111514 Just Another Dumb Driver

Leaving Palmdale this afternoon headed for home via the Post Office I see a Chrysler 300 ahead that can not drive a straight line and as the beginning of this video shows, though it could get ahead through rapid lane changes in tight traffic.

Paper plates from Camacho Auto Sales and a seemingly talkative black female driver with at least one passenger. As we near Littlerock and the 45 zone I saw her coming up and zig zagging to get beside me, not even noticing the truck I was catching up to. We all slowed to about 50....

... Please note the two people in red walking just off the pavement as she passes the other truck using the side of the road. She was very close to those two folks, not  a care in the world as she accelerated to get pass the both of us to slam on her brakes for the car doing 40 at the next step down in speed.

This is why I classify her as a DUMB driver, not looking ahead, too busy chatting, dangerous passing, and speeding.

101814 "Traffic laws be damned!"

"Traffic laws be damned!" should be the motto in the Antelope Valley based on driving I see.

Short trip for errands, on the way back the camera captured this guy pulling into a tire reclamation site. Please note the rather large "No Left Turn" sign right next to him.

Then on the last block home I notice a Jeep approaching a bit faster than he should be. He decided running the stop sign was a good idea until he also realized I was not going to yield MY right of way since I did not have a stop sign. He received an look of disapproval from me and seemed to have been yelled at by his passenger (though I could be wrong, I might have been the one yelled at).

101414 Drive Like An Idiot

On my way south down 50th Street East today I encountered a special kind of stupid that equals idiotic.

Video one shows the start of the incident. I believe this slow moving truck is what set the bad driver off. (These videos have on screen notes)

He is a Hispanic man about 5'8" tall in his 40s I would guess, medium build. He went into the feed store first and since I had business there as well I followed in. After he ordered I commented to him that his driving was idiotic and very unsafe. He frowned , probably due to my tone, as he only spoke Spanish (note to self, learn Spanish).

The store keeper asked what it was about and I explained to him the guys driving. He agreed and then we went and looked at my dash camera. He was sold on the idea and said he would bring it up with his wife. Dash cameras are very handy in case of accidents, and for me trying to educate people how not to drive.

I do not know what his hurry was, he sped off from the feed store as well. Hopefully he does not repeat that very dangerous driving.

092314 Minor Accident at 90th Street East and Ave S

Rolled up to the new stop sign soon after a collision occurred. It looks like the woman was distracted while driving. She rear ended the pickup that was just pulling away from the new stop sign. Good thing he was moving as it lessened the impact. Her front plastic parts are sitting on the stop line and just after it in the intersection. She appears to be ok if a bit shaken up and the other driver was helping out.

Be careful out there folks, slow down and put the phones away.

New Stop Sign At 90th Street East and Ave S in Littlerock

 

Big news tonight and a warning.
There is a brand new stop sign on 90th Street East at Ave S. That intersection is now a four way stop! (Many people did not even know that dirt road was there.)

The warning: Right now people are running the stop sign or sliding through it at high speed as the layer upon layer of skid marks demonstrate. There are warning flags but of course most of those running the stop are distracted while texting on their phones! Yup there are still a number of really stupid acting people texting while driving at high speed in a 45 zone. Yes that is a 45 zone, has been for two (2) years now.

Thank you for the stop sign and safe driving!

090314 Repeat Offender

This morning a small white car that has a habit of speeding, passing illegally and the driver is often on his phone did it again. In a 45 zone while my speedometer read 50 this little car comes up fast behind me and is peeking around. It is a fairly narrow road. In the video you will see three sheriff cars and a sheriff truck go the opposite way, then one more car and now the double yellow zone for an intersection with turn lane and a traffic signal.

Zoom there he goes, on his phone, passing in the double yellow zone, in the middle of the intersection, much faster than the 45 limit. I eventually catch up at the next light just as it turns green and zoom he off again exceeding the next 45 Zone.

Plate 5SAS710

060614 This Driver

This morning as I approached Ave O and 90th Street East heading north I encountered a sheriff and behind him a man in a hurry. Once the sheriff made his left the fellow waited which seemed odd since he sort of squoze in by the sheriff. Ok, so I start on my way. 90th East and Ave N I stop, I make my left turn, he does a rolling stop behind me (that is where you really don't stop just keep going at a slow pace). At this point I am doing 60 and a few moments later he passes me.
The car in front of him now was also doing about 60 MPH. He passes that car. Now we are all in the double yellow zone and he pulls out (hard to see on the video, try full screen) and passes the guy in front who was also doing 60 MPH.

Folks, those double yellows are there for a reason. DO NOT PASS! Also slow down a bit, if you are late, you will not make up the time on surface roads. Better late than injured, sued, or dead.

053114 SUV Runs Stop Sign

Another day, another bad driver in the Antelope Valley. This morning I observed a black SUV heading south on 90th Street East at Ave N. She slowed a bit but not below 30 and just accelerated right on through the stop sign.

She did not appear distracted, no phone in hand, looking ahead, no passenger that I could see. 

Stay On Your Side!

Two days ago on my way home I encountered a person that decided crossing double yellow lines to get to the turn lane faster was a smart idea. Dumb ass!

Then the very next afternoon at the same intersection another person decided to do the same thing. I hope they both pissed their pants.

It would be interesting to let them hit me and then have them explain to the sheriff why the hell they were on the wrong side of the road.

To the City of Lancaster, would it be possible to put out some of those plastic pylon poles to stop traffic from doing this at that location? It happens on a fairly regular basis at the intersection of West Ave M and 30th Street West. Always from the west bound traffic, normally at evening commute time, about 5-6 PM.

020614 On The Wrong Side of The Double Yellows

So on my home from work I am waiting for the traffic to clear so the person in front of my and myself can make our left hand turns. I watch as opposing traffic make right turns and then we both move forward.

As I am looking to where I plan on being I see a little dust above the car tops from someone driving the shoulder. Then my camera and I see it. Some young driver had decided that to make the green light and left turn he would just get out of the line of traffic, crossing the double yellows into on coming traffic so he could get to the turn lane ahead of other drivers.

Crossing double yellow NO PASS zone lines is usually a really bad idea.
When there is heavy traffic in the area it is a terrible idea.
The young man driving is extremely lucky that the drivers heading against him were PAYING ATTENTION and SKILLED enough to dodge.

California Stop and Bad time to hit brakes

SO this morning on the way into work I was doing the speed limit of 45 MPH on 90th Street East heading northbound. I had just passed the junkyard driveways approaching the signal. I see a person do what is called a California stop. You know, where a person slows just enough to look both ways but never actually stopping. Well that numb nuts did it within seconds of me entering the intersection and then, in that shiny new car, decided not to accelerate.

To make it more entertaining the person decided to also brake and yank a touch right when they realized I was literally right behind them.

Lesson to learn: Come to a complete stop at any intersection where there is a stop sign or you have a red light for your direction of travel.

Secondary lesson: Accelerate! Braking when someone is coming up behind you quickly is the incorrect choice.

011414 Red Light Runners

Ah the joys of driving in the Antelope Valley. This morning my plans took me in a different direction and I had to use the intersection at Ave K and Sierra Hwy.

While waiting for the light to change I had the joy of watching the light change while a car from the cross traffic was running the red. Then I started to go, my light turning yellow mid turn while a car from the opposing right lane decided it was time to run their red light.

010914 High Speed

I rarely post video of speeders because there are so many people that speed. The following video has two speeders I am posting due to high rates of speed and in the case of the truck, unsafe driving as well.

The little car is a common sight on my route, he often speeds, but this morning I was doing about 60 and I was passed like I was walking on the side of the road. (plate # 6SAB430 )

The truck was not able to stay in his lane and kept crossing the lane divider up to half his width then would yank back over. I wanted to see if the driver was texting or whatever, sometimes it is just a sleepy person. I was surprised to find the driver was doing 70 MPH while texting. (plate # 4JY4794)