Definitely off topic, but I can't help but respond to this with a rant. 

On Tuesday 11 January 2005 00:13, Kevin Brown wrote:
> > and of course driving with these people in the rain is funny. when we
> > have normal weather they drive like maniacs, when the road gets wet
> > suddenly it's dangerous.

It's not just when it gets wet that it is dangerous, though. 

> Roads are dangerous because idiots can't be bothered to think farther than
> 1 second ahead.  Wet, dry, cold, hot, doesn't matter they still drive like
> madmen. Diving across lanes, puttering at 45 when flow in 75, turning left
> from the right hand lane, turning right from the left hand lane, etc. 

Arizona drivers are, hands down, the absolute worst, most inconsiderate, 
most careless, most reckless drivers I have ever experienced in 40+ years 
of driving in 30+ states in the US and in England.  I lived here for three 
years before I saw the first Arizona Highway Patrol vehicle stop one 
of these lunatics.  The evidence of just how bad it is can be seen in 
the dailiy refreshed black skid marks cris-crossing the freeways and 
the absurd number of residue of crashes into the concrete barriers that 
can be throughout the valley, especially on 60 where I drive most. 

When we were in England last summer, I saw not one single skid mark 
nor one single barrier damaged from a crash in all the hundreds of miles 
we drove, even though the drivers do drive quite fast (and of course 
everyone drives on the wrong side of the road ;)) They have very few 
concrete dividers or barriers.  Most miles have none at all.  But the few 
dividers or barriers that they do have are old, undamaged steel ones 
that have obviously been there for a very long time with no recently 
replaced panels. 

Judging from the number of crash sites on Arizona's concrete barriers, 
It's hard to believe that there are any vehicles left on the roadway here. 
What is most amazing is that all these crash sites are every few feet on 
both center dividers and on the side-of-the-road barriers ... and not 
just where there are curves in the road, but they are also every few feet 
on the long straight-ways when there are 5 or 6 lanes across. Good grief! 

Since moving here four years ago, I have personally witnessed, 
at close range more collisions happen right in front or behind me 
than I saw collectively in my previous 40+ years of driving. 

The most disgusting part of this whole mess is that most of these 
crashes could be eliminated if the state would just use photo radar 
and mail out tickets to _every_ lunatic for every single mile-per-hour 
they drive over the speed limit.  Notice, that word is LIMIT. 

Sorry for the rant.  I've called 911 to report several of the most extreme 
offenders and I've written to the state highway patrol several times, 
but I get the impression that they really don't care.  I've had Arizona 
highway patrol vehicles pass me going 10-20 mph faster than the 
speed limit when they were just crusing along with no lights or sirens. 

Please friends ... slow down and live. 

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