Shoulder check

[jcdammeyer]

North Wales, UK:

• Sheep are stupid, they don’t care about cars or horns.

• Narrow doesn’t come close to describing secondary roads (country lanes?).

I drove myself, but very cautiously.


Guayaquil, Ecuador:

• Lane markings are considered suggestions - 3 marked lanes, 5 (sometimes 6) cars filling the available space.

• The nanosecond a traffic signal turns green, cars as far as 10 back start honking.

I left driving to the locals.

I second the narrow B roads in Wales. Very scary.
I sort of shoulder check depending on what I'm doing. For the most part my vehicle yells at me if I even think about changing lanes into someone. But there's a catch. I have to signal first. If I start signalling and there is someone who has sneaked up into the blind spot it beeps at me.
I even get beeped at as I merge and if the signal lever is still on and there's a car in the inner lane it thinks I'm trying to change lanes into it.

 

[Elektrishun]

LoL I assure you I don't drive that recklessly...

Oh, I wasn't passing judgement. Your comment and the fact it was a Porsche brought back that memory and I thought I'd share.

 

[Elektrishun]

@SomeGuy

Don't won't to go off track and turn this into a Porsche hugging thread but I have to say that if I could choose one Porsche to own it would be a white '86 944.

Something about the style I find very appealing. Apparently it's an exceptionally high maintenance Porsche but I'll bet it's still far cheaper than a wife and 3 kids.

 

[6.5 Fan]

When it comes to signaling for lane changes, i assumed it wasn;t required anymore. I have seen city cops and a fire truck lane change and not signal. No emergency lights on either, so just driving with the traffic. Really makes me say **#!!!**& idiots

 

[terry_g]

I always shoulder check. I drove a cube van for a service truck for 15 years. Not being able to in that vehicle always bothered me.
I ride a motorcycle as well so I have learned to be an extra cautious driver.
I have extended family in the UK. A family member there recently bought a new car. I don't remember the make but it will not allow you to change lanes unless you use the turn signal first.

 

[Chicken lights]

Does nobody teach following room any more? I'm pretty sure my geriatric shop assistant said 1 car length per every 10 miles of speed, was what he was taught

 

[Downwindtracker2]

Not all Porsches are fast . This was back in the mid-70s I was driving '74 Fiat 124 Sports Coupe. It had been tuned in a speed shop. She was quick. Coming up a hill, a guy driving a Porsche 912 was determined to pass me on the passing lane, after all I only had a Fiat. A 912 looked like a 911 except it only had a four banger. A stylish beetle . So I kept adding gas.There was lot left in her, and I was still in 5th. When we got to the top of the hill, I backed off and let him go. There were always cops on the flat on the other side of the hill. A rather annoyed Porsche driver sped down the hill on to the flats, to the waiting radar. I guess I can be a bit of a ..........

 

[SomeGuy]

@SomeGuy

Don't won't to go off track and turn this into a Porsche hugging thread but I have to say that if I could choose one Porsche to own it would be a white '86 944.

Something about the style I find very appealing. Apparently it's an exceptionally high maintenance Porsche but I'll bet it's still far cheaper than a wife and 3 kids.

View attachment 64297

The 944's are actually relatively cheap to buy, at least in terms of Porsche's. All Porsche's are relatively expensive to maintain, but if you can DIY they aren't too bad in that era....they're just getting quite old now and 944's in particular haven't had a lot of love, so getting a good one all up to snuff would be difficult. As the other poster just said too, the 944's and a lot of the pre 996/986 generation 911's and boxsters, they weren't particularly fast cars (except those few special widowmaker 993 turbo's and such).

My Porsche isn't one of the sports cars (sadly, maybe someday), but it is a new Macan GTS, so is still quite quick and a total blast to drive

 

[slow-poke]

Not all Porsches are fast

0-140MPH, my Mustang has embarrassed many a Porsche, Ferarri, Viper, Vette, etc.

That being said most of the Porsche guys actually know how to drive, can't say the same for my digs with the others. Perhaps they are just too scared to break something because it will cost them 50k to fix it

 

[jorogi]

My Porsche isn't one of the sports cars

View attachment 64300

Meh, sorry but to me it isn't a sports car if it has 4 doors or no clutch (real clutch).

 

[CWret]

WAAAAY too many people do not know that the side mirrors on a vehicle should be set so you cannot see your own vehicle.

^ Yep!

It was alot of fun but it always amazed me how many couldn't drive in the snow and ice at all.

I too gave my kids ice & snow driving lessons on a Sunday in a large empty parking lot.

Having driven over width and over height loads (with a lowboy float) gives you a lot of respect for keeping all minors properly set and used continuously - and then a shoulder check also.

I raced an Austin 1100 on ice 50+ years ago. Great fun drifting through the corners. Also 50+ years ago I did motorcycle flat track racing on a 250 Bultaco. Big smiles there but no shoulder checks - just pin the throttle.

In my mid size SUV, I always do a shoulder check. I think it is the AZ driving and my motorcycle racing that taught me to do everything possible to be aware of my surroundings - both my SUV and the wife’s have the side traffic monitors, nice but they don’t stop me from that last second shoulder check.

 

[ChazzC]

Does nobody teach following room any more? I'm pretty sure my geriatric shop assistant said 1 car length per every 10 miles of speed, was what he was taught

That’s what we were taught also back in the late 60’s, and never closer than 1 car length unless stopped (should be able to see the rear tires if the vehicle in front of you when stopped).

More recently the PA Driver’s manual started with pushing keeping a 4 second space; I’ve never experienced anyone following me further back than 2 seconds, even when some roads wee marked with spacing guides (“maintain at least 2 markers between you and the vehicle in front of you”).

 

[Doggggboy]

That’s what we were taught also back in the late 60’s, and never closer than 1 car length unless stopped (should be able to see the rear tires if the vehicle in front of you when stopped).

More recently the PA Driver’s manual started with pushing keeping a 4 second space; I’ve never experienced anyone following me further back than 2 seconds, even when some roads wee marked with spacing guides (“maintain at least 2 markers between you and the vehicle in front of you”).

It used to be leave one one dash on the highway for every 10 mph following distance here.

 

[SomeGuy]

Meh, sorry but to me it isn't a sports car if it has 4 doors or no clutch (real clutch).

That's why I said it ISN'T one of the sports cars...it still does 0-60 in around ~4 seconds though, it's faster than most things on the road.

Also my Macan has two real clutches lol

 

[SomeGuy]

^ Yep!

I too gave my kids ice & snow driving lessons on a Sunday in a large empty parking lot.

You know what's (not) funny, this is now considered stunt driving just like doing 50km/h over, even on private property. Yes, you literally can't slide around in a parking lot anymore

 

[Tom O]

M
One of my pet peeves is people changing lanes on a bridge I know it was illegal when I got my license because there’s nowhere to go for them.