# What the FUCK don't you understand about defensive driving? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 17, 2008, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-dont-you-understand-about-defensive-driving/453236 "2008-06-17T18:24:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![THespos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@THespos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/THespos)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-dont-you-understand-about-defensive-driving/453236/21 "2008-06-18T14:50:47Z")
I’m waiting for armageddon so that the post-apocalyptic universe portrayed in “Car Wars” can emerge and I can at last drive the way humans were meant to drive. With a surplus tank gun mounted in the bed of one’s pickup. I am just going to RULE the Long Island Expressway. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-dont-you-understand-about-defensive-driving/453236/22 "2008-06-18T19:06:55Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] Oh, I’ve been stupid. Once, with my family in the car, I reacted to a green left turn arrow (I was going straight) and drove through the intersection. It was a major brain fart, and I couldn’t believe I’d done it. Fortunately, the cars turning in front of me stopped and let me be stupid. 😃 I would submit that every driver is stupid. Some drivers are just stupid on a more continual basis. [/QUOTE] Oh, I’ve been stupid, too. But as long as we give each other room to be stupid and keep an eye out for each others’ brain farts, it works out in the end. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-dont-you-understand-about-defensive-driving/453236/23 "2008-06-18T21:10:41Z")
[QUOTE=OtakuLoki] I read this years ago in an old Bartlett’s, attributed to Anonymous: Here lies the grave of Mike O’Day, Who died preserving his right of way. His right was clear, his will was strong - But he’s as dead as if he’d been wrong. Sums it up beautifully. [/QUOTE] That must be where my father got it. At some point when I was learning to drive, I was arguing with him about some petty little thing that ended in: “But I have the right of way!” To which he replied: “Is that what you want written on your tombstone?” I’ve lived by that little quip whether I’m a driver, biker, or pedestrian. Pay attention to your surroundings, everyone on the road is an idiot, and having the right of way does not make one invincible. This was better advice than the lesson on stopping I got from him at the old deserted airport. I pull to a stop, as if coming up to an intersection. “How’d I do?” No response. “Dad, how’d I do?” “I can’t respond. We’re both dead. Big truck just killed us because you pulled out too far.” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-dont-you-understand-about-defensive-driving/453236/24 "2008-06-18T21:19:56Z")
[QUOTE=THespos] …I am just going to RULE the Long Island Expressway… [/QUOTE] You’re missing the rest of that road’s name: The largest parking lot in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-dont-you-understand-about-defensive-driving/453236/25 "2008-06-18T22:24:08Z")
[QUOTE=THespos] With a surplus tank gun mounted in the bed of one’s pickup. [/QUOTE] No need to wait for Armageddon. Just move to Somalia. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-dont-you-understand-about-defensive-driving/453236/26 "2008-06-18T23:46:50Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] I would submit that every driver is stupid. Some drivers are just stupid on a more continual basis. [/QUOTE] You can have all stupid drivers some of the time, and some stupid drivers all of the time, but you can’t have no stupid drivers some of the time. -Abe Lincoln (or something) ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-dont-you-understand-about-defensive-driving/453236/27 "2008-06-19T03:09:45Z")
[QUOTE=THespos] I’m waiting for armageddon so that the post-apocalyptic universe portrayed in “Car Wars” can emerge and I can at last drive the way humans were meant to drive. With a surplus tank gun mounted in the bed of one’s pickup. [/QUOTE] [Like this?](http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30051733&l=66dc4&id=110000200) ---
**Author:** ![BlueKangaroo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3d9bf3/32.png) [@BlueKangaroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueKangaroo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-dont-you-understand-about-defensive-driving/453236/28 "2008-06-19T03:20:03Z")
Holy cow, **Santo Rugger** , that made me laugh! Your facial expression is priceless. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-dont-you-understand-about-defensive-driving/453236.md?page=1)