Improper Use Of The Turn Signal

Do you know what I hate?

It's people who drive who have no concept on how to properly use their turn signal.

No... I'm not talking about the dumb sap who has left his/her turn signal on and is driving with it clicking left for five kilometers. Rather, I am talking about people who truly do not know how to properly use a turn signal. And it freaks me out when I have to watch them drive.

The turn signal on a motor vehicle is to let people in your lane behind and in front of you, as well as in the lanes beside you, that you have the intention of changing lanes. It means you want or need to get into another lane. It means you may need to slow down to properly make the lane change or possibly even speed up a bit to make the lane change as smooth and safe for every one involved.

Let me present you with a scenario and ask you to answer an easy question.

You are driving along and you realize you need to get over one lane. There's traffic. What do you do?

Do you:

1. Just start moving over and hope for the best? 
2. Wait until there is an opening and move into the other lane?
3. Wait until there is an opening and then signal and move into the other lane?
4. Signal, and when someone lets you in, you move into the other lane?

These are obviously simplified version of the rules of the road... you should use the mirrors, shoulder check et al. 

If  you chose any option other than #4, you are a poor driver. I'll explain.

Option 1: How the hell did you get your license?Failure to signal is a good way to cut some off and possibly kill yourself or the person you are cutting off. Idiots.

Option 2: Again... no signaling? What is wrong with you? It's a courtesy to the cars behind and in front of you... you know... in case they might want to know if it safe for them to change lanes?

Option 3: What is the point? Yes, you are finally getting some manners by signaling... but why are you waiting until the coast is clear. On a busy roadway - like a Toronto rush-hour commute, it is never clear. You will never be able to change lanes. 

Option 4: This is how you safely and properly make a lane change. How many people actually do this? Surprisingly here in Toronto, not as many as you would hope.

On any given drive in and out of work, I will be cut off no less than three times. It's okay, though, because I drive like I am going to be cut-off, so my defensive driving prepares me to react. I also have great reflexes - like a cat! Meow!     

Look... I was no angel behind the wheel as a young man. I've taken my cars as fast as they will go. I've owned a laser-radar detector. But let me tell you... when you are traveling nearly 240 kph and you have a quarter-mile head start on a cop using a radar or laser on you... you are still going to blow by the cop at an excessive speed. You can not slow down fast enough. I was stupid and lucky to have never been caught. Or killed anyone - including myself.

So... I'm not a great driver... though I suppose since becoming a family man, I have learned how to be a better driver. Hence this rant.

But back to the hate... signal... await an opening... and make your lane change when you are sure it is safe to do so.

Don't forget to give the wave, either. 

Do you know what I hate?

It's the improper use of the turn signal. 

Talking On The Cell Phone While With A Friend

Do you know what  I hate?

I hate it when I see friends walking together but ignoring each other while they talk to other people on their cell phones.

How bloody rude is that? When did we become a society where the person we are with isn't worth talking to? And I'm not talking about married couples!

Seriously... take a good look the next time you are at the mall... or are people watching on the street. Check out how many times you will spot, for example, two women walking side by side - friends - who are on their cell phone chatting with someone else.

Too often.

I've had the displeasure of walking behind such 'friends', and listening to the most inane conversations going on between each woman talking to someone else on the phone.   

Why even bother hanging out with your friends if you are going to ignore them?

Think about it... you are showing the person you are with that they do not matter as much as the person you are chatting with on the phone. It's like call-waiting. Excuse me, I'm going to see who is calling me. Screw that... you have voice-mail.  

This whole ignoring of the person you are with is wrong. And people who do that are incredibly rude. It's as rude as being stuck in the middle seat on a bus, train or plane and having the two outside people carry on a conversation with each other as though you do not exist.

People! Turn off your damn cell phones and talk to the person you are with. Chances are pretty good you won't bump into other people (me) or get hit by a bus.

And! For! The! Record! The photo image above was taken by photographer S. Sharon Pruitt - and here's a link to her Flicker account. Should you wish to use it, just give her accreditation: FLICKER

Do you know what I hate?

I hate people talking on the cell phone while with a friend. 

Telemarketers

Do you know what I hate?

Telemarketers.

Here in Canada (Toronto, even), we have something called a "Do Not Call List" whereby we get to sign up on-line on a government sponsored phone list that means that unless we have done business with a company before, they aren't supposed to call you.

But that does not seem to dissuade a lot of companies who routinely utilize call center companies from other countries - say, India - to ask if I want my ducts cleaned. By the way, I am of Indian extraction, though I've never been there, don't speak the language or eat the food unless my wife makes me.

Now, if that was an euphemism, I might be interested, but it's not and it always seems to be men asking anyway. 

I don't mind that MY banks (plural) contact me. That's cool. But why am I getting a phone call for services from institutions I don't do business with.

I have call display - and no one really wants to call me here at home - so I know that excluding a long-distance call from Guelph, or a a number from a friend or two, an aunt and brother and father - no one else is going to be calling this house.

Upon answering an unsolicited call, I have tried to find out which company the represent, but get the run around - it's like they know they shouldn't give out that information, even though the call center is selling a company's services.

I've tried pretending I was the police investigating a murder scene - that one only confuses the call center, as they have no idea that what I am doing is a trick and keep going with their sales spiel. 

I have picked up the phone and immediately hung it up, only to have them call back again.

Sometimes, I stupidly pick up an unsolicited call, hear the empty silence for one second after I say "Hello", and then hang-up. It's because they have an automatic dialer... so these bastards are too lazy to even call me up themselves... I know that when I hear the sounds of momentary silence after my greeting that it's a telemarketer.

I even get telephone spam at work. At freaking work. We all do. It's a blast of a ships horn telling me that my ship is getting ready to sail and that I should be on a cruise.

I should be, but I don't need unsolicited calls like this at work. It's a recorded message, so I can't even yell at anyone. Does anyone actually ever write down the phone number to go on these cruises?

I mean... if these guys are so desperate to use a recorded dialer to leave messages at a work place, just how reputable a company can the cruise line be? I'm guess it probably uses some sort ff disgraced Italian captain to pilot the boat.

What? Too soon?

Here's what the Canadian National Registry has to say about itself:   

'Register My Number

In order to register on the National Do Not Call List (DNCL) personal information will be collected, used and disclosed by the National DNCL Operator in order to register, verify and de-register residential, wireless, fax or VoIP telephone number(s) on the National DNCL. The numbers registered by consumers on the National DNCL will be disclosed to telemarketers and clients of telemarketers and other subscribers to the National DNCL to prevent telemarketing calls to those numbers. The numbers may also be disclosed, on a confidential basis, by telemarketers and clients of telemarketers and other subscribers to the National DNCL to another person involved in supplying the subscriber with services to enable compliance with the National DNCL Rules.

In addition, personal information will be collected, used and disclosed by the National DNCL Operator, the CRTC and/or its Complaints Investigator Delegate in order to investigate complaints regarding violations of the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules, to administer and enforce these rules, and for audit and quality assurance purposes. Personal information may also be disclosed to Canadian and/or foreign law enforcement agencies for the purpose of administering or enforcing any law or carrying out a lawful investigation.

Should you wish to move to Canada and sign up for this - and hopefully it will work better for you than it does for me - click HERE and try your luck. 

Still.... do you know what I hate?

Telemarketers.

Rush Hour Traffic

Do you know what I hate?

Traffic.

No... not the awesome rock group featuring Steve Winwood. Rather, I hate the stuff that happens on the roads...

But not just any traffic, what I really, really hate is the incredibly incorrectly named entity known as "rush-hour traffic."

Talk about your oxymorons!

There is nothing remotely 'rush-like' about rush-hour traffic.

In fact, there is nothing remotely like an 'hour' for rush hour traffic.

For those of you that don't know, for traffic, Toronto is the fourth-most congested region in North America, behind only Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.

What's confusing, is that we are ahead of New York City... and NY is not even number 5! Nope... Number 5 is Houston! Houston! What the hell is causing all of the snarl ups there? A cattle drive? Sorry... that's unfair to the beautiful city of Houston. Except for the smell of oil in the air, Houston is a nice-looking place.

Actually, I have heard reports that say that Toronto is actually worse than LA.

I work about 28 kilometers (17.4 miles) from my home, and unless I want to spend over 1-1/2 hours traveling to work (plus 1-1/2 hours to return) via a bus, train and bus again, I have to drive to work.

http://www.torontolife.com/features/monster-jam/

Via driving... I get to work at 8AM, and I leave at around 7:20 - that's 40 minutes. That's not bad considering the first eight minutes of the trip are on suburb roads, with the remainder of the trip on a highway - so I'm not complaining about THIS morning trip.

But I used to try and get to work by 9AM. If you were to leave 40 minutes earlier at 8:20AM, you might float in (as I often did) at 9:15 or once or twice at 9:30AM.

You just can not make the 28 kilometer trip in 40 minutes, with a 55-minute journey more of a norm.


How is possible to spend so much time in traffic?

That's one of the reasons why I decided I would start work early.  Since I now start at 8AM, I leave at 4PM.

Traffic? Look... 10 years ago, I used to work in the same area... it would take - including a traffic light - one minute to get to the highway... and this was me leaving at 5PM.

Now in 2012, leaving at 4PM when it is not supposed to be as busy as the 5PM crush, I spend five minutes in a line waiting for the right to get on the high way and vegetate,


Let's look at yesterday, as an example...  I got on the highway in about five minutes - Highway 401 at Leslie heading west.

I adroitly manouevered four lanes over to get into the Express lanes, and then a further three lanes into the 'passing' lane, otherwise known as the fast lane.

For some reason - on that trip - myself and everyone around me was moving! Nine times out of 10 the highways are so bunged up that you can just barely get over one or two lanes from the Leslie entrance.... and you are left to guess which conga line to choose  - the "Express" or "Collectors". 

But not today. All of us drivers quickly got up to 130 kph (80.78 mph) - even though the speed limit is a paltry 100kph (62.14 mph).

We're all flying on the highway making incredible time... and then... brakes.

While no one had to squeal or smoke their tires to stop, stop we did... hitting exactly 0 kph (0 mph) and holding for 30 seconds.

After numerous starts and stops, we got back up to 80 kph (50 mph). So... not bad.

By why did we have to stop?

There was no accident. No police cars looking to bust speeders. No disable vehicles... nothing. Just volume.

Last Friday was also a beaut. There I was, driving on Highway 401 at a top speed of  50 kph (31 mph). All of a sudden, I have to drop down to 0 kph, holding the zero for 12 seconds... before driving for 20 more seconds at 50 kph... and then brake time down to zero, where I hold my zero for 15 seconds... and repeat... repeat... repeat. I did this for a total of 12 times on my drive home during my drive home. I know... because I counted.

Look... I know that Toronto is a busy city full of busy drivers heading out to the suburbs to the east, north and west... but this highway - Highway 401 while cosmetically changed, looks exactly as it did when my dad first drove the same roads back in the late 1960s.

Nothing has really changed on it except that there are more cars on the road nowadays.

So... until we, as a species, run out of gas - and that won't happen for another 100 years or so ( my guess)... just what will happen to my commute?

What will it be like in five years? Ten? Twenty? God help me. but I may still be working 20 years from now!
 
My commute and the commute of everyone on this highway is going to be stupid.

How can a Toronto commute take almost as long as an LA commute? We have fewer people. Do we have fewer cars than LA?

So... even now... the 401 Highway system designed and built in the 1950s is no longer capable of handling the traffic we put on it in 2012.  It's only going to get worse!

But here's the real kick in the balls. No one really has a plan to alleviate the situation. 

They almost had a plan.

First proposed in 1959, but opened in 1997, the Ontario government constructed Highway 409 across the top of the City of Toronto - in an effort to alleviate the traffic congestion across teh middle of the city and Highway 401, as well as at the foot of th city along the Gardiner Expressway.

A great idea... except they decided to make it essentially a toll highway... totally screwy consideringthe rest of the highways in Ontario are toll free.

After a few years of not making any money from it -  it's a FREE-way, why should we pay for it when our already high taxes should be paying for it!! - the Ontario government sold it to a private firm.... who continue to charge the consumer on a pay as you use it scenario.

I've never driven on that highway in the 15 years it has been open. 

Idiots. 

Urban planners in Toronto are failing the people.  They have ben since the 1950s. I can almost believe that the urban planners who created the highway system had high hopes for the future, fully expecting that future planners would not drop the ball and would continue planning Toronto's transit well into the future.

But... aside from mninor repairs and cosmetic changes here and there, very little has been done to  relieve Toronto of its traffic constipation.
   
Toronto's highways are a farce. Urban planners need to be retired.

Currently, the solution for all of Toronto's woes seems to be to add more public transit...  like add a few more train stops for the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). Meanwhile, because of money problems, the TTC is either cutting routes, or is cutting the frequency of routes for its buses.

Great! More subways. More trains. But fewer way for consumers to reach them.

So... how long would it take me to get to work if I took the public transit system? It would take me 1-1/2 hours to get to work... unless the Toronto Transit Commission decides to cut some more routes or service on routes...

Even adding more train stops is not going to do it. Not where I live, which is a 20 minute walk or a 10-minute bus ride to a pair of train stops.

TTC? It stands for: "Take The Car." That's an oldie but goodie.

What is the solution?

It's easy to bitch without at least postulating a solution - so let me try.

I say we should construct an overhead highway that runs atop and parallel to the Highway 401 - and add further overheads to the other two over the ensuing decades...

It should look exactly like the one that collapsed in Oakland back in 1989 when a massive earthquake hit the Bay area.

The good news for Toronto residents is, that except for a few minor tremors that feel like a truck is driving by outside your house, Toronto is not afflicted by earthquakes as a concern.

We essentially will be able to double the amount of cars on this particular highway

The problem then comes to where is the money coming from to construct it?

Chain gangs. Prisoners.

But what about all of the city workers or construction crews? I am sorry to say, but screw'em. Supply and demand. We demand cheap and affordable construction, and we can get it supplied by a chain gang.

Look... maybe a construction crew can still be used to ensure the roads are up to code... but why don't we use grunt labor available to us.  


They are prisoner volunteers who get paid, of course... and they can be rotated in and out of service after a week, and maybe they get some time off... but, it's a chance to really repay their debt to society by helping make it a better place - rather than just sitting in jail, lifting weights screwing the little guy up the ass... you know... like the Toronto commuter...

I am tired of not being able to rush during the rush hour that seems to exist in Toronto between 3:30-6:30 PM and 7:30 - 9:30AM.

Do you know what I hate?
Rush hour traffic.