Tag: Stupid people

Where are the drivers in the wrong?

I was all set this morning to scowl smugly at any driver who dared to turn into my lane from the wrong lane at Seven Corners.  I was eagerly anticipating the opportunity to bask in the glow of self-righteousness.  I could almost taste it.

And no one was there to turn next to me.  I was so disappointed.  We left the house a little earlier than usual this morning, and there just wasn’t any traffic.

As an aside, do you see what I did there?  I managed to turn a day in Northern Virginia with no traffic into a complaint.  That skill (And I was born with that.  That’s not something you can learn) is why I run Complaint Hub, and you just read it.  Anyone can complain about stuff that sucks.  But it takes a true visionary to complain about the lack of one of the things that everyone complains about.

Aha! I was right!

The DMV was a couple of hours late in answering my question, but I’m willing to let that slide because they completely vindicated me!  Emphasis mine on the relevant paragraph.

Per Code of Virginia, § 46.2-846:

A. Except where turning is prohibited, a driver intending to turn at an intersection or other location on any highway shall execute the turn as provided in this section.

  1. Right turns: Both the approach for a right turn and a right turn shall be made as close as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway.

  2. Left turns on two-way roadways: At any intersection where traffic is permitted to move in both directions on each roadway entering the intersection, an approach for a left turn shall be made from the right half of the roadway and as close as possible to the roadway’s center line, passing to the right of the center line where it enters the intersection. After entering the intersection, the left turn shall be made so as to leave the intersection to the right of the centerline of the roadway being entered. Whenever practicable, the left turn shall be made to the left of the center of the intersection.

  3. Left turns on other than two-way roadways: At any intersection where traffic is restricted to one direction on one or more of the roadways, and at any crossover from one roadway of a divided highway to another roadway thereof on which traffic moves in the opposite direction, the driver intending to turn left at any such intersection or crossover shall approach the intersection or crossover in the extreme left lane lawfully available to traffic moving in the direction of travel of such vehicle and after entering the intersection or crossover the left turn shall be made so as to leave the intersection or crossover, as nearly as practicable, in the left lane lawfully available to traffic moving in such direction upon the roadway being entered.

B. Local authorities having the power to regulate traffic in their respective jurisdictions may cause markers or signs to be placed within or adjacent to intersections and thereby direct that a different course from that specified in this section be traveled by vehicles turning at any intersection. When markers or signs are so placed, no driver shall turn a vehicle at an intersection other than as directed by such markers or signs.

So, if you are in the far left, you must turn into the left lane.  I’m willing to concede the second lane from the left as well, but NOT the third from the left.  So take that, high-beam-flasher-lady!  You’re wrong!  I’m right!

I still contend that the intersection is an abomination, but I feel quite vindicated.

Email to the DMV

I have a question about right-of-way rules at the intersection of Leesburg Pike and Arlington Blvd (Seven Corners). If I am on Wilson Blvd and turn right onto Leesburg Pike West, there are two lanes going to a yield in order to go left onto Leesburg Pike East. There are four lanes on Leesburg Pike East. If I want to be in the second lane from the right after I turn onto Leesburg Pike East, should I be in the right or the left lane before the turn?If this is not the right place to come for laws such as this, could you possibly direct me to where I might find an answer?

Thanks very much

They say they’ll respond within two days. 8:22AM, the clock is running.

I will get to the bottom of this

I’m tired of this madness.  Every morning, I drop my wife off at the Metro and then drive to work.  Every morning, I think I’m in the correct lane to get where I want to go.  Every morning, someone in another lane thinks they have a right to be where I am.  I have to find out who’s correct.  Some woman flashed her high beams at me this morning in anger, and I’m almost positive I was right and she was wrong.

The intersection in question is Seven Corners, one of the most poorly designed sections of road I’ve ever seen.  The engineers responsible should never work in this field again.  If you leave the East Falls Church Metro down Sycamore/Roosevelt, then turn left onto Wilson, you arrive at a light.  Two lanes go right.  You turn onto what appears to be Leesburg Pike West, which has four or five lanes.  The two left lanes lead to a left turn yield.  This left turn takes you to Leesburg Pike East, which has four lanes.  Now, here is where the problem is.  If I see two lanes turning left into four, and I want to be in the lane second from the right, it makes sense that I get in the right lane before the turn, right?  There is no sign, and no line on the road to suggest anything.  And I seem to be the minority.  But if I get in the left lane, no doubt I will find myself again in the minority.  Because there are always fewer people who agree with you on matters like this, I’ve found.

In any event, if I was high-beamed in error, I’m very offended.  If I screw up and you flash your lights at me, I’ll take that.  I might even wave an apology.  I can admit when I’m wrong.  But I won’t stand for unwarranted high-beaming.  I just won’t stand for it.

I’m going to contact the DMV today and see if I can get to the bottom of this.

Montgomery County doesnt want you to vote

Voting Delays at D.C., Md. Polls – washingtonpost.com “It was simply an unfortunate human error,” [Montgomery County] spokeswoman Marjorie Roher said. “We’re getting the cards out there as quickly as possible.”

An unfortunate human error?  Voting machines can’t be used without voter authorization cards.  Forty-five minutes before polls were scheduled to open, someone happened to check to see if those cards were there.  They were not.  I’m not one for conspiracy theories, but that seems unbelieveably incompetent.

It’s happening more and more (Or at least making the papers more and more) that we as a country seem to have a hard time setting up the means to vote.  There are few countries more technologically advanced than we are, and yet we aren’t capable of making a secure voting machine that keeps a record in case of any problems?

You mean THAT Ramsey? Really?

Suspect Held in Ramsey Slaying

First, I can’t believe it’s been ten years since JonBenet was killed.  Second, I had no idea anyone still cared.  But apparently they arrested some guy in Thailand, who claims the whole thing was an accident.  I’m sure everyone will believe that.  When you get arrested on sex charges, and happen to admit that you were involved with the “accidental” death of a six-year-old beauty queen, most people are going to throw the whole “innocent until proven guilty” thing out the window. I wonder if this will be all over the news again.  They LOVE showing the pictures of her with eight pounds of makeup on.

Ask, and you shall receive

Newsvine – Chertoff: U.S. Should Review Terror Laws – via BoingBoing

“What helped the British in this case is the ability to be nimble, to be fast, to be flexible, to operate based on fast-moving information,” [Chertoff] said. “We have to make sure our legal system allows us to do that. It’s not like the 20th century, where you had time to get warrants.”

And there you go. A wonderful quote from the guy in charge of making us safe. Who do you suppose is going to protect us from Homeland Security?

Jayson Stark is smoking crack

ESPN.com – MLB – Stark: What should have been — Clemens to Red Sox

But there is also an obligation on the other side, the obligation any team has to a player of Roger Clemens’ stature.Obviously, everybody in Houston has a vision of how the Rocket Man deserves to close out his astonishing career. And obviously, this isn’t it.

For some reason, Jayson Stark thinks that, after Roger Clemens stated quite clearly that he was more important than all of baseball with his little “I’m going to sit at home and play when I feel like for who I feel like” stunt, the Astros should do what’s best for Clemens and trade him to a contender.

Is Clemens the greatest pitcher of the modern era?  You can make that argument.  Would a lot of people be happy to see him end his career with a win in Game Seven of the World Series?  Sure.  Would I be one of them?  No.  Is that because I’ve got a little sour grapes because he’s played for every AL East team but my Orioles?  No, of course not, that’s ridiculous, how could you even say that?

Where is it written that the Astros (Who are only 6 games out of the wild card, although they aren’t playing that well right now) should make their team worse to give Clemens a last shot at the postseason?  It’s not written anywhere.  Clemens came to Houston because he wanted to pitch at home.  They were okay with a big contract for half a season.  Fine, that’s their decision.  But now that Houston doesn’t look like a good bet for the playoffs, they’re supposed to roll over and die?  Do you think they’d get anything in return from Boston?  Some mediocre prospect, maybe, and they’d probably have to eat a big chunk of Clemens’ salary.

Anyway, I hope Clemens’ last start is a totally meaningless game in September.  Houston plays at Pittsburgh right before going to Atlanta to finish the regular season.  I hope Clemens starts one of those games and loses to some 22-year-old kid brought up when the rosters expanded.  Maybe that will remind him that even 343 wins doesn’t make you bigger than the game.

An intelligent statement from a politician

Techdirt: House Rushes Through Bill To Make The Web More Dangerous For Kids

I know, it’s amazing.

Rep. John Dingell’s statement is worth repeating: “So now we are on the floor with a piece of legislation poorly thought out, with an abundance of surprises, which carries with it that curious smell of partisanship and panic, but which is not going to address the problems. This is a piece of legislation which is going to be notorious for its ineffectiveness and, of course, for its political benefits to some of the members hereabout.”

Well said.  He was speaking of the “Deleting Online Predators Act”, which doesn’t actually seem to delete any predators (Isn’t it nice that they use delete, because that’s an internet word!  They’re so clever and hip!), but actually blocks a lot of websites at any school that takes federal money.  Because that makes kids safer.

Unless you take away internet access completely, it is possible that online predators will get at kids.  You see, the internet is a dynamic, ever-changing thing.  This may seem obvious to many of you.  To to 410 of the 425 members of the House who voted for this bill, it apparently isn’t.  Blocking things on the internet will never work.  There will always be something new you have to block, and the people trying to beat the blocks are at least as good as those trying to block them.  As Techdirt says, why don’t we try educating people on the potential dangers?  Oh, right, that costs money.  Stupid bills like this just allow politicians to pretend they care about children.