Whatever happened to "Look Both Ways"?
Since before I even dreamed of riding on two wheels, let alone four, my parents tought me the most basic rule of road safety: Look both ways when you cross the road, and make sure the road is clear. That advice seems to have gone out the window for many drivers.
What steams my huevos rancheros is that so many drivers out there forget not to look, but to WAIT UNTIL THE ROAD IS CLEAR before pulling out. If you are going to ignore the fact that there is a car closing quickly on the intersection, WHY BOTHER LOOKING IN THE FIRST PLACE? Why not make it daring, like Russian Roulette? At least then there's some sport to it. Also, if you don't look and get broadsided, you can tell the police officer "Gee, I just didn't look". On the other hand, if you do look, they'll throw you in an insane asylum when you claim, "I looked, but I went anyway".
Now granted, I may be nit-picking here, because I have never had to slam on the brakes because someone pulled onto the road in front of me. But there are times nearly every day when someone not only pulls out in front of me, but then takes their own sweet time getting up to speed. The result? Yep, I have to brake because of their sorry ass. In saving about two cents of their money by not accelerating briskly, they have cost me those two cents by having to slow down and then speed up again. If I had a dime every time someone did that to me, well, I'd be making 8 cents profit.
There is only ONE TIME when it is allowable to pull out directly in front of another car, and believe me, I've done it. That is when I there is a string of cars coming and the poor driver would have to wait for ten minutes before the road is clear again. However, if you are going to pull out, do it with AUTHORITY and get on the gas before slowing everyone else down.
