I am going down the road (Pleasant Hill road for my fellow Atlantians), going about 40 MPH. the light ahead is green so I continue going through the light, next thing I know this guy in a pickup cuts right in front of us trying to make a left turn, I avoid him easily, becuase I expected him to try to cut in front of us. Then all of a sudden the next IDIOT in line tries to make a U-turn right in front of us. She was in a large van, so there is no doubt that she saw us coming, but decided she wanted to turn anyway. When she saw she wasn't going to make it, she stopped horizontally in the road completely blocking the left lane and partially blocking the middle lane in which I was in. Luckily I had already slowed down enough from the first guy who cut in front of us so I was able to get by her without a collision. I just glared at her and continued on my way, it all happened so fast, I dind't even have a chance to honk. I am dumbfounded, what in the hell was she thinking?

 

Thats how our van was totaled, someone tried to cut out infront of my mom and hit her head on. My parents always yell at me for leaning out the window and screaming at people or flipping them off. I don't know how he lived in new york for 10 years.

 

Sometimes I just don't get how stupid humans can actually get.

About 6 years ago when I was going about 40 Mph in my Defender (see https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117641) a fine gentleman in oncoming traffic decided to turn left in front of me - I didn't even have time to hit the breaks. Needless to say, I T-boned him and popped his car like a balloon - every piece of glass in his two door Mazda blew out from the impact. Defenders don't have a "crumple zone" so I ended up driving half way through his car. I remember seeing glass all over my hood and watching his back tire (which snapped cleanly off) rolling into traffic. After several witnesses spoke to the police officer on the scene he was declared "at fault" and issued a citation. The ambulance carted him away (he was complaining of rib pain - likely from having the passenges seat end up in his lap) and that was the last I saw of him (call to the hospital later confirmed that he had been checked out and had a few bruised ribs - nothing more (lucky for him)).

When I finally got back to my Defender, I was amazed to see that the front bumper (a brutally stiff I-Beam like piece of steal) was marginally bent on one side and my A-bar held it's ground. No other damage. The police officer on the scene couldn't beleive it either - based on the condition of the Mazda he said he kept looking for the other car... I drove to work - replaced the bumper (on his insurance) later that week and also had the frame measured up (again on his insurance). Frame was square.

Bottom line - not a good idea to try to cut in front of a Defender....

 

^Dammit, I need one of those... a nice way to keep stupid people in check

 

That was my initial thought to. Then I thought - what if that had been a soccer mom, late to something...? if there had been a little girl on the passenger side, she would have been toast. A scary thought. At the end of the day, crumple zones are good things - people shouldn't be killed for being stupid, using bad judgement..... whatever you want to call it. I was glad the other guy was OK - even though he pulled a monumental bonehead maneuver. I don't think he saw me.

 

You way there life vs. them paying to replace the vehicle. Unless you happen to be the lucky sonuvabitch who ran down timothy mcvay it aint worth it.