Here's a question for you in this same vein; when you are in a large mall parking lot or the like and there are big areas with no cars parked, do you guys ever drive across a row of parking spots rather than down the aisles, i.e. crossing the white lines that delineate the spots?

No. But I'm a freak about following traffic rules. Well, all rules except speed limits which I view as "guidelines". :)

I was told when learning to drive that driving in a parking lot is like walking in the jungle .... Always be ready for some wild animal to come out of no where and attack you.

Just about every day.... I think some of you guys are taking life a bit too seriously here. Cmon, loosen up a bit :)

I'd have no problems with speed bumps if they didn't force you to slow down to well below the posted speed limit to get over them. If someone stood in the middle of the street and did that, they'd be arrested. Yet, it's ok to install speed bumps that slow you down to about 5 mph in a 25 or 30 mph zone. That's nuts.

The basic problem with ignoring certain stop signs, in my opinion, is that it trains the mind to regard all stops signs as optional, and a conscious effort, which is not always there, will be needed to differentiate between the stop-no-stop signs, and setting the stage for a serious non-parking lot accident.

(Is there a prize for longest run-on sentence?)

Best,
Tom

Well, that's the problem with being allowed to use real stop signs on private property where they do not have the force of law. Right around the corner from my house is an elementary school and there are portable 15 mph speed limit signs the crossing guards put in the road during school hours. After hours, they leave these signs on the sidewalk corners for anyone to steal. But the local residents turn them so that they face the road and then motorists think it's really 15 mph there late at night, which it is not. I don't drive like a nut in residential areas. But I ignore those 15 mph limit signs at night and on weekends. I also ignore stop signs in parking lots when I know every store there is closed. And when I'm really feeling like a criminal, I'll go through a red light when there's no traffic around because my bike and I don't weigh enough to trip the sensor to make it turn green. Some people might wait in the pouring rain in the middle of the night with no traffic for the crosswalk light to turn green. I'm not one of them.

I agree. Following the rules can be cumbersome.

Best,
Tom

You must be mistaking rules for laws. I have zero obligation to follow rules. I do generally stick to the law, though.

They aren't forcing you to slow down, you're doing that voluntarily.

Be like motion, hit them hard and use them as a chance to grab some air in your car! You only live once!

I know a guy who cracked the case on his 964 going over a speed bump and got paid for it. Can't remember if the HOA's or his insurance paid. But the speed bumps went away after that. They took the speed bumps away on my prep school campus when a teacher's 914 got stuck on one. Yes, really.

This could very well be. As I grow older, I tend to err on the side of caution.

Best,
Tom

I see myself moving in the other direction. I follow many rules (and most laws) because I lack the means to deal with the consequences. When I am old and have a few dollars in my pocket though, I probably won't care.

Within several months of Christmas, I try to avoid malls like they have the plague. I had to go twice last year, I was so tense - for good reason. I had to take severe evasive actions several times. Scary place.

We'll see. ;)

Best,
Tom

That's fair, my attitude could definitely change as I become older and hopefully wiser.:)

Construction merge right lane closed 1/2 mile ahead- who gets left ASAP and which one(s) of you buggers slide right all the way to the end-avoiding us in line-to butt in last second?

Situational-dependent. I don't bother if there's nobody around and no traffic (and yes, I look carefully).

There's one stop light in my town. Uno. If I happen to hit it "red" at 4am when I'm driving to catch the train I treat it as a stop sign. No point in sitting for five minutes with nobody else on the road. Never an issue. I love small towns. ;)

There's a reason we call 'em "StOptionals"

You know that all studies of this indicate that traffic moves faster and smoother if "buggers slide right all the way to the end-avoiding us in line-to butt in last second". Look it up.

Being selfrighteous is seldom the optimal path through life.

In Washington State (in the olden days) in a situation like this, two lines would form and, at the merge point, folks would courteously take turns. (Called "one-potato, two-potato" by some.)

This seems to be no longer the case.

Best,
Tom