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Author Topic: How do you drive in traffic without totally spazzing?  (Read 1304 times)

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Offline "couldbecousin"

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How do you drive in traffic without totally spazzing?
« on: July 01, 2012, 07:57:47 AM »
 So I've decided to buy my father's unused car  (8 years old,
 77,000 miles on it)  from my brother, and learn to drive, and get my license.  I'm 46,
 very nervous about driving in heavy traffic, and wondering how you drivers here manage
 to process all the incoming information one gets on the road  (signs, traffic lights, other
 drivers' signals, etc.)  and respond to all of it properly in split seconds.  I have avoided driving
 so far because I haven't trusted myself to handle the information overload, and I may not
 drive much even after getting my license, but the car is available and I do need to TRY to
 become more independent.  How do you drivers handle it?  :apondering:
"I'm finding a lot of things funny lately, but I don't think they are."
--- Ripley, Alien Resurrection


"We are grateful for the time we have been given."
--- Edward Walker, The Village

People forget.
--- The Who, "Eminence Front"

Offline Icequeen

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Re: How do you drive in traffic without totally spazzing?
« Reply #1 on: July 01, 2012, 08:58:55 AM »
Not very good.  I tend to bite my knuckles and chew alot of gum.

I'm alot of help. :P Traffic is probably the worst for me, I "can" do it, but avoid it as much as possible.

I stick to early morning hours and the less traveled routes if I need to make a trip into the more congested areas (home before noon usually here). We have a toll road that no one uses around here because of the price of the toll ($1.25), you're lucky if you pass 4 cars on it in the morning. To me it's well worth paying the toll to avoid the 2 lane traffic of the other route.

I focus only on the immediate area, and what just lays ahead in heavy traffic. Distractions can be an issue (for me). Another thing is I always know my route, if I have to drive somewhere new I map it out on the internet the night before, or take a ride there in the very early morning hours... days beforehand if I can so I can scope out the area, where to turn, where to park, etc.

Learning is the hardest part, you will get disgusted, you will want to give up. Don't. Find someone you are comfortable with that can teach you, and take it one step at a time, you can do it CBC! My accident prone grandmother who I wouldn't have trusted to wheel a cart in Wal-Mart (even when she was young), taught herself to drive a full-size stick shift truck that she was left with when her husband died, she drove for over 15 years to all the local stores without a license, until someone hit her in a parking lot. Then she finally went for her test at the cop's recommendation. :LOL:

Offline "couldbecousin"

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Re: How do you drive in traffic without totally spazzing?
« Reply #2 on: July 01, 2012, 09:05:21 AM »
 Awesome about your grandmother   :prude:   and thank you!
 You sound like me re: distractions and the need to focus only on the immediate surroundings.
 I too am planning to do a lot of "practice driving" to learn the routes I will use, and as much
 as I can I will avoid city traffic.  I know I will melt down a time or two in the process of
 learning, but I have to do this.  I'm 46, increasingly passive and pessimistic, accepting more
 and more limitations and living pretty much like a retiree at this point (except for the fact that
 I still have to go to work 5 days a week!  :P ).  I want to learn to drive so my world can open
 up instead of getting smaller and more restricted.  46 is not dead.  I am not done yet!  :apondering:
"I'm finding a lot of things funny lately, but I don't think they are."
--- Ripley, Alien Resurrection


"We are grateful for the time we have been given."
--- Edward Walker, The Village

People forget.
--- The Who, "Eminence Front"

Offline odeon

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Re: How do you drive in traffic without totally spazzing?
« Reply #3 on: July 01, 2012, 11:06:22 AM »
Be patient and take the time you need, both to learn how to drive and later to drive in traffic. Don't let others rush you into doing stupid things. Remember that it's the same for most beginning drivers--there's a lot of information to process.

Just remember why you want this when you feel stressed about it.

You'll be fine.
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."

- Albert Einstein

Offline skyblue1

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Re: How do you drive in traffic without totally spazzing?
« Reply #4 on: July 01, 2012, 02:14:09 PM »
Take your time, dont be in a hurry.

Find a mall parking lot to drive around in, to pratice stopping and going.

I am sure there will be some stop signs in the parking lot

Once you get more experience behind the wheel, it becomes more automatic.


Also, very important:

Never, ever ever post on I^2 while driving.
« Last Edit: July 01, 2012, 02:15:57 PM by skyblue1 »

Offline "couldbecousin"

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Re: How do you drive in traffic without totally spazzing?
« Reply #5 on: July 01, 2012, 02:18:18 PM »
Take your time, dont be in a hurry.

Find a mall parking lot to drive around in, to pratice stopping and going.

I am sure there will be some stop signs in the parking lot

Once you get more experience behind the wheel, it becomes more automatic.


Also, very important:

Never, ever ever post on I^2 while driving.

  But I want to post in the "What are you doing now?" thread.  "I am driving, w00t!"  :autism:
"I'm finding a lot of things funny lately, but I don't think they are."
--- Ripley, Alien Resurrection


"We are grateful for the time we have been given."
--- Edward Walker, The Village

People forget.
--- The Who, "Eminence Front"

Offline skyblue1

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Re: How do you drive in traffic without totally spazzing?
« Reply #6 on: July 01, 2012, 02:19:48 PM »
Take your time, dont be in a hurry.

Find a mall parking lot to drive around in, to pratice stopping and going.

I am sure there will be some stop signs in the parking lot

Once you get more experience behind the wheel, it becomes more automatic.


Also, very important:

Never, ever ever post on I^2 while driving.

  But I want to post in the "What are you doing now?" thread.  "I am driving, w00t!"  :autism:
Thats cool, but at least put the car in park, while doing so :cbc:

Offline "couldbecousin"

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Re: How do you drive in traffic without totally spazzing?
« Reply #7 on: July 01, 2012, 02:20:44 PM »
Take your time, dont be in a hurry.

Find a mall parking lot to drive around in, to pratice stopping and going.

I am sure there will be some stop signs in the parking lot

Once you get more experience behind the wheel, it becomes more automatic.


Also, very important:

Never, ever ever post on I^2 while driving.

  But I want to post in the "What are you doing now?" thread.  "I am driving, w00t!"  :autism:
Thats cool, but at least put the car in park, while doing so :cbc:

  I will try to remember that when the time comes.  ;)
"I'm finding a lot of things funny lately, but I don't think they are."
--- Ripley, Alien Resurrection


"We are grateful for the time we have been given."
--- Edward Walker, The Village

People forget.
--- The Who, "Eminence Front"

Offline odeon

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Re: How do you drive in traffic without totally spazzing?
« Reply #8 on: July 01, 2012, 02:48:24 PM »
You need a proper Jag. :zoinks:
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."

- Albert Einstein

Offline "couldbecousin"

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Re: How do you drive in traffic without totally spazzing?
« Reply #9 on: July 01, 2012, 02:54:02 PM »
You need a proper Jag. :zoinks:

  First I need to learn to drive the Ford Focus.  :tard:
"I'm finding a lot of things funny lately, but I don't think they are."
--- Ripley, Alien Resurrection


"We are grateful for the time we have been given."
--- Edward Walker, The Village

People forget.
--- The Who, "Eminence Front"

Offline odeon

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Re: How do you drive in traffic without totally spazzing?
« Reply #10 on: July 01, 2012, 03:44:36 PM »
You need a proper Jag. :zoinks:

  First I need to learn to drive the Ford Focus.  :tard:

A Focus is a good car to start with. I like them.
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."

- Albert Einstein

Offline Phallacy

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Re: How do you drive in traffic without totally spazzing?
« Reply #11 on: July 01, 2012, 04:00:46 PM »
Don't be too afraid, but also, never get too comfortable.

Offline "couldbecousin"

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Re: How do you drive in traffic without totally spazzing?
« Reply #12 on: July 01, 2012, 04:03:10 PM »
Don't be too afraid, but also, never get too comfortable.

    :indeed:   I doubt I will ever be comfortable in heavy traffic!
"I'm finding a lot of things funny lately, but I don't think they are."
--- Ripley, Alien Resurrection


"We are grateful for the time we have been given."
--- Edward Walker, The Village

People forget.
--- The Who, "Eminence Front"

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Re: How do you drive in traffic without totally spazzing?
« Reply #13 on: July 01, 2012, 04:39:40 PM »
You already have plenty of good advice. Stay on low traffic roads/low traffic times until you get comfortable. Staying focused will become second nature with practice.

Offline Queen Victoria

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Re: How do you drive in traffic without totally spazzing?
« Reply #14 on: July 01, 2012, 09:31:36 PM »
I took drivers ed in high school.  Our first drive took us over the Huey P. Long Bridge. (From Wikipedia - The bridge is hated by many drivers in the New Orleans area due to the narrow 9-foot (2.7 m) wide lanes without shoulders. Also, as the East Bank approach meets the superstructure of the bridge, the two vehicular roadways "jog" or shift inwards towards the bridge centerline about 11⁄2 feet (0.46 m) since the through-truss portion of the superstructure is 3 feet (0.91 m) wider than the deck truss portion of the east approach.)  It's narrow, has train tracks down the middle and has a speed limit of 40mph.  I had to drive it quite often for audit sites on the other side of the Mississippi.

I had to drive as much as 90 miles one-way to some audit sites.  I actually put 88,000 miles on one car before I had to replace the brakes since I did so much highway driving.  Practice, practice, practice is the key.  You'll do fine, even though you'll be driving on the wrong side of the road.
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