I'm a terrible passenger

[stomachmonkey]

With the exception of a few people like my brother who can drive the wheels off anything I have a hard time sitting in the right seat.

No one approaches driving to my satisfaction or comfort.

I hate driving with my wife.

The daughter has her permit and in TX you don't really parent teach.

They make it so a driving school is the way to go.

Just took the girl out for a drive.

She did OK. Me, not so much.

Don't think I'll be driving with her till she passes the road test. At least not without a stiff drink a a handful of Valium.

[wayner]

My daughter almost clipped the mirror of a delivery truck parked in her lane (my side)

I kept telling her to move over but she stubbornly did not.
I yelled at her to stop the car and shut it off.

I asked her what the heck she was thinking and why she didn't listen to me.

She said that her driving instructor told her never to cross a solid line.

I felt bad, she felt bad, driving instructor is an idiot for not qualifying that statement.


Personally I think that may have something to do with why so many cyclists get hit on the roads, or at least why cars pass so close.

[JJ 911SC]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

... I have a hard time sitting in the right seat...

Me too, not limited to car. The flight to Sidney Australia (15 hrs) was a killer... and the booze (almost) did not help.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

With the exception of a few people like my brother who can drive the wheels off anything I have a hard time sitting in the right seat.

No one approaches driving to my satisfaction or comfort.

I hate driving with my wife.

The daughter has her permit and in TX you don't really parent teach.

They make it so a driving school is the way to go.

Just took the girl out for a drive.

She did OK. Me, not so much.

Don't think I'll be driving with her till she passes the road test. At least not without a stiff drink a a handful of Valium.

Unfortunately, the driving instruction often leaves quite a bit to be desired, but might not be a bad thing to get them started.

When I was getting started in the mid 80s, the two closest high schools had fleets of DE cars as well as a separate portion of the parking lot with "roads" and various patterns painted on them (figure 8, circle, etc...). I think that's the way to go, but most places don't seem to have that these days.

Yeah, I was part of the learning process for 2 learning how to drive about 15 years ago. It's not easy, but we all lived to tell the tale.

[unclebilly]

My oldest is 6 and will be 7 in June. This will be his 3rd year of Karting.

He will have plenty of practice before he gets his learners at 14...

Clay in his first GX35 powered kart...

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by wayner

....

She said that her driving instructor told her never to cross a solid line.

I felt bad, she felt bad, driving instructor is an idiot for not qualifying that statement.

.....

Today's homework was supposed to be about simple stuff, starting the car, checking mirrors etc...

I asked her to look in the side mirrors and tell me what she saw.

" the door handles"

Are they set correctly then?

"Yes"

Wrong, how did they teach you to adjust them?

"Until I can see the side of the car"

Well, that's wrong.

Instructed her on proper adjustment and she balked, " that's not what the driving instructor told me"

Well she's wrong and I'll speak with her about it now do it my way.

[unclebilly]

Clay in his new LO206 powered kart...

[RKDinOKC]

Yep, most are taught to set the side view mirrors up as rear view mirrors leaving huge blind spots.

Set properly when a vehicle is is the lane next to you and moves up to pass, it should start appearing in your side view mirror as it moves out of the rear view mirror. As it continues to pass, it should be in your side view mirror until you see it in the lane beside you. No Blind Spot!

My brother says he can't set his side view mirrors correctly because it gives him motion sickness.

[livi]

I hear you.
The most annoying behavior in my opinion is many drivers apparent inability to read the traffic ahead, resulting in a jerky throttle-brake-throttle-brake ride. Instead of softly reducing throttle when the traffic ahead is slowing down they keep the foot on the gas until they have to brake. Then full throttle again. Very unconfortable and unnerving.
The second irritating feature is partly depending on the first, namely finding themselves far too close to the vehicle in front.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Today's homework was supposed to be about simple stuff, starting the car, checking mirrors etc...

I asked her to look in the side mirrors and tell me what she saw.

" the door handles"

Are they set correctly then?

"Yes"

Wrong, how did they teach you to adjust them?

"Until I can see the side of the car"

Well, that's wrong.

Instructed her on proper adjustment and she balked, " that's not what the driving instructor told me"

Well she's wrong and I'll speak with her about it now do it my way.

I remember you describing your method for adjusting side mirrors here once and it's one of the few things I disagree w you on. The whole, "press your head against the window" and set? Wasn't that you?

I drive a lot out on the open road and in the city including plenty of towing. I was towing my car trailer w a small PU truck on it plus tall stuff in the bed blocking center rear view mirror today.

I need side view mirrors set so that I can see a tiny sliver of the side of my vehicle on both sides or I have no scale of reference to what I'm seeing in the mirror. Especially when used for backing/parking. If I had it aimed out at some random chunk of air beside my vehicle, I would have no idea where the stuff I'm seeing is in relation to me.

I have no problem w blind spots. Between what's in my mirror and my peripheral vision, I've never missed seeing a vehicle that is directly beside me and would appear in your mirror, if I'm understanding correctly how you set them. I also turn my head slightly before changing lanes as a reflexive habit ever since I changed lanes into someone when I was 15 and learning to drive. I've never started drifting over before looking since then.

You need to come visit Los Angeles sometime and we'll go on an adventure. I guarantee that you'll be comfy riding shotgun w me, I drive better than I walk. 😺👍

Originally Posted by RKDinOKC

Yep, most are taught to set the side view mirrors up as rear view mirrors leaving huge blind spots.

Set properly when a vehicle is is the lane next to you and moves up to pass, it should start appearing in your side view mirror as it moves out of the rear view mirror. As it continues to pass, it should be in your side view mirror until you see it in the lane beside you. No Blind Spot!

My brother says he can't set his side view mirrors correctly because it gives him motion sickness.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by speeder

I remember you describing your method for adjusting side mirrors here once and it's one of the few things I disagree w you on. The whole, "press your head against the window" and set? Wasn't that you?

I drive a lot out on the open road and in the city including plenty of towing. I was towing my car trailer w a small PU truck on it plus tall stuff in the bed blocking center rear view mirror today.

I need side view mirrors set so that I can see a tiny sliver of the side of my vehicle on both sides or I have no scale of reference to what I'm seeing in the mirror. Especially when used for backing/parking. If I had it aimed out at some random chunk of air beside my vehicle, I would have no idea where the stuff I'm seeing is in relation to me.

I have no problem w blind spots. Between what's in my mirror and my peripheral vision, I've never missed seeing a vehicle that is directly beside me and would appear in your mirror, if I'm understanding correctly how you set them. I also turn my head slightly before changing lanes as a reflexive habit ever since I changed lanes into someone when I was 15 and learning to drive. I've never started drifting over before looking since then.

You need to come visit Los Angeles sometime and we'll go on an adventure. I guarantee that you'll be comfy riding shotgun w me, I drive better than I walk. 😺👍

We'll certainly there may be situations when one wants a different view a in their mirrors but for the average joe or Jane not towing the method I use is correct.

Even AAA endorses it.

How to Use & Adjust Your Mirrors – AAA Senior Driving

I'll see you next time I'm LA

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by RKDinOKC

Yep, most are taught to set the side view mirrors up as rear view mirrors leaving huge blind spots.

Set properly when a vehicle is is the lane next to you and moves up to pass, it should start appearing in your side view mirror as it moves out of the rear view mirror. As it continues to pass, it should be in your side view mirror until you see it in the lane beside you. No Blind Spot!

My brother says he can't set his side view mirrors correctly because it gives him motion sickness.

This is how I set up mine as an adult.

When I get in a new car, I take my best guess of where this is, then adjust to achieve.

I can always lean to get a far view from the rear side mirror if needed. It does take a moment, and causes me to have to wait a little longer to do a lane change to insure a 100MPH+ car doesn't rear end me when I change lanes.

[Tervuren]

I also am a terrible passenger, most drivers just do not understand the idea of "lifting off" when the light in front turns red, or some other slowing/stopping obstacle is going to present itself.

Saying "blinkers next time" several times a drive, well, I should just record it and hit a play button...

If I ride, I try to ride in the back where I can't see the stop lights.

Most folks won't listen to me until I get them out on the track.

They start listening when I put them multiple laps down in a short 8 minute session.

[Seahawk]

My daughter Arden is the only one in the family I can ride with.

She is an aware, engaged, extremely competent driver...has been since our first drive.

She would be a great pilot but she has no interest, alas.

[Don Ro]

My g/f and I just recently reached an agreement re: her driving style.
Since this became an issue (early on) , she's wanted me to drive her car when we go out.
.
Taught by her AF Col. father, she tends to make hard and sharp right angle (left and right) turns instead of quarter circle turns. Then right at the apex of the angle, she likes to hit the accelerator which lurches her car forward and a bit laterally. I then grab the strap above my head and hang on.
She's also the only person (as I recall) who uses her brakes frequently on the freeway as she approaches the vehicle, hits her brakes, and then either hangs out there for a while or passes them and moves on to the next vehicle...instead of just getting into a lane and flowing with traffic. Why she doesn't just get into the fast lane is beyond me.
.
She tends to be in a hurry as she speeds around town - whether alone or w/me.
The agreement we reached was recently when I suggested that perhaps she felt as if she was "being told what to do.", and resented that.
She said, 'Yes". She's the defensive type...difficult for her to receive feedback.
.
I told her that when I rode w/her it was as if she had a number painted on her door and it appeared as though she just didn't care about providing a pleasant experience for her passenger.
She acknowledged that.
.
We'll see.
.

[Baz]

I subscribe to Denis's method of adjusting the side mirrors. Keep just a sliver of the vehicle in view and then you have some context for everything else. That's the horizontal adjustment.

Some examples......

[stomachmonkey]

[Baz]

Regardless of mirror adjustments.......anyone who doesn't turn their head to double-check before leaving their lane is taking an unnecessary risk.

[oldE]

I do not want to see the sides of my car in my outside mirrors. No one has ever been hit by the side of their own car. I adjust the mirrors before leaving the driveway. I know what the field of view is. I admit it took a bit of getting used to but it works for me.
I don't really think of myself as an above average driver, but I usually find myself reacting to a situation on the highway before the drivers in front of me.
Best
Les

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Baz

I subscribe to Denis's method of adjusting the side mirrors. Keep just a sliver of the vehicle in view and then you have some context for everything else. That's the horizontal adjustment.

Denis does it so he can see his trailer.

But it creates blind spots.

All it does is widen your rear view, does not show you whats on your side which is what side view mirrors are there for.

I'll admit I started out driving with mine set the same as you set yours and did find it disconcerting when I switched up to the correct method.

But pretty soon you realize you don't care if there is context to what you are seeing.

All that matters and the only thing that matters is if you look over that you see one of two things, no car, or a car. That's it.

With the traditional adjustment when you can look over and don't see a car that does not mean there is no car there. There very well may be, you just aren't seeing it.