Controversial California bill would physically stop new cars from speeding

[ZLoth]

I would have loved to have that support desk "fix" the issues that were occurring with the "windows" of a Ubuntu desktop running on a virtualization. I don't see a big blue e on my desk. How do I get the Internet? I click on a icon called "Web Browser". Describe that icon? It looks like a donut.

[kphoger]

I've actually gotten them to the point where they cuss me out for having wasted their time.

On the other hand . . .

Once, I had a five-minute-long conversation about pooping with the guy on the other end.

[GaryV]

OK, continuing off topic:

Back when you used to get phone calls almost daily about changing your long distance service, my sister in law would say, "Oh, sorry, we don't have a phone." Often the reply would be, "Sorry for bothering you."

[kphoger]

OK, continuing off topic:

Back when you used to get phone calls almost daily about changing your long distance service, my sister in law would say, "Oh, sorry, we don't have a phone." Often the reply would be, "Sorry for bothering you."

Yep.  Again, from the other thread:

Back when signing up for a long-distance provider was a thing, my sister-in-law would respond to telemarketers who wanted her to change. "Oh, sorry, we don't have a phone." Some of them bought it and apologized for the bother.'

My dad has done that before.  What are they going to do, call you a liar?

I tried it once recently.  The guy asked me how I was talking to him then.  I said I didn't know.  That conversation didn't last long.

[Brandon]

I've actually gotten them to the point where they cuss me out for having wasted their time.

On the other hand . . .

Once, I had a five-minute-long conversation about pooping with the guy on the other end.

Bandit would be proud.

[kalvado]

Frankly I'd be impressed if a state leg did the opposite: Prohibit all governors from all vehicles.

I mean, I've always wanted to tell the governor to take a hike, so I support any legislation requiring it as his only means of getting around.

Kind of sucks for the governors of large western states to be prohibited from all vehicles though. It's a long way from Carson City to Las Vegas.

NY governor has a personal service helicopter. Keeping them off the road a bit.
Business jet flights for long trips, 40 miles and above, also happen.

[kphoger]

Do helicopters and jets count as vehicles?

[DriverDave]

Frankly I'd be impressed if a state leg did the opposite: Prohibit all governors from all vehicles. It was a better world when I could draft like Dale Earnhardt off the back of an 18-wheeler doing 90.

(This move would be on brand for about 13 states off the top of my head.)

I actually think this is what should happen. Trucks struggling to pass each other on a two lane highway both going 5 miles an hour below the speed limit due to governors sucks, and there are times where speeding is required for safety purposes.

If excessive speed is an issue, reduce road design standards. You won't need any governors or speed cameras if going five over the speed limit turns drivers' knuckles as white as snow. There's better ways to do this than have a component on my car that can cause additional issues, and probably be circumvented with technical expertise anyways.

Wouldn't it just make more sense to set the speed limit based on the road design standards rather than the other way around? Seems more reasonable than to make the road more unsafe as a response to frequent speeding.

It depends on the context. A rural highway? Sure, of course it makes sense to set the speed limit based on the road design rather than adjust the road design to prefer a particular speed. A city street with lots of pedestrian traffic? There it makes more sense to slow down the cars, by changing the design when necessary.

Even in that context, if I am understanding this correctly, that means deliberately getting rid of a lane for the purpose of slowing cars down? Why not just put all that effort into increasing pedestrian safety such as building overpasses or improving the traffic light system? Instead of closing a perfectly good lane that may be needed in heavy traffic.

[Scott5114]

Back when you used to get phone calls almost daily about changing your long distance service, my sister in law would say, "Oh, sorry, we don't have a phone." Often the reply would be, "Sorry for bothering you."

When I was like 8, I answered the phone to one of these guys once. I responded by asking how long is it? He said nationwide. I said which nation? Some nations are wider than others. Chile, for instance, isn't very wide at all. He called me an asshole and hung up.

[kphoger]

Even in that context, if I am understanding this correctly, that means deliberately getting rid of a lane for the purpose of slowing cars down? Why not just put all that effort into increasing pedestrian safety such as building overpasses or improving the traffic light system? Instead of closing a perfectly good lane that may be needed in heavy traffic.

In most (all?) cases of a road diet that I'm familiar with, the lane wasn't really needed to begin with, and flow was just fine even in heavy traffic afterward.  And restriping lanes is a lot cheaper than most any other type of improvement.

[DriverDave]

I don't know. I doubt someone who drives 50 mph through residential areas would be deterred by a slightly thinner road. Just increase normal enforcement in those areas.

[sprjus4]

Again - in most places road diets are done, there's not a need for 2 or 3 lanes each way (whatever it may be), therefore that lane can be repurposed.

I've seen several instances of a 4 lane undivided road with light traffic volumes turned into a 3 lane street with a center turn lane, that actually is safer since it can remove turning traffic from the travel lane.

[Scott5114]

I don't know. I doubt someone who drives 50 mph through residential areas would be deterred by a slightly thinner road. Just increase normal enforcement in those areas.

The purpose is not so much to stop that kind of driver from speeding (there's basically nothing you can do to stop that), but to stop the people who mean well but don't really pay attention to the speed limit sign (or forgot what it said) and do 5-10 over because the road feels like it was designed for that speed.

It's kind of interesting how easy it is to influence driver speed with what are essentially psychological tricks. There's some freeway interchange (I think in Milwaukee?) where they were able to slow drivers down on the ramps just by painting oddly-spaced lines across the lanes. They trick drivers into thinking they're going faster than they actually are, so they slow down.

[Big John]

It's kind of interesting how easy it is to influence driver speed with what are essentially psychological tricks. There's some freeway interchange (I think in Milwaukee?) where they were able to slow drivers down on the ramps just by painting oddly-spaced lines across the lanes. They trick drivers into thinking they're going faster than they actually are, so they slow down.

That was done until they reconstructed the Mitchel Interchange by Milwaukee.  There is also one still used by Atlanta: https://maps.app.goo.gl/rwDv5PD4yjjjXnjLA

[triplemultiplex]

A physically narrower road does wonders to slow average motorists down.  Drivers tend to go as fast as the road "feels".  We've all experienced this on divided arterials with under-fit speed limits.  The road looks and feels like one I should be doing about 40 on, but if it's posted for 25, it's going to be super hard to comply with that, psychologically.

Take that same four lane divided arterial and shrink the lanes from 12 feet to 10 feet wide, bring landscaping right up to the left should, add curb bump-outs and on-street parking.  Maybe textured concrete at intersections if there's money for it.  Now 25 doesn't feel so mis-matched for the road I'm on and I'll drive close to that speed.

[kphoger]

There's some freeway interchange (I think in Milwaukee?) where they were able to slow drivers down on the ramps just by painting oddly-spaced lines across the lanes. They trick drivers into thinking they're going faster than they actually are, so they slow down.

Very common in Mexico.

Random example here.  And, somewhere around there, I've seen a passive-aggressive nanny sign whose translation is basically "slow down / avoid installation of speed bumps".

[Max Rockatansky]

There's some freeway interchange (I think in Milwaukee?) where they were able to slow drivers down on the ramps just by painting oddly-spaced lines across the lanes. They trick drivers into thinking they're going faster than they actually are, so they slow down.

Very common in Mexico.

Random example here.  And, somewhere around there, I've seen a passive-aggressive nanny sign whose translation is basically "slow down / avoid installation of speed bumps".

Those speed bumps are often placed at major highway junctions.  I had the misfortune of coming up on some which weren't painted headed south on Federal Highway 15 approaching Federal Highway 23 and hit them way too damn fast.  Luckily I was in a truck and nobody was around.

[jmacswimmer]

It's kind of interesting how easy it is to influence driver speed with what are essentially psychological tricks. There's some freeway interchange (I think in Milwaukee?) where they were able to slow drivers down on the ramps just by painting oddly-spaced lines across the lanes. They trick drivers into thinking they're going faster than they actually are, so they slow down.

That was done until they reconstructed the Mitchel Interchange by Milwaukee.  There is also one still used by Atlanta: https://maps.app.goo.gl/rwDv5PD4yjjjXnjLA

The ramp from I-495 inner to I-95 north in College Park MD has this too - the ticks get closer together as you continue down the ramp as well.

[mgk920]

It's kind of interesting how easy it is to influence driver speed with what are essentially psychological tricks. There's some freeway interchange (I think in Milwaukee?) where they were able to slow drivers down on the ramps just by painting oddly-spaced lines across the lanes. They trick drivers into thinking they're going faster than they actually are, so they slow down.

That was done until they reconstructed the Mitchel Interchange by Milwaukee.  There is also one still used by Atlanta: https://maps.app.goo.gl/rwDv5PD4yjjjXnjLA

I was worried that those chevrons would be a driving hazard in wet weather.  Yea, I remember WisDOT trying that for a slow curve that many drivers were 'missing'.

Mike

[kphoger]

There's some freeway interchange (I think in Milwaukee?) where they were able to slow drivers down on the ramps just by painting oddly-spaced lines across the lanes. They trick drivers into thinking they're going faster than they actually are, so they slow down.

Very common in Mexico.

Random example here.  And, somewhere around there, I've seen a passive-aggressive nanny sign whose translation is basically "slow down / avoid installation of speed bumps".

This has been bugging me:  I could swear I remember seeing this treatment where I-39 meets US-20 at Rockford, IL.  However, I am totally unable to find any evidence of it now.

[triplemultiplex]

This has been bugging me:  I could swear I remember seeing this treatment where I-39 meets US-20 at Rockford, IL.  However, I am totally unable to find any evidence of it now.

I think they had that on the SB ramp following I-39 at the Cherry Valley Interchange prior to the last repaving.

[Revive 755]

^The 2005 and 2006 Google Earth imagery shows them on NB I-39 prior to the bridge over the I-90 mainline.

[Brandon]

^The 2005 and 2006 Google Earth imagery shows them on NB I-39 prior to the bridge over the I-90 mainline.

That would've been back when I-39 went through the loop ramp there.  In 2006-07, IIRC, it was reconstructed to remove the loop and to the current configuration.

[kphoger]

Thanks, guys!  Good to know I was remembering correctly, even if not quite the right interchange.