# Stupid Driver gets his comeuppance.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 5, 2013, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-driver-gets-his-comeuppance/668124 "2013-09-05T22:55:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-driver-gets-his-comeuppance/668124/1 "2013-09-05T22:55:34Z")
A few minutes ago as I was exiting my garage after driving home, I heard the roar of a big SUV (Range Rover Somethingorother) screaming up our quiet Maine back road, my first thought was “it’s a masshole”, I readied my Stare-O’-Death and prepared to give him the finger… Nope, New Hampshire plates… Still a jerk though, he was easily doing 55ish on a road with a 30 MPH limit, grade school kids, pets, as well as a bunch of white tail deer\*\*… I found myself wishing for a handy spike strip… As I turned to walk back to the house, I heard the unmistakable roar of a throaty V8… Great, another jerk, they seem to be traveling in groups today… …this one was different, yes, it was a Ford Excursion, but… It had pretty flashing blue lights on it, all lit up like a Christmas tree, and it was clearly going after the prat in the LR… In the immortal words of Nelson Muntz… Ha-Haa!.. I waited a few minutes and curiosity got the better of me, I got back in my car, and drove off in search of the officer and his quarry, making darn sure to keep my speed at 30 MPH… A half mile away, as I approached the crest of the hill, my Valentine One radar detector went crazy, a strong Ka band threat ahead… Sure enough, the officer had pulled jerkface over and was writing him a ticket, probably an expensive one, at least I hope it was… Mundane, yes, pointless, yes, but it was good seeing at least one jerk get nailed for jerkish behavior \*\* none of which were around at the moment, but they do exist, it’s a rural back road ---
**Author:** ![smee\_goan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@smee\_goan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smee_goan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-driver-gets-his-comeuppance/668124/2 "2013-09-05T23:52:20Z")
I spend 40 hours a week driving a shuttle at a busy airport’s roads. saw a co-worker’s results of a “lead-foot, the hell with you attitude”, Guy was laying there on the road, she got canned he came back to work after a couple months. Hell, they fired another driver yesterday, Check this out, another of our hero’s -a co-workers late sister and her deceased friend.a couple months ago: [http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/05/man\_and\_woman\_killed\_when\_car.html](http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/05/man_and_woman_killed_when_car.html) ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-driver-gets-his-comeuppance/668124/3 "2013-09-06T01:28:01Z")
My favorite stupid driver “Ha-Hah!” moment was many years ago, driving on I-70 in Missouri in a blinding snowstorm. Everybody is creeping along the highway at about 20 mph because of zero visibility, when some idiot in a silver colored 280-Z or something similar, with no lights on, (i.e. nearly invisible in the snowstorm) comes flying past going a good 60 mph at least, if not faster. About ten miles down the road, I see the same car in the median, sitting on top of the guardrails, sideways. I don’t know how the hell he managed to get the car up there but I had a good laugh when I saw it. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-driver-gets-his-comeuppance/668124/4 "2013-09-06T01:37:24Z")
Some months ago, the car in front of the car in front of me made an unsignaled U-turn on a road where you’re not supposed to make a U-turn. Not even at an intersection or a place where you’d expect someone to be turning at all, just…in the middle of the freaking street. To make it even better, she did it without looking, and swung wide to the right first, and them jammed up the breaks as she nearly creamed the driver behind her and directly in front of me. …who promptly lit up the concealed lights and hit the siren. Ha-haa! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-driver-gets-his-comeuppance/668124/5 "2013-09-06T01:56:21Z")
On the freeway at 4:30 in the morning, Saturday, heading for a work event. Doing about 70-road is empty but for me; a sports car (couldn’t tell you what, it was so fast) blew by me like I was standing still. Easily 110 would be my guess. Proceeded at my conservative 70mph, and there, around a curve, was said moron, yanked out of his car and pushed against a cop car. Nice. The problem with that time of the morning is wondering if they’re loaded and hurrying home, or just idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-driver-gets-his-comeuppance/668124/6 "2013-09-06T09:30:24Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > A half mile away, as I approached the crest of the hill, my Valentine One radar detector went crazy, a strong Ka band threat ahead… I guess the guy in the SUV should have had a radar detector, too. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-driver-gets-his-comeuppance/668124/7 "2013-09-06T11:43:43Z")
No, I’m glad that jerkface didn’t have one, his behavior was blatantly unsafe, speeding in a vehicle with a high centre of gravity, on a rural back road where there are kids, wildlife, and other potential collision sources ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-driver-gets-his-comeuppance/668124/8 "2013-09-06T12:41:58Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > No, I’m glad that jerkface didn’t have one, his behavior was blatantly unsafe, speeding in a vehicle with a high centre of gravity, on a rural back road where there are kids, wildlife, and other potential collision sources I’m sure you only need your radar detector in areas where there’s nothing whatsoever that you might run into. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-driver-gets-his-comeuppance/668124/9 "2013-09-06T12:46:25Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > No, I’m glad that jerkface didn’t have one, his behavior was blatantly unsafe, speeding in a vehicle with a high centre of gravity, on a rural back road where there are kids, wildlife, and other potential collision sources Do you only use your super bad ass radar detector to speed in completely safe areas? ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-driver-gets-his-comeuppance/668124/10 "2013-09-06T13:23:12Z")
No, I use it because I don’t trust radar, specifically fixed antenna radar like in speed radar guns, it returns Doppler signal on the largest vehicle/reflective source and can be misinterpreted I also don’t deliberately speed, and try to follow speed limits to the best of my ability, I’m not perfect though… Jerkface was deliberately speeding, and got what he deserved And let’s please drop the radar detector tangent, it was incidental in my OP anyway ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-driver-gets-his-comeuppance/668124/11 "2013-09-06T13:38:15Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > No, I use it because I don’t trust radar, specifically fixed antenna radar like in speed radar guns, it returns Doppler signal on the largest vehicle/reflective source and can be misinterpreted And your radar detector fixes that how? ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-driver-gets-his-comeuppance/668124/12 "2013-09-06T13:50:29Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > And your radar detector fixes that how? It lets **MacTech** slow down in time to keep from getting pulled over? ---
**Author:** ![SpeedwayRyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@SpeedwayRyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpeedwayRyan)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-driver-gets-his-comeuppance/668124/13 "2013-09-06T14:00:28Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > And let’s please drop the radar detector tangent, it was incidental in my OP anyway Yeah, I’d be saying that too if I were you. I have a Valentine 1. I use it because I like to go faster than the speed limit sometimes, but I don’t want to get caught. I also don’t get all giddy when I see someone get pulled over for speeding…and I definitely don’t go get in my car and find them so I can see for myself that they got pulled over, and then go post on the internet about it. The guy was speeding, just like most people with radar detectors tend to do from time to time. Just because it happened near YOUR house doesn’t make him any more of a jerk than anyone else who speeds. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-driver-gets-his-comeuppance/668124/14 "2013-09-06T14:07:50Z")
About a year ago, I got caught up in a road work-caused traffic jam on a Pennsylvania interstate. Someone two cars ahead of me was fed up and decided to turn around in one of those “emergency vehicles only” gaps. What they failed to see just before they made their illicit u-turn was a state trooper, who was more than happy to light them up. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-driver-gets-his-comeuppance/668124/15 "2013-09-06T14:11:31Z")
> [@SpeedwayRyan](#): > > The guy was speeding, just like most people with radar detectors tend to do from time to time. Just because it happened near YOUR house doesn’t make him any more of a jerk than anyone else who speeds. He was almost doubling the speed limit. That’s not speeding, that’s reckless driving. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-driver-gets-his-comeuppance/668124/16 "2013-09-06T14:43:48Z")
I had one of those moments once. I was driving into work in the interstate during a major snow storm. The roads were incredibly bad and slippery and the conditions were almost white-out, so traffic was moving at about 40 MPH. Suddenly this one red sports car flew by us doing about 80 (I was guessing). I remarked to my car pool buddy, “There’s an accident waiting to happen.” About 5 minutes later, spun out in the ditch on the side of the road was Mr. red sports car. I just looked at him and laughed as he was standing out there in sub-zero weather waiting for a tow truck to pull him out. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-driver-gets-his-comeuppance/668124/17 "2013-09-06T14:52:58Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > He was almost doubling the speed limit. That’s not speeding, that’s reckless driving. Clearly he needed a Valentine 1. Then he could have slowed down until he was out of the cops range and then he could speed again. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-driver-gets-his-comeuppance/668124/18 "2013-09-06T14:55:29Z")
Oh c’mon Drunky, you should know that _everyone_ needs a Valentine One, even cops, even people that don’t drive, _everyone_ needs one 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chilliwack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@Chilliwack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chilliwack)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-driver-gets-his-comeuppance/668124/19 "2013-09-06T15:30:34Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > I don’t trust radar, specifically fixed antenna radar like in speed radar guns, it returns Doppler signal on the largest vehicle/reflective source and can be misinterpreted So you don’t trust a precision instrument operated by a trained professional who possesses judgement and discretion… > [@MacTech](#): > > he was easily doing 55ish on a road with a 30 MPH limit, …but your layman’s estimate of his speed is spot on. > [@MacTech](#): > > I also don’t deliberately speed, and try to follow speed limits to the best of my ability, I’m not perfect though… > Jerkface was deliberately speeding, and got what he deserved Can you please enlighten us on how to differentiate between deliberate and unintentional speeding? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-driver-gets-his-comeuppance/668124/20 "2013-09-06T15:51:02Z")
When my wife and I first moved into our house in DC, we were walking our dog in the little park in the center of the traffic circle near us. I told her that I had just read an article online that people from Maryland come speeding down New Hampshire Avenue, dont’ realize there is a circle here and drive right into the curb. She said, “oh come on, how stupid would you have to be to,” when BAM! A mercedes slammed into the curb and ripped out its oil pan and most of its exhaust system. The look of confusion on his face was awesome. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-driver-gets-his-comeuppance/668124.md?page=2)