trying to make woke choices in life.
Disparaging. of or relating to a liberal progressive orthodoxy, especially promoting inclusive policies or ideologies that welcome or embrace ethnic, racial, or sexual minorities.
Slang. aware of the facts, true situation, etc. (sometimes used facetiously):
The moon landing was staged. Stay woke!

First definition in urban dictionary:

Spiritual and intellectual enlightenment, like waking up from a deep sleep and seeing things clearly for the first time.
I never knew what really mattered in life. Now I'm woke.

Another awesome definition from urban dictionary:

Getting woke is like being in the Matrix and taking the red pill. You get a sudden understanding of what's really going on and find out you were wrong about much of what you understood to be truth.
I understand the extra burden it puts on you but I still feel everyone needs to get woke.

-----------------------------

Remember - the opposite of woke would be oblivious, or ignorant, or asleep, lacking conscience, myopic, blind, and in the extreme, sociopathic.

I'll gladly be woke, given the alternatives.

[jimjamuser]

I think that is what happened near me a few weeks ago.

I was driving south on Buena Vista at 35 mph in the right lane. When I got to the roundabout at lower Bailey Trail, I decreased my speed to 20 mph, went thru the the RAB, and then started to accelerate to 35 mph.

A car behind me in the right lane must have been annoyed at me, so he cut over to the left lane to get around me. Unfortunately for him, there was another car in the left and they collided. In my rear-view mirror, I saw them both pull off the road.
That is a good story about a situation of impatience. My pet peeve is when I am in the right lane on a highway or interstate and I am going 5 MPH over the speed limit because that is what most of the traffic is doing - and then I see some clown show person racing up to me to "bumper tag" me. I think that maybe some of these people MUST ACTUALLY believe that they are SAFER by being as close as possible to the car in front of them. This MERELY makes me just want to SLOW down so that they will pass me because I feel SAFER with a clown like that in FRONT of me. I wonder if the police hand out many tickets for tailgating - I don't think so - I think they ignore it.
........And when I leave adequate space between my car and the car in front of me, invariably along comes another clown that thinks that they have a MISSION in life to fill that space in order to tailgate that car in front of me.
.........Here is something that I have observed. If you see a certain car that made one bad driving mistake of some kind - keep your eye on that car and likely if you stay behind him for about 5 miles - you will see them make ANOTHER mistake. They seem to repeatedly make mistake after mistake.

[golfing eagles]

That is a good story about a situation of impatience. My pet peeve is when I am in the right lane on a highway or interstate and I am going 5 MPH over the speed limit because that is what most of the traffic is doing - and then I see some clown show person racing up to me to "bumper tag" me. I think that maybe some of these people MUST ACTUALLY believe that they are SAFER by being as close as possible to the car in front of them. This MERELY makes me just want to SLOW down so that they will pass me because I feel SAFER with a clown like that in FRONT of me. I wonder if the police hand out many tickets for tailgating - I don't think so - I think they ignore it.
........And when I leave adequate space between my car and the car in front of me, invariably along comes another clown that thinks that they have a MISSION in life to fill that space in order to tailgate that car in front of me.
.........Here is something that I have observed. If you see a certain car that made one bad driving mistake of some kind - keep your eye on that car and likely if you stay behind him for about 5 miles - you will see them make ANOTHER mistake. They seem to repeatedly make mistake after mistake.

Hey---one of your best posts and I can actually agree upon! Is the world coming to an end? :1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Remember what Ben Franklin sais...

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

Context is everything. That quote is often misapplied. Just a moment... (https://www.lawfareblog.com/what-ben-franklin-really-said)

It doesn't mean what you think it means.

[Calisport]

It seems to be much worse this year as soon as December rolled around. I saw a lady in a golf cart on Morse today. No license plate and going about 20mph south of 466A. Two carts not stopping turning right in front of me at a golf cart underpass by the Sarasota golf course.

[tvbound]

First of all, it is possible, even the norm, to pass a slow driver in a safe and courteous manner without getting aggravated or behaving in an "unsafe and idiotic" manner.

Second, "I have a right not to be inconvenienced."???? So why does ONE idiot going 50 in the left lane of I-75 have the right to "inconvenience" HUNDREDS of other drivers?


Since you purposely chose to cherry pick what I said, one can only presume that I hit a nerve...and you somehow saw yourself?

Here is my post in its entirety.


"But the PRIMARY cause is hazardous behavior and poor judgment brought on by excessive impatience on the part of the person BEHIND the slow driver..."



Well said.

I am no longer amazed that so many people, especially around here, have the totally selfish/incorrect attitude of - "I have a right not to be inconvenienced."

Sure, being stuck behind a slow driver can be very aggravating, but is never justification for taking unsafe and idiotic actions.

[golfing eagles]

Since you purposely chose to cherry pick what I said, one can only presume that I hit a nerve...and you somehow saw yourself?

Here is my post in its entirety.

Please show me the part that is "cherry picked", considering I hit reply and therefore copied your post IN IT'S ENTIRETY

And then tell me how a statement that refers to "courteously and safely" passing a slow driver has anything to do with "hitting a nerve" other than exercising caution when SOME IDIOT is dictating THEIR speed to hundreds of other drivers.

Lastly, don't "presume" unless you know what you are posting.

[golfing eagles]

Woke Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woke)

1
: aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice)

From Dictionary.com:

verb
a simple past tense of wake1.
adjective
having or marked by an active awareness of systemic injustices and prejudices, especially those involving the treatment of ethnic, racial, or sexual minorities:
In light of incidents of police brutality, it’s important to stay woke.
He took one African American history class and now he thinks he’s woke.
This generation of kids is trying to make woke choices in life.
Disparaging. of or relating to a liberal progressive orthodoxy, especially promoting inclusive policies or ideologies that welcome or embrace ethnic, racial, or sexual minorities.
Slang. aware of the facts, true situation, etc. (sometimes used facetiously):
The moon landing was staged. Stay woke!

First definition in urban dictionary:

Spiritual and intellectual enlightenment, like waking up from a deep sleep and seeing things clearly for the first time.
I never knew what really mattered in life. Now I'm woke.

Another awesome definition from urban dictionary:

Getting woke is like being in the Matrix and taking the red pill. You get a sudden understanding of what's really going on and find out you were wrong about much of what you understood to be truth.
I understand the extra burden it puts on you but I still feel everyone needs to get woke.

-----------------------------

Remember - the opposite of woke would be oblivious, or ignorant, or asleep, lacking conscience, myopic, blind, and in the extreme, sociopathic.

I'll gladly be woke, given the alternatives.

Nice definition of a useless philosophy and contrived term that 99% of the population couldn't care less about.

BTW, the opposite of "woke" is intelligent, constructive, and responsible

Care to define "jaberwocky" next?

[jimjamuser]

Nice definition of a useless philosophy and contrived term that 99% of the population couldn't care less about.

BTW, the opposite of "woke" is intelligent, constructive, and responsible

Care to define "jaberwocky" next?
A Jabberwocky is defined as a person in 1st grade that takes GREAT pleasure in jabbing the person seated in front of them in the butt with a sharpened pencil.
......a secondary definition is ......one who talks incessantly in a mindless and wocky manner.

[golfing eagles]

A Jabberwocky is defined as a person in 1st grade that takes GREAT pleasure in jabbing the person seated in front of them in the butt with a sharpened pencil.
......a secondary definition is ......one who talks incessantly in a mindless and wocky manner.

Exactly!!!!

[JMintzer]

Context is everything. That quote is often misapplied. Just a moment... (https://www.lawfareblog.com/what-ben-franklin-really-said)

It doesn't mean what you think it means.

An awful lot of "it appears that he meant" in that article...

[JMintzer]

A Jabberwocky is defined as a person in 1st grade that takes GREAT pleasure in jabbing the person seated in front of them in the butt with a sharpened pencil.
......a secondary definition is ......one who talks incessantly in a mindless and wocky manner.

Must... resist... commenting...

[DAVES]

In just two days I've seen:

- A cart pulling directly into my path in a parking lot - at least I know my brakes work well
- A car nearly getting hit as it entered a roundabout without yielding to the traffic already there
- A car blocking both the crosswalk and the intersection to let grandma and the grandkids out
- A driver holding up a line of traffic when he didn't notice the red change to green - apparently driving wasn't his top priority
- A cart driving about 10mph down the cart path until my wife pulled out to pass, then it was able to speed up to 20mph to try and prevent the pass (and yes, it slowed back down after being passed)
- A Sumter County Sheriff's deputy pass me heading into a roundabout and pull away through and beyond the roundabout - I need to get my spedometer calibrated since mine was reading 60 as I was trying to keep up with him (and no, no lights or siren and he stopped at the next red light)


If this is any indication, it is going to be a long three months.

I expect a reply is a waste of time.
There is you, there is your wife. Heck your chance of giving a speeding ticket to the Sumpter County Sheriff's deputy certainly has no merit.

RELAX.

[DAVES]

"But the PRIMARY cause is hazardous behavior and poor judgment brought on by excessive impatience on the part of the person BEHIND the slow driver..."


Well said.

I am no longer amazed that so many people, especially around here, have the totally selfish/incorrect attitude of - "I have a right not to be inconvenienced."

Sure, being stuck behind a slow driver can be very aggravating, but is never justification for taking unsafe and idiotic actions.

For all car drivers, bike riders, walkers, or whatever. You have control or should have control over what YOU are doing.

Stuck behind ALL should be aware they are not the only one on the road. I call them ASTRONAUTS the ones who think, no are sure, the world revolves around them. We've all seen them. I've see astronauts stop in the middle of the road, rather than pull over to talk to a friend. That one was most recent. We all tend to see the astronauts most people are not them.

[letue]

Hmmm, drive Morse and Meggeson regularly and never see the police.....

[Two Bills]

England has cameras everywhere and I bet that they have MORE Police in areas with high population density like The Villages - and they are not some anti-personal freedom country like Russia and China. Some parts of the US ALREADY have lots of cameras to prevent crime. Department stores and Walmart have had cameras for the last 60 years and that has NOT turned the US into a RAVING mad Communist country. I bet that Canada has plenty of cameras in large cities. And SOON in the future there will be cameras in the sky on drones watching traffic and spotting crime. That will NOT make or break The Villages into a socialist hellhole.
........The problem is that it would represent CHANGE and many people, especially the elderly RESENT change!
........More Police or more cameras could be BOTH a good OR a bad thing, just like Nuclear energy or rockets to the Moon or ANYTHING.........it is the INTENT and the application of ANY NEW idea that determines if its value is good or bad.

Nearly all speed cameras in UK have been deactivated, due to cost of running them.
There are cameras in cities to spot antisocial behavior, but getting police to attend and stop it is another matter.
Police will not attend a traffic accident unless injury is involved or road congestion.
Police very seldom investigate burglary ( unless a celebrity involved ) or malicious damage, just give an incident number for insurance claim.
"Green" protesters are allowed to block main highways and cause chaos with impunity. The Old Bill will even supply them with drinks if weather to hot.
They will send the Flying Squad for any perceived 'Hate Crime', and spend millions on investigations.
Last police car that I saw in our village I stopped and asked if they were lost. Didn't go down well.
Police in UK are only conspicuous by their absence!
Cameras can help investigations, but to the best of my knowledge there is no known report of a camera chasing down and apprehending a criminal!

[Fredman]

They are a year older.

[VApeople]

Heck your chance of giving a speeding ticket to the Sumpter County Sheriff's deputy certainly has no merit.


Especially since "Sumpter County" does not exist in Florida.

[jimjamuser]

I expect a reply is a waste of time.
There is you, there is your wife. Heck your chance of giving a speeding ticket to the Sumpter County Sheriff's deputy certainly has no merit.

RELAX.
I have the opposite opinion - the poster did his duty to the local society represented by this Forum by pointing out a problem. The 1st method of solving a problem is to give a clear definition of just WHAT that problem is.......in this case Police excessive overreach and destruction of the faith of local people in the JUSTICE shown by the Police. In a society where the Police have no scruples or pride, and THEY break the law - their VERY example will lead to MORE bad, aggressive driving OR even WORSE behaviors.

As to the idea that the 1st poster was wasting their time in evaluating BAD, Police behavior, I would say that myself and probably OTHER TOTV readers will remember it. Perhaps a reader even knows a local policeperson, lawyer, or county official that they could talk with about how OFTEN something like that happens.

No one expects that the speeding by a Policeman or even the local populace will suddenly improve, but talking about it on a TALK Forum seems like the RIGHT thing to do, to me.

[jimjamuser]

Hmmm, drive Morse and Meggeson regularly and never see the police.....
THAT is a good point and the 1st step in SOLVING a problem.

[jimjamuser]

Nearly all speed cameras in UK have been deactivated, due to cost of running them.
There are cameras in cities to spot antisocial behavior, but getting police to attend and stop it is another matter.
Police will not attend a traffic accident unless injury is involved or road congestion.
Police very seldom investigate burglary ( unless a celebrity involved ) or malicious damage, just give an incident number for insurance claim.
"Green" protesters are allowed to block main highways and cause chaos with impunity. The Old Bill will even supply them with drinks if weather to hot.
They will send the Flying Squad for any perceived 'Hate Crime', and spend millions on investigations.
Last police car that I saw in our village I stopped and asked if they were lost. Didn't go down well.
Police in UK are only conspicuous by their absence!
Cameras can help investigations, but to the best of my knowledge there is no known report of a camera chasing down and apprehending a criminal!
An interesting post and informative. Speed cameras may have been deactivated due to high costs. BUT, I wonder IF they did a GOOD, exhaustive COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS taking into consideration the cost of accidents, hospitalizations, and family suffering........AND just WHAT is the value of a living person to England's society?

It is pretty likely, barring an apocalypse, that in the FUTURE that cameras WILL be running, or rolling down the street chasing criminals.......where the camera is part of the whole ROBO-COP SYSTEM.

[JMintzer]

Nearly all speed cameras in UK have been deactivated, due to cost of running them.
There are cameras in cities to spot antisocial behavior, but getting police to attend and stop it is another matter.
Police will not attend a traffic accident unless injury is involved or road congestion.
Police very seldom investigate burglary ( unless a celebrity involved ) or malicious damage, just give an incident number for insurance claim.
"Green" protesters are allowed to block main highways and cause chaos with impunity. The Old Bill will even supply them with drinks if weather to hot.
They will send the Flying Squad for any perceived 'Hate Crime', and spend millions on investigations.
Last police car that I saw in our village I stopped and asked if they were lost. Didn't go down well.
Police in UK are only conspicuous by their absence!
Cameras can help investigations, but to the best of my knowledge there is no known report of a camera chasing down and apprehending a criminal!

Thank you for the lowdown on what is happening in England FROM SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY LIVES THERE!