Why must the world go so fast

[Robert R]

Here is my new car.  I've put more miles on him this summer than my actual car and truck combined but he is a pretty sporty model and we can get out of peoples way.  I had a five acre field to mow this morning.  It is about 5.5 miles from home, 3 miles on a blacktop highway.  I waited for morning work traffic to clear and put Molly and Ginger on the wagon with the mower loaded and headed over to work.  Going there wasn't bad but on the way home, we were honked at, yelled at and had a pop can thrown at us!!  My wagon is street legal--can't folks just pass and be on their way.  If I wanted to go 60mph, I'd take a vehicle but because I don't, does that mean I must stay at home?  Man, I'm frosted this evening. 

[Tom]

The state of the world is "Frantic".  Everybody is in a big hurry but, doesn't know why.  The yelling and beer can throwing is just a sign of poor manners.  Those people haven't been taught manners, or didn't choose to listen.  There was a day when it was "yes sir, no sir", what can I do for you.  Maybe, one of these days people will quit this trash.

[Robert R]

I forgot my picture of my new Roadster, Takoda. 

[WH_Conley]

I must admit that I have been the not too considerate motorist on a few occasions, not to the point of throwing things. Probably these people were tired and tense after a days work and just wanted to get home or wherever. Maybe you have a better grip on life than they do ?

Personally I would rather come upon you and your girls and have to slow down than get behind two cars running side by side on the interstate  at 65 MPH looking at each other and talking on their phones.

[sprucebunny]

I wondered the same thing today.

I live on a dirt road under the lip of a hill. A couple of people go 60-70 MPH past my driveway once or twice a day. I'm pretty sure that I am going to get T-boned at the end of my driveway someday : Are they in that much of a hurry to get to thier job at Wallyworld ???

[LOGDOG]

Beautiful horses Robert. One thing I'd encourage is to never let the goings on of other people prevent you from enjoying life as you're inclined to. Hats off to you for taking the girls out.

I'm young yet (31) but I realized a couple years ago I was living way too fast. I think 9/11 probably had something to do with it, amongst other things. I see my brothers and their wives still chasing their tails. It's no wonder people get in a bad mood.

Today it seems like most of us work so that we can pay others to do things for us. Things like grow our vegetables, our meats, catch our fish for us, plan our vacations for us, build our houses for us, make our clothes for us, raise our kids for us. It never occurs to the majority that if they did a few of those things themselves they'd have to work that much less. I made the comment to my mom the other day (after she had expressed some discontent) that the basics of life are great when you strip away the race after material things.

Next time you're on the road with the girls and you see someone acting like that I'd just grin and be glad that you're not the one stuck in their rat race.

LOGDOG

[Onthesauk]

A number of years ago I worked in an office whose parking lot exited to a very busy street.  One evening a gal who worked for me, waited for a break in traffic and pulled up to the stop light.  A woman came screaming to a halt behind her leaning on the horn.  My gal calmly climbed out of her car, walked back and said to the woman, "You must have really had a bad day today."  She said the woman simply broke down and started to cry.

I think it's often the case, people living too hectic a life.  And then as Tom says, throw in a dose of bad manners and it can really get nasty out there.  My forum signature is something I use to have taped to my dashboard when I was driving to and from work in miserable traffic every day.  Helped me deal with it and try not to take it too personal.

[Robert R]

I can agree with you about not wanting to be in the rat race any more.  I have a 96 Saturn that I filled the gas tank on Memorial Day this spring and still have probably a quarter tank left.  I've bought a lot more diesel than that for the truck but I sure did everything I could to not buy any more than necessary this summer when it was over $3 a gallon--if someone worked outside of home at that price, they'd have to get a part-time job just to cover fuel costs!!  We only went to probably a third of the horse shows that we normally go to and spent the money we would have put into showing on some training for my wife's little mare quarterhorse.

[CHARLIE]

I've often found that I catch up to those drivers that fly by me at a the next stop light.  Or as they call them in the mid-west......stop and go lights. ;D

Back in the last century, about 1960, a man that worked at the bank with my mom said he was sitting at a stop light. When the light turned green the man behind him honked his horn. He said, "I got out of my car, walked back to his and said, "Did you want me?"  The guy that honked the horn was flabbergasted.  Of course if that happened today, he might have gotten shot.

   

[Woodcarver]

A young fellow in a pick-up went zipping by my wife and I yesterday like we were standing still.  I glanced down at the speedometer. I was a tick or two below the speed limit.  We caught up with him up the road aways.  He was sitting on the shoulder waiting for the state patrol officer to finish writing his ticket.  Wish that would happen more often. 

[WH_Conley]

A Go-Faster Award. :D :D

Had a couple ofem myself :(

[Ron Wenrich]

The other week, the newspaper had a list of things that will lead you on the road to happiness.  It was written by the folks at the Wall Street Journal.  They had the usual things like having a group of friends, volunteering, etc.

But, there were a couple that should be taken to heart.  One was to have a short commute.  We are increasingly seeing people have commutes of 100 miles one way.  They are saying that the maximum commute should be about 20 minutes.

The other one is to live in an area that you can afford.  You will never be able to keep up with the Smiths if they have a better job than you and can afford a lot more.  They suggest you live in an area a notch or two below what you can afford. 

It all boils down to simplicity leads to happiness.  It seems that Robert R gets it.   8)

[tcsmpsi]

Well, Robert, would have pleased me to no end to slow for you.  Would even consider stopping and seeing if I could talk you into a trade.   ;)

Last week, going through town on the main 4 lane, running about 25 mph, guy just comes right on out of a side street and T-bones us right in the passenger side. 
And, of course, according to him, it was my fault because he didn't see me. 

It's almost 'legendary' around town...people (the marvelous little darlin's they are) are continously PO'd at me because I run just a skosh under the speed limit.  It's town, people come out of 'nowhere', etc., etc..  More and more folks every day get in the perpetual hurry to be the first on the street...to stop at the next red light.

Insurance (the other guy's) called late yesterday finally acknowledging that, yes, their client was actually covered at the moment of impact, and that yes, it seems that he was actually fully responsible, and that yes, they would pay 100% on the damages.

Only took them a week.  Not all wheels turn so quickly.   ;D

[Fla._Deadheader]

Y'all don't wanna drive down here. EVERYONE drives on the wrong side of the road in the curves. When a light changes to green, the lead cars are already ½ way through the light, while about 20 cars back, some joker is laying on the horn.  : :

  Don't figure you have a lot of time to cross a street if a car is coming. From 2 blocks away, they will speed up and try to buzz you, blowing the horn.

  And then there's CITY DRIVERS.  : : : :

[pappy]

The wife and I live in what most people would call a very secluded/remote part of the country... Northern Maine... about as north in this great country as one can go,  the tar road ends about 33 miles from here... Most of the traffic that goes buy our farm is on one of the major routes coming up this way,average about 2200 vehicles per day Monday through Friday... Half of the "traffic" is trucks, log and chip, the speed limit is 45 and most people adhere to the limit... Any way you can drive just a tad over/under the speed limit and nobody will give ya any grief for it... Man o man do I ever love living up this far in "cold" country...

A friend of ours just moved back from Sacramento CA (she lasted a year + -) and her being mostly from here, she moved up to ME. 20 some odd years ago from PA, said everyone would tell her to "get an attitude"!! Is that what it's like out there in the "real world" ?? ya gotta be tough or be a pushy jerk...

Just maybe Robert R ya should get a t-shirt that says "get a horse and smell the flowers"   ;)  :D

Thanks,
Tim the ramblin' hermit  ;D

[Don P]

Folks around here either drive waay too slow or waay too fast. My neighbor and I were talking one day. We'll just pull over if being tailgated, some speed freak isn't going to push on my bumper and spoil my morning jaunt. He also allowed that it makes you feel like a real heel if someone feels the need to pull over for you, kinda makes you reset your priorities for the day. I drove for 10 years in the city and got totalled twice. I sure prefer a slower pace. One thing that helped slow me down alot was a pup that got carsick easily, I think they should be standard equipment  :D.

[thecfarm]

Probaly none of those horn blowers have never been around a horse.Good thing you have a good pair.My wife cart rides on a very busy back road.So far,she has never had a problem.The big trucks will slow down to quiet the motor for her and most cars will slow down too.I know she will meet a driver that is in a hurry.I really enjoy seeing a team on the road.Don't see that much during this day and age.I can still remember some old man with his horse and wagon on the road when we would go vist my grandmother back in the 70's.Don't let it bother you,it's not woth it.They will get a wake up call,some day.

[DomR]

I agree with all you out there.  Patience is a virtue but maybe no one taught that to their kids.  Me, I drive about 50 unless I can set the cruise at the speed limit.  The one thing that I learned by working for others is to "hurry up and do it again".  You either did it wrong or were in such a hurry to get going you forgot half of the stuff you need.  Like going to a wedding without the present or on the way to the woods without my coffee.  Sometimes being in a hurry has made me turn around 2 x to get the stuff I needed- where does it get you?  Go slow, smell the roses, talk to people, watch the landscape and learn what not to do by watching others.
DomR

[rebocardo]

Just no manners because people , deep down, hate themselves and their lives and act it out.

I can just imagine the ear boxing or hair pulling I would have gotten as a young adult if I was ever rude enough to lean on the horn near a horse, and I lived in the city! I was taught to give them an extra wide berth and to slow down so the motor would not scare them. I think it was a good thing to live in fear of your parents, relatives, and local police with a big shoe   ;)

I would say, just do what you can to avoid the morons. Or get a bumper sticker for the carriage that says "honk if you are Amish" and then wave and smile at everyone that honks.  :D

[Ed_K]

 I slow down when people come up behind me fast, It slows them down for a minute till they figure out how to get around me. I always slow for people on horses, its usually ladies I can smile at as we pass  ;D .
So, Pappy, you live above VanBurren  ;) .

[J_T]

My Aunt's car quit at a light onetime and a man was behind her blowing his horn .She got out and went back to his car and told him if he would go up and start her car she would be happy to sit in his car and blow his horn :D :D.One of the better one's about horses .A man hitched his horse to his wagon and would go a few miles to get water as he had no well he went back in the house for sompthing an the horse left with out him went right wrere he was needed to . The old man had to walk and get him  :D :D

[PineNut]

If you like impatient aggressive drivers, you would enjoy living in Turkey. Railroad crossings were especially interesting. When blocked by a train, the drivers would line up all the way across the road. Let me correct that, from the building on one side of the road to the building on the other side of the road which includes the sidewalks. Of course they were doing that on the other side of the train also. When the train passed, both lines of cars would be heading directly toward each other.  My approach was to just sit there and let them blow their horns until I could find an opening and then go. I haven't had to do that for the past 35 years and would just as soon not have to do it again.

[pappy]

So, Pappy, you live above VanBurren  ;) .

Yup I'm about 45 miles west of VB ... How do you know of it?? Ya got family over dere ??  ;)

[wiam]

I had an uncle that had his alternator fail in Boston.  He pulled off an exit and there was a garage right across the light.  The car died before the light.  2 big guys in a van stopped and asked if they could help.  They were boosting his battery so he could make it accross the street when some guy in a hurry started blowing his horn and yelling to get out of the way.  One of the big guys reached in the horn blower's window and pulled him through it, told him to stop and put him back in his seat. ;D

Will