Should Make Darwin Awards This Year

[scott]

Road-rage incident leads to deadly crash into Polk County business

HIGHLANDS CITY, Fla. (WFLA) - A 27-year-old man is dead after the vehicle he was driving smashed into a vacant business in Highlands City Friday following an apparent road-rage incident, officials said.

Deputes said Daniel Bagwell of Bartow was killed in the crash. The other driver, 22-year-old Brondon Manning of Lakeland, was not seriously hurt.

"We've got a 27-year-old man today that should not be dead," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. "They were reckless and as a result we end up with one person dead and all of this could have been prevented."

According to the preliminary investigation, both drivers had aggressive interactions with each other as they were driving south on US Hwy 98 South in Highlands City at about 10:45 a.m.

The two vehicles, an Acura and a Dodge Ram, made contact at the intersection of US Hwy 98 South and Cypress Avenue.

Both vehicles ended up on the side of the road where they hit a building. The impact sent the silver Dodge Ram southbound, while the Acura hit the side of the building.

https://www.wfla.com/news/polk-count...say/1287056734

Millenials are going to kill themselves off - or at least the stupid ones.

[Gingersnap]

Millenials are going to kill themselves off - or at least the stupid ones.

Trust me, the first 'road rage' thing happened about 10 minutes after the first car took a road filled with horses and pedestrians.

I don't "get" road rage personally since as long as the behavior has no impact on my car, I don't care. Cut me off, deliberately speed up when I'm signalling a lane change, brake check me until the cows come home - I don't care. I'll either take a different route or just pull over (or back up) until you are no longer a factor in my life.

I have zero need to prove my displeasure to a moron.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

Trust me, the first 'road rage' thing happened about 10 minutes after the first car took a road filled with horses and pedestrians.

I don't "get" road rage personally since as long as the behavior has no impact on my car, I don't care. Cut me off, deliberately speed up when I'm signalling a lane change, brake check me until the cows come home - I don't care. I'll either take a different route or just pull over (or back up) until you are no longer a factor in my life.

I have zero need to prove my displeasure to a moron.

These days I usually just curse and move on. When I was younger and my only or primary vehicle was a large motorcycle, I would sometimes terrorize stupid drivers by following them visibly (but not too closely - brake checking a motorcycle can lead to motorcycle puree) until they figured out how unlikely it was that we were just going the same way. In the kind of riding gear usually needed in the SF Bay Area, it's seldom immediately discernible whether a motorcyclist is male or female, as long as s/he is wearing a full-face helmet. It was fun to watch them go miles out of their way to avoid being followed home...I had lots of free time, and when I got bored or they pulled into a well-lighted, busy place, I'd just peel off and chuckle at having made them nearly piss their pants.

Yes, I did have a vindictive streak.

[Gingersnap]

I don't even curse them. It never even occurs to me. They are just morons and life is too short to invest any energy in moron drivers.

[Tom Servo]

Once again I seem to be the opposite of normal. People are hot as young'uns and chill out when they get older and wiser. I seem to be going the other way. As a stupid teenager I was known as an overly cautious driver for the most part, and never let crazy situations get out of hand. But now that I'm in my 40's, it's like something clicked in my pea-sized brain and now I want you fucks out of my way and off my damn road so I can get where I'm going in a reasonable amount of time. It's not like I'm in a hurry for good reason; I always try to leave early for appointments and just running errands, there's no set time allotment. But my brain acts like it's death if I didn't get where I'm going ASAP now.

All I ask is people to keep right, and do the damn speed limit. You'd think that's a couple of entirely reasonable requests, but it's a constant headache down here in Vacationland.

Locals have a tendency to go too slow because they are retired and not in a hurry, so the entire world should not be in any rush to get anywhere anytime soon. Tourists have a tendency to go way too damn fast on unfamiliar roads, possibly because they are excited/stupid/wanting to fit as much into their vacation weeks as possible. The dynamic that plays out between those two types causes a lot of road issues.

Honestly, I think the years living in semi-rural Mississippi broke me. Any time day or night I could light out in any cardinal direction and practically never be held up, inconvenienced or slowed down. It was all two lane rural roads but straight and flat for ample passing, with virtually no traffic even during peak commuting hours. Set the cruise to 60 mph and not have to touch the pedals for an hour or more. It was driving nirvana. Contrast that to our overcrowded, poorly functioning roads in Alabama, some running at 5x their intended capacity, and it's like being in a highway nightmare. It's so bad that even during snowbird season, there are tailbacks and jams as far as the eye can see. It's no wonder I'm this close to busting a blood vessel every time I need to go to the grocery store.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

Once again I seem to be the opposite of normal. People are hot as young'uns and chill out when they get older and wiser. I seem to be going the other way. As a stupid teenager I was known as an overly cautious driver for the most part, and never let crazy situations get out of hand. But now that I'm in my 40's, it's like something clicked in my pea-sized brain and now I want you fucks out of my way and off my damn road so I can get where I'm going in a reasonable amount of time. It's not like I'm in a hurry for good reason; I always try to leave early for appointments and just running errands, there's no set time allotment. But my brain acts like it's death if I didn't get where I'm going ASAP now.

All I ask is people to keep right, and do the damn speed limit. You'd think that's a couple of entirely reasonable requests, but it's a constant headache down here in Vacationland.

Locals have a tendency to go too slow because they are retired and not in a hurry, so the entire world should not be in any rush to get anywhere anytime soon. Tourists have a tendency to go way too damn fast on unfamiliar roads, possibly because they are excited/stupid/wanting to fit as much into their vacation weeks as possible. The dynamic that plays out between those two types causes a lot of road issues.

Honestly, I think the years living in semi-rural Mississippi broke me. Any time day or night I could light out in any cardinal direction and practically never be held up, inconvenienced or slowed down. It was all two lane rural roads but straight and flat for ample passing, with virtually no traffic even during peak commuting hours. Set the cruise to 60 mph and not have to touch the pedals for an hour or more. It was driving nirvana. Contrast that to our overcrowded, poorly functioning roads in Alabama, some running at 5x their intended capacity, and it's like being in a highway nightmare. It's so bad that even during snowbird season, there are tailbacks and jams as far as the eye can see. It's no wonder I'm this close to busting a blood vessel every time I need to go to the grocery store.

Do you have 24-hour stores? When HRH was an infant, I did all my shopping (in SF) between midnight and 2 AM (traffic on the roads and in the 24-hour Safeway picks up after the bars close). The baby was quiet (snoozing in the Snugli) and I mostly had the store to myself.

[Frostbit]

Do you have 24-hour stores? When HRH was an infant, I did all my shopping (in SF) between midnight and 2 AM (traffic on the roads and in the 24-hour Safeway picks up after the bars close). The baby was quiet (snoozing in the Snugli) and I mostly had the store to myself.

Those are the most dangerous hours to be out in Anchorage.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

Those are the most dangerous hours to be out in Anchorage.

Why?

[Frostbit]

Why?

Bars close at 0200 and rival whatever shoot each other. Crime up here has gotten much worse in the last 5 years or so.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

Bars close at 0200 and rival whatever shoot each other. Crime up here has gotten much worse in the last 5 years or so.

Oh, I thought you meant between midnight and 2. Of course, when the bars close, the drunks emerge and do what drunks do. If I'm not safe at home or another destination for the night by 2, I stay off the roads until at least 3. Frankly, my contempt for drunks knows few bounds at this point in my life.

[Gingersnap]

Honestly, I think the years living in semi-rural Mississippi broke me. Any time day or night I could light out in any cardinal direction and practically never be held up, inconvenienced or slowed down. It was all two lane rural roads but straight and flat for ample passing, with virtually no traffic even during peak commuting hours. Set the cruise to 60 mph and not have to touch the pedals for an hour or more. It was driving nirvana. Contrast that to our overcrowded, poorly functioning roads in Alabama, some running at 5x their intended capacity, and it's like being in a highway nightmare. It's so bad that even during snowbird season, there are tailbacks and jams as far as the eye can see. It's no wonder I'm this close to busting a blood vessel every time I need to go to the grocery store.

Growing up (or visiting) Wyoming ruined my mind for suburban/urban driving. I think that's why I just don't respond to crazy - learned helplessness.

There's no point. You will see the crazy constantly and there's nothing at all you can do about it without wrecking your own car or getting the police involved (not a timely solution).

It's just not worth the effort to get emotionally involved with moron driving.

[Lanie]

https://www.wfla.com/news/polk-count...say/1287056734

Millenials are going to kill themselves off - or at least the stupid ones.

Road rage activities and immaturity on the road is nothing new, especially with younger people.

[Lanie]

Trust me, the first 'road rage' thing happened about 10 minutes after the first car took a road filled with horses and pedestrians.

I don't "get" road rage personally since as long as the behavior has no impact on my car, I don't care. Cut me off, deliberately speed up when I'm signalling a lane change, brake check me until the cows come home - I don't care. I'll either take a different route or just pull over (or back up) until you are no longer a factor in my life.

I have zero need to prove my displeasure to a moron.

I have to be honest. On rare occasion, my middle finger as shot up.

[Tom Servo]

Do you have 24-hour stores? When HRH was an infant, I did all my shopping (in SF) between midnight and 2 AM (traffic on the roads and in the 24-hour Safeway picks up after the bars close). The baby was quiet (snoozing in the Snugli) and I mostly had the store to myself.

Just Walmart, and try to avoid that cesspool of humanity as much as possible. (I visited two last night, though, and walked out empty handed both times because of empty shelves.)

The only other things open all night are Whataburger, gas stations and Awful House.

When my schedule allows, I try to shop first thing in the morning: 6:30 for Publix, 8 for Target. It's mostly senior citizens that early so it's a pleasant experience all around.

Now, back when I lived in Birmingham… I did 90% of my shopping after 2 am, because that's when I got off work. Walmart, several supermarkets, Mediterranean restaurants, Arby's, Taco Bell, all kinds of stuff open 24/7. But not down here.

[Lady Marva]

When my schedule allows, I try to shop first thing in the morning: 6:30 for Publix, 8 for Target. It's mostly senior citizens that early so it's a pleasant experience all around.

EEEEEEgadzoooocks! Who gets up that early in the morning if they're not 90 years old and spent 50 of them in the military?