Tag: cars

Would this work at Seven Corners?

Techdirt: Getting Rid Of Traffic Lights And Traffic Signs To Make Everyone Safer

When you remove all of the guidance, it makes people (and that includes the bikers and pedestrians as well) much more cautious and careful — so they tend to make fewer dangerous moves. On top of that, it actually makes the traffic flow much more smoothly, allowing people to get where they’re going much faster, even if they drive slower.

I suspect that this works better in cities, and Seven Corners might be too complicated to remove the signs, but this is an interesting concept.  Basically, if you remove traffic signs and lights, everything moves more slowly and smoothly and people drive more safely.  I suspect that this would only be temporary, though.  People would drive more safely at first, but if you go through an intersection twice a day on your commute to and from work, many people will get used to the little quirks of the road (For example, at a particular intersection, the left lane always backs up trying to turn, so you get to the right before you get there) and take advantage.

Still, it is nice to see people examining things like this, which people take for granted, and wondering if there is really a better way, even if it sounds quite drastic.

Ever honked at a school bus?

I took an alternate route to work today because I had to drop the wife off in Arlington so she could pass out Jim Webb (Democratic candidate for Senator in VA) literature.  So I was coming through a sort of bad intersection – nothing like Seven Corners, but not the nicest intersection, either.  As I went through the green light, a school bus pulled halfway into the intersection to turn right.  Into my lane.

First of all, you don’t pull halfway into the lane when a car with the right of way is already occupying that lane.  Second, I thought school buses never turned right on red.  Doesn’t it say that on the back of the bus?

I always drive more carefully around school buses.  I mean, they’re full of children without seatbelts.  And usually the bus drivers are extra cautious, too.  But not this one.  So I honked at him.  He then turned right just behind me.  On red.  Jerk.

Response from Delegate Scott

You can see the response I got to my letter about Seven Corners here.  The relevant quote is this:

The main reason we in No.Va. suffer from inadequate transportation solutions is that we have not increased revenues in 20 years. Again this year, many of us in NoVA tried to obtain support for new sources of funding, but we had little support from House members from other parts of the state.

This sounds to me like a plea from Democrat to support a tax hike.  Now, maybe that’s not being fair, but doesn’t that sound to you like a plea for a tax hike?

But I’m not buying it.  If you can’t increase revenue without raising taxes when the population explodes (I don’t know what the population was in 1986, but it sure wasn’t what it is now), then it’s not the fault of House members in the rest of the state (Republican, probably, since NOVA is the only Democratic part of the state commonwealth).  It’s the fault of those who write up the budget.  I understand that increased population means increased costs, but it also means increased revenue. And seriously, how much does it cost to put up a sign?  I honk at someone almost every day at that intersection because they cut me off from the wrong lane.  Do you think they’d put up a sign if I offered to pay for it?  That’s probably illegal.  Maybe I’ll ask Jim Scott.

Dont you love the DMV?

How can the customer service line for the Department of Motor Vehicles be busy? I just got a bill for my property tax on the truck I sold last year. I called the county, and they said that the DMV has no record of the sale. So I guess someone forgot to write it down when I turned in my tags. And now I can’t get through to the DMV. I do not want to have to go there in person. Although it might turn out to be easier.

And honestly, how does Virginia get away with a yearly tax on a depreciating asset? They like to talk about how wonderful the car tax relief they offer is, but they fail to mention how stupid the car tax is in the first place. If they want to tax the USE of the car to help pay for roads and such, I wouldn’t be totally opposed. That would place the tax burden firmly where it belongs – on those who drive the most. But a tax on the car itself, above and beyond sales tax, is ridiculous.

Update: I’m currently on hold with the DMV. After a half hour of redial, I finally got past the busy signal and got their automated system. How the heck do I get a busy signal when I’m calling a computer? That’s just a bad system.

Not only that, but when I finally got through, they launched into the recorded spiel about how much you can do on their website. How do they think I got the stupid phone number? So, as I was verbally expressing my disgust at their awful phone system, that very same phone system interpreted my words as me having trouble with their menu system. This is actually impossible, because they never gave me any menu options. At least my supposed difficulties got me straight into the customer service queue, which is where I wanted to be anyway.

Update II:  So it looks like I got it taken care of.  The CSR was completely incapable of answering any questions as to why they failed to take the vehicle out of my name, but at least she took it out.

By the way, if you ever find a Virgina driver’s license, you can do all sorts of things.  They don’t ask any identifying information beyond what’s on the license.  That makes me feel safe.

This is not a surprise to me

Acura Integras Still Being Stolen – Jalopnik

Of course Integras are still being stolen while RSX’s aren’t.  One, the Integra was awesome while the RSX is just an Integra with a new name.  Two, the smart kids bought Integras to pimp out – a stock Integra blows the doors off a Civic with $10,000 of engine work.

My first car was a 1988 Integra RS.  I loved that car.  Then someone rear ended it, and Allstate determined it wasn’t worth the repairs.  So my sister and I took the insurance money and a little out of pocket cash and bought a 1989 Integra LS.  We had that until my brother drove it into the ground.  They were great cars.  My girlfriend in college bought a brand new 2000 Integra during our senior year.  That was a fun car to drive, but not quite as much fun as the ’89.

Anyway, it’s too bad they’re discontinuing the RSX.  Maybe if they brought back the Integra it would start selling again.