Entries from November 1, 2007 - December 1, 2007
LEARNING TO DRIVE #1: CHINA vs. MASSACHUSETTS
In China, they have to learn to drive like ass. In Boston, driving like ass requires almost no training at all.
Photo courtesy of www.chinadriversexam.blogspot.com
Peter Hessler’s article in the November 26 New Yorker about his driving experiences in China was closely studied by cultural research group at drivinglikeass.com. Hessler tells us that China has only 3% of the world’s vehicles and yet accounts for 21% of the world’s traffic fatalities. Knowing this raised hopes here at DLA that, in China, we had a driving populace possibly more reprobate than that of Boston, the similarities to which might provide the basis for new comparisons and insights.
In China, he tells us, such things as turn signals, windshield wipers, and headlights are considered to be distractions to the typical motorist. That sounded like Boston. And, in China, honking is a critical driving skill and, to some extent, mirrors the Chinese language itself with different tonal qualities and meanings. Well, that’s not so different than Boston, although in Boston, honking lacks the richness of Chinese language and most honking translates as some variation of “Moveyerass!” or “Upyers!” or “Moveyerass upyers!”
JWD
in driving instruction, drivers' license, driving school, driving in China, road test, Driving in Japan, Driving camp, Hessler, Poland, Driving in Poland
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THIS AIN’T ROCKET SURGERY: RESEARCH AND PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE AT THE DRIVINGLIKEASS.COM LABS
I couldn’t make this stuff up. Well, I suppose I could but what would be the point: it’s so much easier to simply collect data.
Making U-turns in Cambridge: Source: drivinglikeass.com Labs
My brother—like many other people when I tell them about this blog—is quick to tell me that I have too much time on my hands which, of course, is the always the first reaction of people who wish THEY had thought of something first or, more often, of people who, upon finding themselves with time on their hands, haven’t the slightest idea what to do with it. What my brother does not understand is that studying and writing about driving behavior in Boston (he calls it ranting, but what does he know? He lives in Racine! That’s in Wisconsin! Talk about having too much time on your hands!) takes almost no time at all because the streets are awash with research inspiration . Any intersection is a day-long parade of driving like ass on display.
JWD
in Signs, traffic monitoring, u-turn
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“AND IN THE OTHER CORNER….” WEIGHING IN ON RED LIGHT CAMERAS
There is almost nothing about driving that doesn’t send a bee up somebody’s butt. Below is a small list of sites and blogs from the polar extremes of the RLC issue. They are provided not for any relation they may have to driving like ass but, as they say, “as a contribution to the literature”, such as it is.
JWD
in Tailgating, Following Distance, Brakes, Braking, red light cameras, traffic monitoring, rearend collision
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FOLLOWING DISTANCE AND RED LIGHT CAMERAS
Coming to an intersection near you, the nemesis of evil-doers and ass-like drivers everywhere—the Red Light Camera—wants to take on Massachusetts’ driving anarchy. Drivinglikeass.com thinks it hasn’t got a prayer.
On the issue of red light cameras (RLC), the opposing teams line up like this: For? Insurance companies and highway safety organizations, a few revenue-strapped municipalities, and camera system vendors. Against? Just about everybody else.
Nonetheless, State Rep Kevin Honan of Brighton has introduced two bills that would allow cities and towns in Massachusetts (H.3512) and Boston and Cambridge (H.3513) to deploy “traffic control signal violation monitoring system devices as a means of promoting traffic safety.” At first blush, this sounds like a real winner: using technology to nab traffic scofflaws, anywhere, 24-7. But, once again, technology and logic will remain powerless against the innate obduracy of driving like ass.
JWD
in Tailgating, Following Distance, Rear-end Collission, Brakes, Braking, red light cameras, traffic monitoring
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