Forget banning cell phones- start banning passengers!

[novaman]

Around noon today I was heading to the meeting point for my local region's mystery tour. As I headed down the interstate I was zipping along at about 70 (in a 65MPH ..those slow antique cars ) up the right hand lane. Traffic was moving about the same pace. As I came up along side of the slower cars in the 2nd, he moved over into my lane! I hit the brakes briefly but hard to knock the speed off and get behind him. He was so wrapped up in talking to his passengers, he never checked for other traffic before trying to change lanes to go around the guy in front of him. At least we didn't hit.

Did have an interesting one on the tour. The lead car for the mystery tour quit on the guy about 3 miles into the tour. He got it running again while the others of us waited on the road behind him. At least the road was four lane divided since there was no real shoulder before the curbbing. We had a good time.

[Shop Rat]

In the vein of people driving while doing stupid stuff other than using cellphones, a few days ago I saw a woman driving a convertible Mercedes with the top down. Not only did she have her little dog in her lap, it was trying it's best to lean as far out of the car as it could while leaning on her left arm. THEN she reaches down in the passenger seat and gets a polar-fleece blanket and covers the dog with it so it won't get cold. There is no way she could react quickly if she needed to.

Regarding tours, our club had a nice one yesterday also despite a misting of rain and it being chilly. We drove out some back roads to the New River Gorge Bridge (the one that is on the new West Virginia state quarter that was just released) and stopped at the visitor center. We then took off for Oak Hill, and met with the new AACA White Water Chapter that was started by a member of our Region, for lunch at what used to be an old pharmacy. The food was good even if the service was slow. From there we went and visited an old coal company store buidling in the tiny town of Whipple, W. Va.

[Twitch]

Sadly there always have and always will be inattentive drivers no matter what the technology is.

[Guest BruceW]

Any and all advanced automotive technology will still be inadequate until the problem with loose nuts behind the wheel can be resolved.

[Twitch]

Hey remember the old test track in the greater Detroit area that had the buried cables or rails for the automatic car control feature? You could drive it into the "automatic lane" and set the control for complete robot control. THAT'S what some people need who find driving interfering with shaving, reading the paper or putting on make up.

[novaman]

By any chance, was that a Ford test track?? Reason I'm asking is I got to go on one in the Detriot area when the GVACS region went out there for a 1000 mile tour back in 1980(?, I'd have to look at dad's tour banner to confirm year).